Lighting matters. Public lighting signals so many things. When it’s present, it provides evidence of community stability, safety and stewardship. It’s absence creates an open invitation for crime and community despair. That’s why the news that there are now streetlights in every zip code in Detroit should be heralded with thunderous applause. Last week, the Public Lighting Authority (PLA) […]
One vacant Detroit property is among the city’s newest turnaround symbols. The long-empty Treymore Apartments, located at 457 Brainard, will soon provide affordable housing in Midtown, one of the community’s most popular, and increasingly costly, residential areas. A $3.5 million contribution of HOME city funds helped restore the property, adding another stake in Mayor Mike […]
Climbing the tall, narrow stairs at the Joe Lewis Arena helped Ettaflyy Thomas drop 50 pounds in less than a year. Call it steep, step cardio. Thomas, 35, co-owner of Sweet Potato Sensations in Detroit, rides her bike to The Joe on her days off and runs or walks steps because she loves exercising out […]
At one point, the searches became so frequent young Benny Napoleon removed a car seat, so officers didn’t have to bother yanking it loose when they stopped him to look for guns or drugs. It was the early 1970s and Detroit Police STRESS (Stop the Robberies, Enjoy Safe Streets) units, which would soon be disbanded […]
We’ve heard it increasingly in recent years: Detroit needs attention beyond downtown. And while it’s true that companies occupying those few square miles of real estate near Campus Martius help draw jobs and business to the entire city, it’s also true that corporate headquarters in high-rise buildings have limited impact on outlying neighborhoods. That’s why […]
Gentrification. Argh, the very sound of the word evokes a visceral sensation in my gut. It seems to be the topic du jour among Detroit’s civically engaged minority. Meanwhile, the masses are dealing with real life issues like unemployment, illiteracy, foreclosure, lack of public transportation, water shut offs, violent crime and poverty in all its […]
Barbara Jean Jones has lived in her home for more than 50 years. She bought her home with her late husband James and together they raised four children. She lived in her home when she lost her husband and when she lost her son, a police officer, to an untimely death. Her house is filled […]
Wayne County officials announced that the county is evaluating a proposal from a Walsh Construction Company-led design-build team in response to its Request for Qualifications (RFQu). Although the county had expected to receive a response by the Nov. 18 deadline, it is pleased to receive a qualification proposal from a nationally recognized construction management firm, […]
You know when Detroit’s Mayor Mike Duggan describes the past seven days of his tenure in the city as “remarkable,” that something significant has happened. Was it the $100 million investment in a residential development in Brush Park? Perhaps it was a Fortune 200 company bringing its global headquarters to Detroit. Oh, and the Detroit Promise announced […]