Buzz

MLUI urges local leaders to realize transit boosts development

MLUI Wednesday, December 06, 2006

A group from Grand Rapids is headed to Portland to learn about how transit has electrified the local economy. Transit advocates hope the civic leaders on the trip come away with a real sense of what a necessary ingredient transit is to the redevelopment mix.

Excerpt from article:

Now, as a delegation of civic leaders from Grand Rapids, Mich. heads [to Portland] to study how Portland�s trolleys sealed this town�s stunning comeback, their journey again raises a crucial question: When will the Great Lakes region�s many fading cities, particularly Michigan�s, see investing in transit as necessary for restoring the region�s once-boundless prosperity?

To read the article, click here.

Shop Detroit event Saturday; city offers parking discounts

Detroit Synergy/City of Detroit Monday, November 27, 2006

The "Shop Detroit" message is being echoed by the city, the local NAACP, Independent Retailers Association, Booker T. Washington Business Association, Detroit Black Chamber of Commerce and Detroit Synergy.

On Saturday, Dec. 2, Synergy will host its third Shop Detroit event from 10 am to 5 pm. Shoppers who register with Synergy at the Compuware building will get info on discounts and promotions around the city, a free People Mover pass for the day and a free shuttle to the New Center shopping district.

Click here for a map and more details on the Synergy event Saturday.

In addition, this year the city is offering another incentive: discounted parking at city municipal parking structures and lots from through Dec. 24 for shoppers with receipts.

The city also has a list of boutiques, specialty shops and retailers in the city at its web site: www.ci.detroit.mi.us/default.htm.

Daniel Howes: 'Shed the cynicism; One D could spell different Detroit'

Detroit News Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Detroit News columnist Daniel Howes writes about One D, the new partnership between Detroit Renaissance, the Detroit Regional Chamber, New Detroit, the United Way of Southeast Michigan, the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan.

Howes writes:

One D may not have an office or a budget, but it could symbolize a long-overdue break with that past of civic timidity. Business and civic leaders are more effective drivers of change than politicians, and there's no better time to move than when resources are tight, the outlook is grim and some of the heavy lifting (think downtown redevelopment post-Super Bowl XL) is already done.

Click here for more.

Detroit lands $3 million in federal money to study transit in city

Detroit News Friday, November 03, 2006

The Detroit Department of Transportation has landed $3 million in federal funds to study mass transit throughout the city of Detroit. DDOT plans to study light rail, street cars, an expanded People Mover and bus rapid transit.

Excerpt from article:

Dan Meyers, project leader for URS Corp., the San Francisco firm adminstering the study, says:

Within the next month,...URS will identify as many as 10 heavily traveled corridors -- such as Woodward, Jefferson and Grand River -- and eventually pare those to determine where the first route should go. The consultants are studying routes through Detroit as well as Dearborn, Highland Park and Hamtramck.

Click here for more.

US Population growth bodes well for older cities

USA Today Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Planners around the country believe that the unprecedented population growth the United States is undergoing can mean good things for older cities like Detroit.

Excerpt from article:

Detroit, Washington and St. Louis supported hundreds of thousands more residents in 1950 than they do today. Dozens of cities across the country are well past their heyday but still have all their streets, roads, power lines and water supplies in place. If only people would return.

Click for full story.

Indiana University to host techno roots conference

Go Magazine Friday, October 06, 2006

Indiana University's Archives of African American Music and Culture is set to host the first national conference on Oct. 21 about techno music, �Roots of Techno: Black DJs and the Detroit Scene.� In addition to academic panels and discussions, there will be evening events featuring Detroit DJs as well as live performances.

Excerpt from article:

The world may know about the Motown Sound, but many don�t know that techno music � a wildly popular electronically produced form of dance music reverberating dancehalls and raves across Europe -- was developed 20 years ago by a handful of African American college students around Detroit.

Click for the full story.

Local group fixes up park in northwest Detroit

Hometown Life Friday, October 06, 2006

A Royal Oak resident formed a non-profit called Let's Help Out, Detroit to make improvements to a Northwest Detroit Park. The new group will next raise funds for Priest Elementary School's library.

Excerpt from article:

A local woman led a group of volunteers for a small project in Detroit, hoping it makes a big difference.

Bonnie Roberts, 26, of Royal Oak, and eight others built new bleachers at and cleaned up a park in northwest Detroit this weekend.

Click here for the full story.

City's real estate market on upswing

Detroit Free Press Sunday, September 17, 2006

Depsite sluggish sales state-wide, home sales in the city of Detroit have risen in 2006.

Excerpt from article:

Locally, one of the few bright spots was in the city of Detroit itself. Home sales through July 31 were up in the city almost 9% compared to the same period last year, according to the Michigan Association of Realtors.

That rise could reflect the city's mini-boom in downtown living.

It might also mirror the availability of more riverfront condominiums converted from former apartment buildings, as well as the renovation of some older neighborhoods.

Northwest Detroit farmers market a hit with locals

Detroit Free Press Sunday, September 10, 2006

Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation is hosting its neighborhood�s first farmer�s market that features produce grown in Southeast Michigan and the Windsor area.

Excerpt:
Each Thursday from 4-8 p.m. in the parking lot of Bushnell Congregational Church, produce, fresh-baked goods, hand-blended teas and locally-produced honey are available for reasonable prices.

Weinstein, the organization's special-projects coordinator and market master, couldn't be more thrilled with the reaction to the new market. "We're giving outsiders a reason to come to our neighborhood and promoting healthy eating," she said.

Police Department brings back 150 officers

Detroit News Friday, September 08, 2006

After laying off 150 officers last year in a major cost-cutting effort, the Detroit Police Department has hired 27 back, bringing the total number of rehires to 104. The beleaguered department saved $113 million by enacting the 2005 layoffs.

Exceprt:
Resident Charles Wise Jr., 70, is glad the department rehired the officers. "The streets should be safer," he said from his porch, less than one block from the police training academy where [Chief] Bully-Cummings swore-in the officers.

Click here for more.

Kate Moss in the Motor City: W Magazine photo shoot hits stands

W Magazine Tuesday, August 29, 2006

The September 2006 issue of W magazine has hit newstands. It features the photo spread supermodel Kate Moss and fashion photog Bruce Weber shot around the Motor City recently.

Here's an excerpt:
"Detroit is coming back to life. Reborn as one of the most vibrant cities in the world. So Bruce Weber and Kate Moss went off to sample a little motown magic. They got a lot."

To see the pix, check out the magazine.

Crain's offers 'Living and Investing in the D' special section

Crain's Detroit Business Monday, August 21, 2006

This week, Crain's Detroit Business offers its Living and Investing in the D special section. The section highlights city neighborhoods, schools, business opportunities, and asks residents why they live in Detroit.

Click here for more.

25 neighborhoods targeted for property tax breaks

Detroit Free Press Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Mayor Kilpatrick delivered a list of 25 neighborhoods who may see their property taxes decrease 20% or more starting in January 2007.

Excerpts from the article:

Homeowners in neighborhoods, such as Palmer Woods, Rosedale, Sherwood and the Berry Subdivision, stand to receive more than a 20% tax cut starting in January of 2007.

Eligible homeowners would see their property taxes cut from 67 mills to about 50.

Click here for more.

City leading area housing market

Detroit Free Press Saturday, June 24, 2006

According to the story:

The city of Detroit remains a high point in the region's struggling housing market, leading the way in home sales and new construction.

"A lot of people see Detroit as bottomed-out or as poised for growth, so a lot of people are using that as an opportunity," said Darralyn Bowers, president of Detroit Association of Realtors.

Click here for more.

ARISE Detroit coalition seeks volunteers to boost city

Detroit Free Press Monday, May 29, 2006

Free Press columnist Rochelle Riley says the new ARISE campaign is ambitious, well-organized and may finally make us realize that we can stop waiting for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to come back.

Click here for more.

Grandmont Rosedale : Buzz