Downtown Detroit fights back

There’s plenty good going on in Detroit right now, summarized in a recent article from the Washington Times. Whole Foods, the Live Midtown housing incentives and recent population growth in young professionals, well-covered, all receive their due. What’s new is an interview with Nate Forbes, managing partner of Troy’s Somerset Collection, which has opened the CityLoft retail venture in the downtown Woodward corridor. Forbes touts both the city’s public-private partnerships and current leaders for creating an atmosphere that supports new businesses and entrepreneurs.

Excerpt:

“Of course Detroit has a lot of geography — it’s a large city. There’s
no telling how long it will take, but you have to start off in small
chunks. You have a lot of businesses moving to the area that will spawn
other investments — hotels, retail, restaurants. It’s one block at a
time, but when you go down there now, you feel a renewed energy.”

More to read here.