Downtown Detroit

90-year-old Cass Tech alum Gerald Wilson to pen piece titled ‘Detroit’ for Jazz fest

By Newsroom

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May 5, 2009

Cass Tech alum Gerald Wilson, 90, has been selected to write the piece "Detroit" for the Detroit International Jazz Festival in September.Excerpt:The Detroit International Jazz Festival has commissioned indefatigable 90-year-old composer and bandleader Gerald Wilson, who trained at Detroit's Cass Tech in the '30s, to write a big band piece entitled "Detroit" in honor of the festival's 30th anniversary. The premiere will take place at the Labor Day weekend event, Sept. 4-7 in downtown Detroit.The commission was among the latest details announced today, including the complete slate of national headliners.Wilson, who wrote for Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie and Duke Ellington early in his career, has led his own Los Angeles-based big band for 45 years and is a leading voice in post-World War II big band jazz. He'll lead a band of Michigan musicians at the festival.Read the entire article here.

Detroit’s curbside recycling program begins in July

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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May 5, 2009

Detroit's curbside recycling pilot program to kick off in July.Excerpt:“We partnered with a number of these groups to have them at the table and be part of the planning process,” says Al Jordan, director of Detroit’s Department of Public Works, which will oversee the curbside recycling program.What they’ve conceived is a one-year pilot program which will operate in two Detroit neighborhoods, one on the west side and one on the east side, serving 15,000 homes in each. Eastside residents will receive an 18-gallon receptacle, collected manually every week. Westside residents will have a 96-gallon container which will be emptied by city trucks every other week.All recycled materials will be dumped at a transfer facility and then taken to Great Lakes Recycling in Roseville. Jordan says it’s too early and the program is too small to start looking at recycling as a source of revenue. But the long-term plan includes the receipt of a fair market price for our discarded paper, glass, metal and other materials.Read the entire article here.

CNNMoney.com: Detroit entrepreneurs band together to succeed

By Newsroom

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General

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May 5, 2009

Open City and a host of Detroit entrepreneurs are highlighted in a piece by CNNMoney.com.Excerpt:"We really want each other to succeed, because we know the whole situation with the cars has been a little bit devastating," said Liz Blondy, president of Canine To Five, a dog daycare, boarding and grooming facility in Detroit's midtown.Blondy is a co-founder of Open City, a small business networking group that gathers monthly. Around 100 people attended the April meeting, at which longtime business owners offered advice on how new companies can navigate Detroit's economy and achieve similar longevity. Among their tips: Keep your overhead low. Detroit's rock-bottom real estate prices help with that -- commercial space is inexpensive and homes can be had for less than $1,000."There is no place to open a business where your fixed expenses will be lower than Detroit," said Dave Muer, owner of Blue Pointe Restaurant.Read the entire article here.

Sports Central: Best Places to Watch the Game, or at Least Look Like You Are

By Terry Parris Jr.

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General

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May 5, 2009

We play to win, and we like to watch our teams win. Sometimes with a beer in hand, sometimes with a martini. Sometimes in formal wear, sometimes in jean shorts. OK, never really in jean shorts. Here's the lowdown on your best bets for catching the game.

North Carolina public radio program picks up on Detroit’s Cheers currency

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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April 28, 2009

Park Bar owner Jerry Belanger and the Detroit currency, "Cheers," is picked up by a North Carolina public radio program.Excerpt:Jerry Belanger has a love for downtown Detroit. Where others may see vacant buildings and shattered windows, Jerry sees a city with soul. He's committed to revitalizing the downtown area, an effort that started with renovating an abandoned building and opening his own bar. Jerry's latest project to stimulate local spending -- and local morale -- was to create a Detroit currency called "Cheers." Jerry talks to Dick about his perspective of Detroit’s true character and what makes it so different from other struggling cities in the US.See the entire post here.Read the Model D story here.

Detroit’s transforming, but to what? NPR’s series on Retooling Detroit

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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April 28, 2009

Detroit needs to change and the economy is forcing it to change. NPR produces a series delving into what the city is doing and what it should do to retool itself for the future.Here are a few pieces from the series worth checking out:Commentary about the writer's love of the Brown Bombers fist and the city of Detroit here.Architects and rehabbers capitalizing on the Detroit market here.Venture capitalists and entrepreneurs sticking in Detroit here.Read the entire series here.

SPIN drops in on the Detroit Music Awards for the Nug’/Amboy Dukes reunion

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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April 28, 2009

SPIN visits the Detroit Music Awards and liked what it saw, which included a Ted Nugent reunion with the Amboy Dukes. Don't worry, the Nug' didn't shoot anyone with a bow an arrow.Excerpt: Despite a few rust-induced hiccups, the event (and make no mistake, this was an event) was a pleasure to witness. The Dukes' three-song set consisted of "Baby, Please Don't Go", "Journey to the Center of The Mind," and an awesome rendition of Mitch Ryder's "Jenny Take A Ride," featuring original Ryder drummer Johnny Bee. Nugent, who was recently slammed for referring to his hometown as a "scab," was full of compliments for the Motor City during his numerous rants. Other highlights of the evening included a tribute to Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton, who passed away earlier this year. Former Rationals frontman Scott Morgan, together with his new band Powertrane and Cult Heroes singer Hiawatha Bailey, performed the Stooges classics "1969," "Down on the Street," and "I Wanna Be Your Dog." Read the entire article here.

Final Four weekend was a success for Detroit

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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April 28, 2009

Detroit's Final Four weekend was a success on many fronts.Excerpt:It was a downtown Detroit alive with electricity that was enjoyed by all.Financially, the local community benefited from an estimated $30 million to $50 million in direct economic impact during a time when businesses face challenges not seen since the Great Depression. Needy organizations benefitted from a Final Four-first food recovery program in partnership with Forgotten Harvest that donated more than 1,000 pounds of food to community service providers.Several screenings and panel discussions on the NCAA documentary "Game of Change" provided a platform for positive discourse on race relations, and more than 10,000 basketball uniforms were donated to local and statewide organizations.The Samaritan's Feet initiative donated more than 1,000 pairs of shoes, and the Boll Family YMCA in Detroit received a basketball court refurbishment from the NCAA, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Tyler Ugolyn Foundation. More than 500 students participated in the NCAA's Middle School Madness program that provides educators with compelling learning tools centered on the elements of the Final Four. Read the entire article here.

Detroit is gaining on the national greening front

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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April 28, 2009

Community gardens and new bike paths and trails are helping Detroit get greener.Excerpt:But the city surprised many people last year when it moved from 43rd to 31st in a ranking of major U.S. cities judged by support for the environment. SustainLane, a national group that compiled the list, cited Detroit's decision to replace blight with a growing number of community gardens and paved pedestrian and bicycle paths. Beyond the city, Michigan has built the third-most housing units certified as green by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a Washington, D.C.-based environmental building expert. Michigan has 119 such units, which meet standards such as energy efficiency, while leader California has 480. Read the entire article here.

Fancified Fort Shelby’s apartments now available

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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April 28, 2009

The now lease-able Fort Shelby apartments offer refined urban living in downtown Detroit.Excerpt:No detail has been overlooked in these sophisticated spaces. The kitchens boast granite countertops, Aristokraft cabinetry, GE stainless-steel appliances and hardwood floors. The bathrooms have travertine tile; double Kohler sinks in granite counters; glass-enclosed, spa-like showers; and deep, soaker tubs. Chandeliers are stainless steel in a gender-neutral style; other lighting is recessed. Carpeting is high-end Berber. Thick, horizontal, wood blinds dress the windows. The ceilings are 9 feet high. One model even has a roomy kitchen pantry. Every unit has its own washer and dryer. And the spacious, walk-in closets would make "Sex and the City's" Carrie swoon with pleasure. But it doesn't stop there. Amenities include a 24-hour doorman, concierge, cable and DirectTV, private elevator, housekeeping and dry-cleaning services. On the ground floor, there is the Finn & Porter steakhouse and sushi bar, a lounge called the Round Bar, the Bearclaw Coffee Shop and 38,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting space. Catering and guest suites for visiting family and friends are available. There's also in-house ATM banking and a vintage marble shoeshine stand. Read the entire article here.