Detroit’s vacancies provide space and hope to begin again

Detroit's space and vacancies afford the city an ability to transform itself into a city of hope and sustainability.Excerpt:“I see it as the quiet revolution,” she said. “It is a revolution for self-determination taking place quietly in Detroit.” This quiet revolution has been preparing Detroiters to meet today’s growing crises of global warming and spiraling food prices. As writer Rebecca Solnit said in the July 2007 issue of Harper’s, “Detroit is where change is most urgent and therefore most viable. The rest of us will get there later, when necessity drives us too, and by that time Detroit may be the shining example we can look to—the post-industrial green city that was once the steel-gray capital of Fordist manufacturing.”Read the entire article here.

Blight Busters works with investors to rehabilitate, sell Detroit houses

Investors and Blight Busters are working together to rehabilitate Detroit houses.Excerpt:Kopanakis said Blight Busters crews have rehabbed about 40 homes for Urban Wholesalers. He estimates that 40,000 blighted properties in the city need to be rehabbed or torn down."One reason we think it is important to work with these guys is time is of the essence. If we move quickly and get these houses back, the likelihood of the copper being stolen is diminished," said John George, founder of Motor City Blight Busters. "We want these houses, like the whole city, to be stable."Read the entire article here.

Model D TV: Mid-Med Lofts Buidling Bustles in Midtown

Once an abandoned car wash, hotel and liquor store, Mid-Med Lofts is now a cluster of office, residential and retail that works, and works well. Watch and learn in this video clip from Tom Hendrickson.

Preservation Possible: Expanded Historic Tax Credits Help Save Forest Arms

New law allows developers to stack both state and federal tax credits so they add up to 40 percent of the project's total cost, creating a huge potential impact on stimulating redevelopment of city's historic building stock.

Whiskey Town: As Blowout Beckons, a Look at Hamtramck’s Barroom Legacy

It's no accident this week's Blowout is in Hamtramck, where Irish and Polish saloon keepers once made the vibrant city within a city the most celebrated drinking town -- per capita -- in the world. Let's raise a glass to that and keep the pours coming.

Model D TV: Supino Pizza finds perfect location in Eastern Market

Detroit doctor tweets during surgery, garners buzz from across the world

Twitter, tweeting, twit... it's all the rage these days. Even during surgery. A Henry Ford doctor tweeted updates during a man's surgery, which grabbed attention throughout the world.Excerpt:It's 7 a.m. at Henry Ford Hospital, and surgeons are preparing to remove a cancerous tumor from a man's kidney.It's potentially a risky surgery, but everything's ready: The doctors and nurses are in the operating room, the surgical instruments are sterilized and ready to go, and the chief resident is furiously Twittering on his laptop.That's right -- last week, for the second known time, surgeons Twittered a surgery by using social-networking site Twitter to give short real-time updates about the procedure. Read the entire article here.

Diddy is coming to Detroit in search of a backup band

Sean Combs. Puffy. Puff Daddy. P. Diddy. Just plain Diddy. Whatever you want to call him, he's coming to town in search of a back up band to tour with him during the promotion of his next album.Excerpt:Diddy is on the hunt for musicians worthy of being in his backup band to tour with him to promote his next album, "Last Train to Paris."Auditions for the new show will be held at 10 a.m. March 21 at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts. Audition lineup begins at 7 a.m.The show is looking for men and women who play guitar, bass, keyboards or drums, plus backup singers. Those that play guitar or bass, bring your own instruments. If you are a drummer, bring your sticks. And, if you play keyboard or sing, you don't need to bring anything. Read the entire article here.

The White Stripes close out Conan’s final show

The White Stripes joined Conan O'Brien on his last show before he moved to L.A. to take over Jay Leno's seat.Excerpt:It wasn't a standard reading of the song. Meg strummed guitar and joined Jack on vocals in a slow-paced, mournful acoustic version.In the final verse, Jack carried the song solo and at times appeared close to tears."I wasn't sure this would happen," said O'Brien, a long-time friend and fan of the band. "I'm personally very thrilled we could make it happen tonight. Please welcome our very good friends The White Stripes."The show was the last ever Late Night With Conan O’Brien. The host now moves now from New York to Los Angeles to take over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno.Read the entire article here.