Will the city of Wixom be able to cope effectively with the announced closing of the Ford assembly plant? If Ford abandons the plant completely, it could put a 12 percent dent in the city's tax rolls. However, the city has been attracting new industries that will help fill the gap, according to City Manager Michael Dornan. "Twelve percent is a significant hole," said Robin Boyle, chair of the Geography and Urban Planning Department at Wayne State. "A lesson that we've learned from large plant closures is that brownfield sites sit for a long time. From my experience, we're looking at a five-year gap.