Here's a plan for revitalizing Detroit. It seems like a pretty straightforward plan because on the top level, is everything that I have thought they should do over the past few years. However, I assume and hope that there are details in there with a plan of how to do it that I'm not smart enough to come up with on my own. By this, I mean working plans to get businesses to come to Detroit and set up shop within their current tax structure, etc.

Toledo does not have the magnitude of problems that Detroit does, but they have plenty of similar problems. A revitalized Detroit will help but I hope that Toledo's officials similarly are drawing up plans to revitalize the city.

Anyway, here's the link.

Renewing Detroit

They have their work cut out for them.

Quote:relaxing business startup regulations to stimulate entrepreneurship, encouraging growth of businesses along economic corridors and developing retail areas accessible by foot.

The seeds of economic development does and will feature the creative energies of artists. They move into depressed areas and grow and develop those areas. This is the foundation of recovery led by the creative class. From their it's up to the rest of the citizens to continue that growth.

(01-13-2013 12:45 PM)NewMex RocketFan Wrote:  

Quote:relaxing business startup regulations to stimulate entrepreneurship, encouraging growth of businesses along economic corridors and developing retail areas accessible by foot.

The seeds of economic development does and will feature the creative energies of artists. They move into depressed areas and grow and develop those areas. This is the foundation of recovery led by the creative class. From their it's up to the rest of the citizens to continue that growth.

Heidelberg Project would zoom, as unique a neighborhood you'll see anywhere but it would still mostly be local and nearby tourist dollars. I am amazed how many have never even heard of it. Promoting ethnic neighborhoods more (Hamtramck, Mexican Town), it's a cheap way to upgrade standard of living but ultimately they need a reason for industry to feel safe.

It's never going to revitalize until they encourage "welfare" housing on the outside (like European cities) and clear the crime out of the inside. Unfortunately, servicing "welfare" industries has become a cottage industry for cities. It brings money in, even if the employees are commuting in from the burbs. I don't think any city would have success moving housing for the poor nearer the jobs in the burbs, even though it makes a lot of sense (to me). Too much of the cities are controlled from the burbs.

Detroit is in a world of hurt politically as well. You have an attitude that seems to pervade that "outsiders" are only out to hurt the city and Detroit citizens. Detroit City Council is a real mess in this regard and use the "outsider" management issue to continue the dislike for Lansing and the suburbs.
But they are being forced at legislative gun point to come to grips with unbelieveable fiscal crisis or have a government manager in the real near future.
One other point about the art community. I read or heard recently that a number of homes, which had been purchased from the city by artists, who were in the process of getting ready to rehab the homes...the homes were DEMOLISHED by accident right under the new owners. Some kind of huge screw up by the community development department of Detroit. Government at its finest in MOTOWN.

Dan Gilbert (owner of Quicken Loans & Cleveland Cavs to name 2 things) is doing his part. He now owns 15 buildings in downtown Detroit, and will be purchasing the Greektown Casino/Hotel soon. He is set on revitalizing downtown. In an article I read about one of his purchases, someone in the comments section said that there will soon be an announcement about 60-90 retail stores being opened downtown in connection with Dan Gilbert.

Dan Gilbert's downtown Detroit building tally rises to 15

Gilbert set to buy Greektown Casino

A Dan Gilbert or Mike Ilitch can make a lot of wrongs turn right. Let's hope they can win in the long run. Toledo would see indirect benefit from a revitalized Detroit city scene.

(01-17-2013 05:57 PM)rocket 51 Wrote:  A Dan Gilbert or Mike Ilitch can make a lot of wrongs turn right. Let's hope they can win in the long run. Toledo would see indirect benefit from a revitalized Detroit city scene.

Odds favor they fail, unless they convince the local leadership their vision enables many.
Then once that happens they lose.
Individuals can not save that town.

(01-17-2013 10:59 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 05:57 PM)rocket 51 Wrote:  A Dan Gilbert or Mike Ilitch can make a lot of wrongs turn right. Let's hope they can win in the long run. Toledo would see indirect benefit from a revitalized Detroit city scene.

Odds favor they fail, unless they convince the local leadership their vision enables many.
Then once that happens they lose.
Individuals can not save that town.

How so? Mike Illitch has already done a TON for downtown Detroit because of the Tigers, Red Wings, Fox Theater, Motor City Casino. Mike Illitch and Dan Gilbert are bringing people downtown by moving their headquarters there, building a new stadium for the Tigers, opening up new businesses.

(01-17-2013 11:26 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 10:59 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 05:57 PM)rocket 51 Wrote:  A Dan Gilbert or Mike Ilitch can make a lot of wrongs turn right. Let's hope they can win in the long run. Toledo would see indirect benefit from a revitalized Detroit city scene.

Odds favor they fail, unless they convince the local leadership their vision enables many.
Then once that happens they lose.
Individuals can not save that town.

How so? Mike Illitch has already done a TON for downtown Detroit because of the Tigers, Red Wings, Fox Theater, Motor City Casino. Mike Illitch and Dan Gilbert are bringing people downtown by moving their headquarters there, building a new stadium for the Tigers, opening up new businesses.

The only one of those that actually renovate are the moving of headquarters. People with income are needed to support service and entertainment industry. Bringing in more service and entertainment does not renovate. Value added jobs renovate.

Of course the entertainment might encourage others to bring in value-added but it has to happen quickly or even the Illitch's and Gilbert's will run out of money before the pay-off.

The only thing "sacred" about any location is its access to natural resources and skilled labor. In Detroit's case, that is the river. If business do not need that river, is there really any reason for them to risk relocating within city limits?

(01-18-2013 12:34 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 11:26 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 10:59 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 05:57 PM)rocket 51 Wrote:  A Dan Gilbert or Mike Ilitch can make a lot of wrongs turn right. Let's hope they can win in the long run. Toledo would see indirect benefit from a revitalized Detroit city scene.

Odds favor they fail, unless they convince the local leadership their vision enables many.
Then once that happens they lose.
Individuals can not save that town.

How so? Mike Illitch has already done a TON for downtown Detroit because of the Tigers, Red Wings, Fox Theater, Motor City Casino. Mike Illitch and Dan Gilbert are bringing people downtown by moving their headquarters there, building a new stadium for the Tigers, opening up new businesses.

The only one of those that actually renovate are the moving of headquarters. People with income are needed to support service and entertainment industry. Bringing in more service and entertainment does not renovate. Value added jobs renovate.

Of course the entertainment might encourage others to bring in value-added but it has to happen quickly or even the Illitch's and Gilbert's will run out of money before the pay-off.

The only thing "sacred" about any location is its access to natural resources and skilled labor. In Detroit's case, that is the river. If business do not need that river, is there really any reason for them to risk relocating within city limits?

I'm not quite sure I understand what you're saying. But the more people they bring downtown, the more money brought into Detroit - more income tax FOR Detroit from those working IN Detroit, more sales tax from those who buy things IN Detroit, more money for parking services IN Detroit, more money to businesses (ex-Illitch & Gilbert) who then put the money back into Detroit, etc., etc. It's quite simple - the more people who work in Detroit and visit Detroit, the more money brought into Detroit. The more money brought into Detroit, the quicker Detroit can get fixed.

(01-18-2013 12:40 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(01-18-2013 12:34 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 11:26 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 10:59 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 05:57 PM)rocket 51 Wrote:  A Dan Gilbert or Mike Ilitch can make a lot of wrongs turn right. Let's hope they can win in the long run. Toledo would see indirect benefit from a revitalized Detroit city scene.

Odds favor they fail, unless they convince the local leadership their vision enables many.
Then once that happens they lose.
Individuals can not save that town.

How so? Mike Illitch has already done a TON for downtown Detroit because of the Tigers, Red Wings, Fox Theater, Motor City Casino. Mike Illitch and Dan Gilbert are bringing people downtown by moving their headquarters there, building a new stadium for the Tigers, opening up new businesses.

The only one of those that actually renovate are the moving of headquarters. People with income are needed to support service and entertainment industry. Bringing in more service and entertainment does not renovate. Value added jobs renovate.

Of course the entertainment might encourage others to bring in value-added but it has to happen quickly or even the Illitch's and Gilbert's will run out of money before the pay-off.

The only thing "sacred" about any location is its access to natural resources and skilled labor. In Detroit's case, that is the river. If business do not need that river, is there really any reason for them to risk relocating within city limits?

I'm not quite sure I understand what you're saying. But the more people they bring downtown, the more money brought into Detroit - more income tax FOR Detroit from those working IN Detroit, more sales tax from those who buy things IN Detroit, more money for parking services IN Detroit, more money to businesses (ex-Illitch & Gilbert) who then put the money back into Detroit, etc., etc. It's quite simple - the more people who work in Detroit and visit Detroit, the more money brought into Detroit. The more money brought into Detroit, the quicker Detroit can get fixed.

You can't bring money "in" unless you can make a value added product to export. Without that, it's just money going around in circles with little cuts out of it along the ways. Otherwise, cities could thrive on restaurants and sports teams alone. Bringing in the Headquarters does that. It brings people into the city who sell services and products outside of it. Bringing in restaurants and sports teams might bring in a bit of tourist dollars but they really do not bring all that much real income to a city the size of Detroit. They are not the kind of jobs that revitalize an economy. Their main purpose is to hopefully attract the kind of investment that will revitalize to local economy.

That won't happen until the city gets a reputation of being "safe." Someone can just as easily park their new business in Troy and still have the benefits of city restaurants and sports teams. This is what caused the problem in the first place.

That's all I'm saying. If they want their sports teams and restaurants to survive and thrive, they need to bring in and attract income generated outside those businesses. If they want to attract that investment, crime reduction first.

(01-18-2013 03:36 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(01-18-2013 12:40 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(01-18-2013 12:34 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 11:26 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 10:59 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  Odds favor they fail, unless they convince the local leadership their vision enables many.
Then once that happens they lose.
Individuals can not save that town.

How so? Mike Illitch has already done a TON for downtown Detroit because of the Tigers, Red Wings, Fox Theater, Motor City Casino. Mike Illitch and Dan Gilbert are bringing people downtown by moving their headquarters there, building a new stadium for the Tigers, opening up new businesses.

The only one of those that actually renovate are the moving of headquarters. People with income are needed to support service and entertainment industry. Bringing in more service and entertainment does not renovate. Value added jobs renovate.

Of course the entertainment might encourage others to bring in value-added but it has to happen quickly or even the Illitch's and Gilbert's will run out of money before the pay-off.

The only thing "sacred" about any location is its access to natural resources and skilled labor. In Detroit's case, that is the river. If business do not need that river, is there really any reason for them to risk relocating within city limits?

I'm not quite sure I understand what you're saying. But the more people they bring downtown, the more money brought into Detroit - more income tax FOR Detroit from those working IN Detroit, more sales tax from those who buy things IN Detroit, more money for parking services IN Detroit, more money to businesses (ex-Illitch & Gilbert) who then put the money back into Detroit, etc., etc. It's quite simple - the more people who work in Detroit and visit Detroit, the more money brought into Detroit. The more money brought into Detroit, the quicker Detroit can get fixed.

You can't bring money "in" unless you can make a value added product to export. Without that, it's just money going around in circles with little cuts out of it along the ways. Otherwise, cities could thrive on restaurants and sports teams alone. Bringing in the Headquarters does that. It brings people into the city who sell services and products outside of it. Bringing in restaurants and sports teams might bring in a bit of tourist dollars but they really do not bring all that much real income to a city the size of Detroit. They are not the kind of jobs that revitalize an economy. Their main purpose is to hopefully attract the kind of investment that will revitalize to local economy.

You are absolutely correct on that. In that regard, this is not only a challenge for Detroit but a challenge for our whole country. We have lost a lot of manufacturing facilities in the last twenty years or so and have transitioned to a more service oriented economy and that's why people are struggling so much.

(01-17-2013 11:26 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 10:59 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  

(01-17-2013 05:57 PM)rocket 51 Wrote:  A Dan Gilbert or Mike Ilitch can make a lot of wrongs turn right. Let's hope they can win in the long run. Toledo would see indirect benefit from a revitalized Detroit city scene.

Odds favor they fail, unless they convince the local leadership their vision enables many.
Then once that happens they lose.
Individuals can not save that town.

How so? Mike Illitch has already done a TON for downtown Detroit because of the Tigers, Red Wings, Fox Theater, Motor City Casino. Mike Illitch and Dan Gilbert are bringing people downtown by moving their headquarters there, building a new stadium for the Tigers, opening up new businesses.

I attend 4-6 Tiger games a year. Other than the limited local folks who have invested serious money trying to reap some profit, you deal with scalpers/peanut salesman and the most profitable product to sell..H2O.
On the way out a variety of musicians/beggars entertain the fast moving throng anxious to get the heck out before who knows what can happen.

(01-18-2013 10:07 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  you deal with scalpers/peanut salesman and the most profitable product to sell..H2O.

And I don't come cheap!