Downtown Detroit

If Cobo deal dies, don’t let regionalism die with it, Freep editorial says

Regionalism and cooperation between counties may be the answer to a number of problems facing the area.Excerpt:Regional solutions are the only solutions to metro Detroit’s many challenges. The area’s political leaders have got to be able to sit down together and see their own interests, as well as the region’s, in all the other faces. So several steps need to be taken to ensure that, at some point, the parties can come back together in good faith, renegotiate Cobo and move on to the other issues. The first is for everyone to just hang tight on Cobo for now, and wait until the city’s political landscape is more settled. With three city elections between now and November, there’s no point in renegotiating before then. The hope is for a saner council and a mayor still committed to regionalism. But at minimum, the city will have leaders empowered for four years, not just a few more months. Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, who’s threatening to use the death of the Cobo deal as a tool to lure the auto show to his turf, also needs to simmer down. His response threatens regional cooperation as much as the council’s antics do. Read the entire article here.

Fed stimulus to bring $1.5M to Greektown, $1.7M to Michigan Ave. for streetscaping

International music magazine 365mag gets the Movement festival bug

365mag says that Jason Huvaere may win the understatement of the year award by saying that they've done a "good job" of putting together this year's Movement festival.Excerpt:“As I've said previously we spend a lot of time selecting artists and DJs that will appeal to electronic music enthusiasts,” said Jason Huvaere, president of Paxahau. “And I think with the addition of these 25 artists we have done a good job of putting together a solid mix of local and international performers to take the stages at Movement this year.” 'A good job' would be an understatement here, as the full list now entails some of the world's finest artists across a wide spectrum of genres in electronic music.Read the entire article here.

Who Moves to Detroit: Notes from Model D’s Speaker Series

What does falling in love look like? If we've learned anything from Hollywood and romantic comedies, it's not always pretty, easy or perfect, but it's something sweet, sincere and hopeful, and usually stars Kate Hudson. As we wrap up Model D's April speaker series, we talk to four people who were born and raised far from here, but who have fallen for Detroit all the same. But sorry, no Kate Hudson.

Group gathering support for city to adopt council by districts

A Detroit group of community activists are gathering signatures in support of scrapping one city council and going to council by districts.Excerpt:A coalition of Detroit-based community organizations is reaching out to volunteers to collect more than 31,000 signatures to put a proposal to elect council members by district on the November ballot.Detroiters for City Council by Districts said it already has collected more than 10,000 signatures. The coalition is holding a training session next week for volunteers to help it collect the remaining signatures of the 31,240 required by Aug. 4 to put the proposal on the ballot.If successful, the effort would amend the current, 1997 Detroit City Charter to elect nine council members -- seven from districts and two serving at-large.Read the entire article here.

Hertz So Good: Detroit Music Awards’ Top Dog Talks About the City and the Scene

With the Detroit Music Awards just around the corner, we talk with organizer Howard Hertz, an ambassador, promoter and tireless supporter of the Detroit scene. The entertainment lawyer says the world may recognize the depth of the talent pool here, but many Detroiters don't know just how good we've got it.

Time magazine writes about Detroit as the world’s lab for rebuilding cities

Detroit's renewal may lie in a smaller, denser, greener city.Excerpt:The Russell Industrial Center, an Albert Kahn--designed former auto-body manufacturing plant converted into more than 1 million sq. ft. (93,000 sq m) of studio space, is one example of how to find new uses for Detroit's vacant structures. "It took us about a year before we realized we weren't going to get big manufacturers in here," says Chris Mihailovich, whose development company took over the complex in 2003. Mihailovich started leasing cavernous parcels at bargain-basement prices, and a community flourished. "This is the future: small business. The auto industry is all people knew, but it's not coming back." In the Russell's warren of dingy hallways, more than 150 artists hone their craft. Some salvage supplies and inspiration from the city's wreckage. Artist Albert Young, 57, sifts through scrap yards for metal he can assemble into sculptures--a process he calls "resurrecting refuse from another time."Read the entire article here.

Letter to the editor of the NY Times: Don’t forget about Detroit

Reader writes into the New York Times asking where's the Detroit love in story about reinventing cities.Excerpt:Re “Reinventing America’s Cities: the Time Is Now” by Nicolai Ouroussoff [March 29]:Mr. Ouroussoff’s article was informative and important. While I appreciated his four case studies and policy recommendations for New Orleans, Los Angeles, Buffalo and the Bronx, I was sorely disappointed to see Detroit given no more than a passing shout out in his paragraph on urban decay. Detroit’s community is vibrant and dynamic, albeit small, and is ripe with potential for growth and development. Read the entire letter here.

Model D Went to the Final Four and All We Brought You Were These Photos, Videos and Tweets

We're going live this weekend with coverage from the Final Four festivities downtown. We'll be at the parties, bars, concerts, and other hoopla streaming photo, video and random thoughts. We'll also offer some best bets for where to go, what to do, and what to imbibe. Also, we suggest wearing lots of green and white. A big S would be nice, too.