Restoring Detroit from the bottom up

Certainly, there is a committed corps of bright, dedicated business people who wear themselves out trying to fix Detroit's problems. But they're too few in number, and too few of them can be called giants. The erosion of Detroit's industrial base has left it without the concentration of wealth and power that produces world-class leadership ... But leadership of the Ford/Fisher caliber is what it will take to save Detroit.

- Nolan Finley, Editorial Page Editor of the Detroit News

In his column published yesterday, Finley laments the diminished power of Detroit's business titans. Once upon a time, he writes, big names like Henry Ford II and Max Fisher had the clout to raise millions of dollars and build city-saving institutions like the Renaissance Center. Without leaders like those today -- super rich and super powerful -- the city will never turn around.

What he ignores, of course, is that the city fell apart on their watch. Since the 1950s, one "city-saving" project after another has been pushed by the region's business elite. Highways, museums, stadiums, hotels, casinos, the Renaissance Center -- each new project was heralded as the key to the city's revival. And each one, in its way, failed. Even as downtown has improved, the neighborhoods have kept declining, rapidly. And even downtown the pace of demolition has exceeded the pace of development. And go figure. With a few praiseworthy exceptions, the movers and shakers Finley expects to save the city have almost uniformly abandoned it. They might bankroll the cultural institutions (and deserve gratitude for that), but most of them long ago moved their own homes, their offices, and their factories outside the city's borders, draining it of the one resource it needs most: jobs.

So pardon me if I don't sit around waiting for a handful of wealthy patrons to save the city. They have a role to play, certainly. The new light rail line being built from downtown to New Center is a great example of what private philanthropy can do, and there are some pretty big names behind all the region's major foundations, which have funded great, publicly-oriented projects like the RiverFront and the expansion of the DIA. But if the city's neighborhoods ever turn around, it'll be thanks to the small businesses, non-profits, and community activists that are planting trees, building community gardens, opening businesses, restoring historic buildings, fighting government corruption, and otherwise committing themselves to the city's restoration on a day-to-day basis. A few business titans, acting alone, can't save us. A community can.

Community development on the west side

The Metrotimes profiles John George and Motor City Blight Busters on the city's west side.

Gleaners goes green

Model D has a nice article about the public/private collaboration behind Gleaners' "green" renovation of its historic warehouse.

Woodbridge plan unveiled

The Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Corporation will unveil its new development plan, LEVERAGE: the Woodbridge Connection, at the 4731 Gallery (4731 Grand River Ave.) this Friday, May 2, from 6 to 8 pm. The plan will remain on display throughout May.

Hat Tip: Model D.

Should Detroit downsize?

Last week CNNMoney.com wrote about Youngstown, Ohio's plans to shrink the city to make city services more cost effective:

Now, in a radical move, the city - which has suffered since the steel industry left town and jobs dried up - is bulldozing abandoned buildings, tearing up blighted streets and converting entire blocks into open green spaces. More than 1,000 structures have been demolished so far.

Under the initiative, dubbed Plan 2010, city officials are also monitoring thinly-populated blocks. When only one or two occupied homes remain, the city offers incentives - up to $50,000 in grants - for those home owners to move, so that the entire area can be razed. The city will save by cutting back on services like garbage pick-ups and street lighting in deserted areas.

In Sunday's Free Press, columnist Stephen Henderson said Detroit should do the same. He even suggests that community development groups should stop constructing new low-income housing, quoting a Wayne State professor:

"In the sparsely populated areas, we shouldn't be cheering groups that build 50 units of new housing," he said. "That's aggravating the situation. You've got to move people around, and build in denser areas to allow the city to operate more efficiently and effectively."

Talking points

The next time you discuss Detroit, ignore Kwame and cut the nostalgia for Hudson's. Recite this list instead. Model D has listed the sixteen coolest initiatives in the city. This is the future.

Also in this week's issue, eight ways the city is getting greener. Normally I wouldn't promote such pure boosterism, but frankly, in the current political and economic climate (read: bad bad bad), we need it.

Good news in Gratiot Woods

The Free Press has a positive story on the turnaround of the Gratiot Woods neighborhood on the city's east side. The effort has been led by the Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance, one of the dozens of community development groups working with little fanfare to empower residents and revitalize neighborhoods (some, due to limited funding and capacity, with more success than others).

Building community wealth in Detroit

Detroit is a "Community Wealth City." The designation comes from Community-Wealth.org, a website that aims to be "the web’s most comprehensive and up-to-date information resource on state-of-the-art strategies for democratic, community-based economic development."

C-W has created a web page featuring the major organizations and institutions working to revitalize the city using community-wealth building strategies. It's a great snapshot of the efforts underway to rejuvenate Detroit.

Find out about Wayne State's master plan

Cityscape Detroit is presenting a series of four speakers who will discuss the neighborhoods that border Woodbridge. The first event features James Sears, a Wayne State official, who will discuss the university's master plan and its longterm vision of Midtown. The free, open meeting will be Feb. 25 at 6:30 pm at the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit, which is located at 5141 Rosa Parks Blvd.

Hat tip: Model D.

Casinos as neighbors

The Free Press examines the impact casinos have had on their neighborhoods.

The conclusions aren't surprising. Except in Greektown, casino patrons rarely step outside to explore the neighborhood, and even there the impact seems negligible. The only major changes have been cosmetic: new streetscapes and park clean-ups designed to make the transition from the casinos' glamour to the neighborhoods' poverty less jarring for patrons.

The real impact, of course, is on the city's bottom line. So far, the the state and city have collected $2 billion from the casinos. But whether this money ever finds it way back to the neighborhoods is doubtful.

Detroit design

Design*Sponge has a comprehensive guide to Detroit design including the city's best architecture, art galleries, design shops, and restaurants. I'm familiar with most of the list, but there are a few I'd still like to visit, like the Russell Industrial Center.

Hat tip: Model D.

CCS to expand into New Center

CCS hopes to redevelop the Argonaut Building, a beautiful, Albert Kahn-designed structure in the New Center:


The photo is courtesy of a discussion thread on Skyscraper.com that includes dozens of photos of great Detroit buildings.

According to the News, the building would include "new graduate programs, dormitory facilities for about 250 students and studios, and will include office space for nonprofit organizations and a business incubator to help fledgling design businesses."

In a move similar to that of the Science Center, they also plan to sponsor new charter schools within the building for middle and high school students. The schools will focus on art and visual design.

Tuesday's news ... on Thursday

Published every Tuesday, Model D is the best source of news on development in Detroit. These are some highlights from this week's:

• TechTown, Wayne State's technology incubator, has received a $1.5 Kresge grant to expand operations.

• Recycle Here!, the city's new recycling initiative, is off to a good start and hopes to add curbside service in selected neighborhoods. Model D has previously reported on the push to bring recycling to the city.

Also from Tuesday:

• The Free Press reports that University of Detroit Mercy is encouraging its employees to live near its campuses by offering $10,000 toward the down payment on homes in adjacent neighborhoods. Wayne State has a similar initiative to encourage employees to live near campus and contribute to the neighborhoods.

• In light of the announcement of the new Cadillac Centre, the News takes a closer look at the status of other projects Downtown.