Corktown

Is the Michigan Central Station an eyesore or an opportunity?

Does the MCS offer opportunity? Or is it just an eyesore? We've been asking that question for years now... but, maybe, just maybe, we'll get an answer soon.Excerpt:Stamper says some people want the depot razed because it's a visual rendering of the decay of Detroit. But in spite of the problems, many Detroiters still find the depot beautiful and inspiring. Hundreds of them protested the council's decision, including Tim McKay."I see this train station every day of my life," McKay says. "I live here, work here. This building represents a bygone era. It also represents a great opportunity."McKay says the residents of Corktown, the neighborhood that houses the building, want to use the station as the backdrop to a city park. He envisions it as a viable green space that could be used by all.And the International Bridge Co. has some ideas in the works as well; Stamper has submitted a proposal to the government to use part of the depot as a facility for Homeland Security."We want to refurbish just the historic part," Stamper says. "The main entry, main lobby of the depot. The tower would come down."Read the entire article here.Another piece on the MCS from NPR here.

Bon Appétit ranks Slows as one of the 10 best new barbeque joints in America

More love for Detroit's already well loved Slows Bar BQ. Excerpt:At this sleek Corktown neighborhood favorite, be sure to try the Yardbird sandwich (pictured), which is piled with juicy smoked pulled chicken tossed with mushrooms and cheddar and topped with applewood bacon. Traditionalists will find comfort in an order of St. Louis-style spareribs or Texas-style beef brisket. See the entire list here.

Greening of Detroit bringing back the city’s green canopy

The Greening of Detroit is looking to bring back Detroit's green canopy.Excerpt:A batch of trees soon to be planted on a wild, overgrown patch of land near a Detroit neighborhood is expected to be a step toward bringing back a vibrant, green canopy to the Motor City.The nonprofit group Greening of Detroit is pushing urban reforestation — even during a tough economy — with projects like a Christmas tree farm, neighborhood gardens and thousands of tree plantings along busy streets."The need is expanding, so we're trying to keep pace," said Rebecca Salminen Witt, the organization's president.Read the entire article here.

Ginny Springstead remembered as the rock of Nemo’s Bar

Corktown staple Ginny Springstead lost the fight with cancer and died Wednesday. Her bar which she ran with her children -- Detroit's hallowed Nemo's -- however, won't forget her.Excerpt:In the middle of the mayhem stood Ginny, all of 5 feet tall, keeping the soup piping hot at work and the kids mannerly at home and her husband more or less in line, wherever he was. "She was the rock," says Pat, 66, and if that didn't come naturally to her, she had plenty of time to learn it. She was the oldest of five girls from the upper-flat fringes of Indian Village, and she mostly raised her sisters -- two of them from her widowed mom's second marriage, but Lord help anyone who called them "half." Then at 21, she married Nemo and raised five kids of her own. The four of them still living will tell you she loved her family, her bar and Higgins Lake. She was also fond of Cadillacs, and a big sedan with a GINNY1 license plate was the closest she ever came to putting on airs. The day she brought home her first, Nemo raised an eyebrow: "Who do you think you are?" Read the entire article here.

Roosevelt Park planting aims to reflect Michigan Central’s stature

LISC accepting nominations for CDC of the year

Up and down times for Tiger Stadium

The Tiger Stadium's stay of execution was lifted Monday according to the Associated Press but Freep writer Bill McGraw wonders if the fight over a stadium that is already 75 percent gone worth the energy, considering abandonment is a problem throughout the city.Excerpt:If we are going to worry about Michigan and Trumbull, why not such endangered corners as Sawyer and Ashton, W. Robinwood and Charleston, and W. Warren and W. Grand Boulevard, where a library sits crumbling and abandoned? One sign fastened last week to the fence that surrounds Tiger Stadium made a similar point. The sign said: “Demolish the DANGEROUS burnt-out homes on MY STREET before an HISTORIC LANDMARK.”Read the entire article here.

Charter Reform Spells Change for Detroit

They say good things take time, and this will. Revising the city's charter could spell great things for Detroit. But what type of change will come of it, and who will make those decisions? Voters, a lot of that is up to you.

New hope for Detroit’s Michigan Central Station?

Will this be the plan to save MCS? Preservationists hope.Excerpt:“With more than 500,000 square feet of space on nearly 14 acres in proximity to critical state, regional and international infrastructure facilities, the Central Depot property has great potential to house a complimentary set of homeland security, intermodal transportation and economic development-related functions,” write the five state senators.  “The property is ideally located in an area of unique intermodal convergence that includes the Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, connections to three interstate highways, the Detroit-Wayne County Port and several freight lines.” (More pics after the jump.)...The timing of the senators’ plea, though, is interesting. Just last week, the Michigan Messenger reported that the Canadian Pacific Railroad is seeking $400 million to build a new freight rail tunnel under the Detroit River and likely emerging in the middle of Michigan Central’s rail yard. While building the tunnel would not necessarily save the structure, the proposal does seem to buttress the case made by preservationists that the complex still has economic value and is worth rehabilitating.Read the entire article here.