In the span of one week, monumental progress has been made in Detroit development. This week wasn’t about stately buildings, but about improving the shopping options of Detroiters.

Two of the biggest complaints about the city of Detroit – that it doesn’t have a major big box retailer and a chain grocer – were obliterated in the span of a week.

Today, the groundbreaking of a new Meijer located at the Gateway Marketplace as part of a 360,000 square foot comprehensive development on land that was part of the former State Fairgrounds locates something in the city that many residents have wanted for quite awhile. The location is also close to Ferndale, Hazel Park, and Oak Park and will be the nearest Meijer location to those municipalities.

Ferndale resident Ryan Meray is excited about the prospect. “I’ve been waiting for that store to open since I first heard their plans in 2009. Meijer is a great Michigan company that treats its union workforce fairly, offers great prices, and will generate much-needed jobs in the area and tax revenue for the city.”

Another major impact, beyond creating a convenience for the 85,000 people who live nearby, is that 900 jobs will need to be filled due to this Gateway project, according to information provided. The project was funded to the tune of 28 million dollars by Detroit pension funds. So in a way, it’s a Detroit project funded by Detroiters.

“Today is something that’s helping to transform our city,” said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing. “Detroit can’t do this alone. Eight mile has been the divider between southeastern Michigan. I think what we’re doing today, to collaborate, that no longer will Eight mile be that dividing line.”

Not only Meijer will be located at this 36 acre plaza. Stores that have already signed leases or contracts to locate at the new development include a Marshall’s, K&G Fashion Superstore, Dots (a clothing store), McDonalds, and a PNC Bank branch among others that have not been announced yet.

“It’s not just about us, but creating that Detroit where our kids have a bright future, and people not just in Michigan but around the country say they not only want to work in Detroit, but they want to live in Detroit,” said Michigan Governor Rick Snyder.

Considering the location is located at the nexus of two major thoroughfares (Woodward and Eight Mile), not only there be 118,000 cars passing the location daily, it will because of its placement be served by mass transit from both SMART (The Suburban Authority for Regional Transportation) and DDOT (Detroit Department of Transportation) as well as any future planned high-speed bus lines, making the center more accessible for all, not only to shop there but get to work.

The Gateway Marketplace project, like the Whole Foods that was announced earlier this week (link), will be complete in Spring 2013.

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It’s pretty obvious to even the most casual observer that the Midtown area has been going through a lot of change lately. Private, public, and philanthropic organizations have poured billions of dollars into the area, businesses have been moving in and residential occupancy is more than 90% with more housing being built to meet demand. Today, that change continues with the ground breaking for the new Whole Foods store, to be located on Mack Avenue, just east of Woodward.

This is good news for residents new and old as well as workers and existing businesses in the neighborhood since Whole Foods has a track-record of generating additional economic activity and development.

One of the things many residents have been asking for was a name-brand grocery store, and next spring, according to Whole Food Co-CEO Walter Robb, they will have it.

“I hope we can add something to the soil,” said Robb. The ceremony was marked by the Native American blessing and offering before the ceremonial ground breaking.

It is estimated that 70-80 jobs will be created with the opening of the new store, in addition to the construction jobs generated by building the store.

“It will keep more grocery dollars from the people in Detroit, in Detroit,” says Sue Mosey, President of Midtown, Inc. “Any time we can add an employer in Downtown and Midtown that has a commitment to local jobs, that makes a big difference.”

The location is also key, according to officials. It will be located steps from Woodward Avenue, which will be tied together with a new mass transit investment and a hub for residents of greater downtown. It’s also a quick hop from I-75.

One of the things that was mentioned and possibly explains the high level of interest in this project is that for many people Whole Foods isn’t just your average retailer. “In the 35 years I’ve been in the real estate business, I’ve never dealt with a retailer that’s had more concern for the community than Whole Foods,” said Peter Cummings, the head of RAM Development and who has owned the property the store is to be built on for the last 16 years.

So we ask you – with the arrival of Whole Foods, what is the next thing you’d like to see in Greater Downtown? What do you think the area needs? Leave your suggestions in the comments below.

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While Kenny Corbin, moniker Karpov the Wrecked Train, is a photographer better known for grittier subject matter, he recently turned his lens on the Macomb Ballet Company.

Despite what one might think—that ballet photographs might come out on the gauzy and delicate side – Corbin doesn’t see his recent photographs as a departure from his previous work. “Ballet to me seems very dark and gritty in a way—the lifestyle does,” he says. “I wanted to showcase that and bring that out: the dancers’ hard work,” he explains.

Following the company through several rehearsals and performances, Corbin says he got a sense of the dedication required of dancers for their art. “I’d like the audience to get a sense the conditions that come with being a ballet dancer… the devotion of dancing almost every day,” he says. “It’s strenuous. Hopefully my photos tell that story.”

His exhibition of the ballet series, “Movement Frozen in Time,” opens on Friday, May 116pm – 11pm at the SERVICE Frontroom in Ferndale. Wine and vegan-friendly food will be provided on opening night. The exhibition will be up through May 19.

To see more of Karpov’s work, visit his Tumblr.

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Here’s the truth: The word “Detroit” as a brand has so much power. Incredible value. Serious cachet. In terms of marketing moxie – and to ruthlessly rip off Flo Rida — the club cannot handle Detroit right now.

And here’s why I think so…Let me introduce Dan Bradley, who named his Costa Mesa, Calif., bar after the city. That’s right. He did it on purpose; it’s really named “Detroit Bar.” Even if his hot spot is in the heart of trendy Orange County, Bradley proudly wears the city’s moniker on his 250-capacity music venue.

Bradley and I have been communicating for a while now, going back and forth as to why he named his tavern after Detroit, what he likes about our fair city and what inspires him here. And this lover of Motown, Midwestern architecture and all things Detroit Techno wanted to give his patrons a taste of what makes this berg great. (And, by the way, we are great.)

“The people who pick up on the reference of design and music are the ones that get it,” Bradley said of the seemingly unusual moniker “Detroit Bar” for a place so very far from cold winters and automotive manufacturers.

I heard of the Detroit Bar as I was doing research for an article. I was trying to find holiday-themed events at local pubs, so I put the search “Detroit Bar” into my beloved Google. And, there was Bradley’s little bundle of joy. It seemed so ridiculous to name your Cali bar after a Michigan city…until I started to talk to him. He truly digs Detroit.

“We opened the bar in 2001 and named it Detroit Bar mainly because of Detroit’s rich musical heritage,” Bradley explained. “Motown, MC5, Iggy pop, Detroit Techno, White Stripes … to name a few.” (He’s serious – they even had a drink called the “Derrick Maybreeze” for those in the know.)

This is all music that has “a huge influence on the artists that perform at our venue,” Bradley said. But other significant factors are his extreme love for art, architecture and modernist design – all things we have in great quantities – if you bother to look for it.

“I studied Art History at UCLA with Detroit native Lisa DiChiera, daughter of David DiChiera (you know, Michigan Opera Theater Director/Detroit Opera House),” Bradley told me. “I have visited Detroit a few times to see Lisa in 1990 and again to attend her wedding and fell in love with the city and surrounding areas.”

He’s also a fan of our fab buildings – which fit in nicely with Detroit Bar’s setting. His company, The Memphis Group, purchased the site (then known as Club Mesa) in 2001. Back then, it was known as a destination for punk music, and the interior showed it. So they remodeled, added a state-of-the-art sound system and built a reputation for its progressive music selections.

“Detroit Bar with its mid-last century esthetic also pays veiled homage to some of my favorite modernist designers that came out of the Detroit area – especially Cranbrook Academy of Art – such as Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinien and Florence Knoll,” he said.

Yup, Eames. Saarinien. Knoll. They all spent time here – and if you’re ever lucky enough to see the interior of buildings such as General Motors’ amazing Tech Center, you’ll see why Bradley feels as passionate about our architecture as he does.

“As an Art History student I studied the history of architecture and fell in love with the modernist movement. My favorite designers and architects all came out of Cranbrook,” he notes.

So besides his love of art, autos and The Henry Ford, he just loves the city. But he doesn’t fill the walls of Detroit Bar with pictures of the Michigan Central Station or Slows Bar B Q. Nope. It’s not a literal reference, Bradley said. But people do sometimes seem confused by the name.

“They do scratch their head a bit,” he admitted. “In fact, we had comedian David Cross performing a Tsunami benefit and during his performance, he did a bit on ‘Why would you name your bar after a city in the throes of decay? Was Gary, Indiana, taken?’”

And, just like we do, Bradley just laughs it off.

“We take it in stride. We are in Orange County, California, so my intent was to ‘transport’ people via a musical experience,” Bradley said.

So…Detroit as a brand. Yup. I think we’re onto something here.

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David Whitney Floorplan. Photo by Ashley Hennen.

You can’t help but notice the scaffolds, the construction elevators and a phalanx of dumpsters outside Downtown buildings that were vacant for the longest time.

In the last two weeks there have been some been some big updates. Whether it’s Dan Gilbert and Chrysler making a deal to move Chrysler (and some other tenants) into the former Dime building to be renamed the “Chrysler House” or the multitude of updates coming from the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) stakeholders meeting,  there’s good news in the D.  In spite of challenges, we are making noticeable progress.  We’ve linked to some key stories in our Storify below. Be sure to check out our gallery of the DDP stakeholders meeting in the historic and under restoration David Whitney building.

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McDonald’s has come up with a new “happy meal.” It’s helping children fill up on reading.

McDonald’s Books & Backpacks program offers local grade school children incentives for checking out books and runs through the end of 2012.  It is designed to encourage reading and build on the reading skills children acquire in school.  McDonald’s extended the program to eight libraries in five additional communities throughout metro Detroit.

The new participating libraries include the City of Eastpointe Memorial Library, Harper Woods Public Library, Oak Park Public Library, Pontiac Public Library, the four Ypsilanti District Library branches and its bookmobile. The McDonald’s Books & Backpacks program was first introduced in June 2010 in partnership with Detroit Public Library and all of its branches.

We at Detroit Public Library are delighted to have the continued support from McDonald’s in our commitment to literacy to benefit the youth in our community,” says Lurine Carter, coordinator of Children’s and Teen’s Services at the Detroit Public Library. “As much as we love McDonald’s, the Books & Backpacks program is about more than Happy Meals.”

With this new program McDonald’s offers a gateway to the library and empowers children to not only improve their reading skills but to find a wide array of activities that are available at the library.  “It’s a win-win package and will be for the libraries that have come on board this year,” says Carter.

Emily Vue uses the program at the Pontiac Library

Grade school students are encouraged to visit the participating area libraries to pick up a McDonald’s bookmark.  Each time they check out books, the librarian will stamp the bookmark.  Once the bookmark is stamped five times, the student can bring the fully stamped bookmark to his/her neighborhood McDonald’s for a Happy Meal^® or Mighty Kids Mealä compliments of McDonald’s.

“Education is a priority for McDonald’s, as is providing the resources in our community which enable our youth to gain the tools they need to succeed in school and in life,” said Melvin Jones, Detroit McDonald’s owner/operator.  “We are passionate about supporting literacy and are excited our Books & Backpacks program will positively impact so many youth.”  

Now through December 2012, the libraries will host a drawing and award one youth at each library a McDonald’s backpack and a $20 gift card for books, for a total of 116 winners at the conclusion of the program.  A display with entry forms is available at all of the 29 participating library locations.

For more information go to www.mcdonalds.com <http://www.mcdonalds.com>, or follow them on Twitter (@McDonalds) and Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonalds).

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I brought a newcomer to Detroit, and here was her reaction: “Wow. I’m shocked. This is nothing like I imagined. … I could live here.”

Trust me, Dear Readers, I told her everything. I told this friend of mine from Atlanta all about our sinking schools, our governmental meltdown, our seemingly endless divides. She saw the graffiti, walked past the empty buildings, saw the strange parallel of new construction next to devastation. There was no sugar-coated fantasy.

Yet this lovely Wednesday afternoon also had streets full of people, thanks to a Tigers game at Comerica Park. There were bodies everywhere: eating, smiling, waving, visiting. The garden next door to American Coney and Lafayette Coney islands was buzzing from more than just honey bees. You couldn’t create a better setting to show someone Detroit for the first time.

This wasn’t the Detroit she had read about. This wasn’t the Detroit she had seen on television. In fact, this was such a shock to her that she asked to be dropped off back to her hotel (Greektown – perfect location for a newcomer) so she could take stock of what she had just experienced. In less than two hours together, I had blown her mind. She had to take in everything – and we only got through a third of the itinerary I had planned.

This is what Detroit is. It’s not what you expect – it is more. It is glorious. It is growing. It is spectacular.

She wanted to hear about the new Detroit. So I showed her all the things and new buildings that I had forgotten were even there until we saw them in context. There was the mighty Penobscot, the wondrous Fisher, the magnificent Guardian. But there also was the Taubman Center at the College of Creative Studies – what a stunner. There were the new hotels, the spectacular restaurants like Roast. You forget when you’re here that things are getting better.

That’s the emphasis I wanted to make here – things are getting better. And what’s more important…people need to know about it.

The only sad part of my story for my friend was it took two weeks of research on her part to find out anything “good” about Detroit. She couldn’t find anyone to say anything good about it. Even people who were still living in Metro Detroit were flummoxed to find somewhere she should visit while in town for three days. Really? It took me second to post a request on Facebook for places to show her – my phone could have run out of batteries with how many times it chimed to tell me that someone else thought of a cool place to visit or a “must-see location.”

Sara Janes Boyers

Trust me, she tried. She said she called the Mayor’s office. She called the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. She called Pure Michigan. No one called her back. She had to hire a researcher to track down someone who cared about the city.

She also knew me. And, now, her mind is open to what the city could be.

It’s a pretty spectacular thing when you can introduce someone to your city and show them all the good things that are here. Again, I told her about the deficit, that the schools are awful in large part, that there is crime and there is poverty. She saw that.

But she also saw what it could be and what it really is. And that’s Detroit. Let’s not forget about that. Let’s congratulate ourselves on having Dan Gilberts to champion Big Business and the Emily Linns to ignite Small Business. It’s all here – they’re working together. This is gonna happen. We’re not blind…just sometimes the good stuff is hard to see unless you look for it.

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By John Van Camp, president, Southwest Solutions 

On the second Friday in April, about 500 veterans attended Stand Down 2012 in Detroit. Many are homeless or recovering from homelessness. The veterans received free services from 30 different providers that came together to offer a “one-stop” venue to address the multiple needs of struggling veterans.

Southwest Solutions was the lead agency to organize this Stand Down, which was very successful. It is the first time we have served in this role, and we hope to organize more events like this with our partners and donors.

The Stand Down was covered by Fox2 News and by the Detroit Free Press. We also posted a photo essay on our Facebook page.

Our involvement in veterans’ initiatives is relatively new in our 40-year history. Certainly, we have assisted veterans for a long time in programs such as mental health counseling, affordable housing, homeless prevention, and more. But, in terms of programs specifically designed for veterans, Piquette Square marked the beginning, although we were only able to build Piquette because of the proven success of our other programs and our reputation for assembling strong partnerships with organizations in every sector of the community.

Donald Shelton

Piquette Square opened in June 2010. Since that time, we have added our Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) and our Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) . HVRP assists homeless veterans with resources, vocational training and job opportunities. SSVF helps eligible veterans and their families stabilize their housing situation and connect them to the services and resources they need. We also have a Veteran Resource Coordinator who assists donors and volunteers who want to support the veterans we serve.

Piquette has become a magnet for community engagement and collaboration. Veterans organizations, churches, corporations and others have donated household items and food, sponsored social events, enhanced the building and property, and continue to benefit the veterans we serve in many different ways. Providing effective services to veterans and their families is inherently a collaborative endeavor. Each partner brings unique resources and opportunities. Recently, the Veterans Community Resource and Referral Center (VCRRC), which is based at Piquette and is operated by the Detroit VA Medical Center, opened its doors. The VCRRC is a treatment center for homeless veterans.

As the two million veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan come home,  we and our partners will be called upon to expand our work helping veterans in need. A large percentage of post-9/11 veterans require health and support services to recover from the stress of combat and repeated deployments. In addition, the jobless rate in our country remains high. Addressing and preventing homelessness among veterans is a national priority, and the innovative and collaborative efforts in Detroit have placed us at the forefront of this urgent issue.

Recently, a decorated combat veteran who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan – and who then became homeless after returning to Detroit – moved into Piquette Square. His name is Ramone Davis, and his story is already a remarkable success. Ramone has settled into his apartment comfortably, and our caseworkers helped him land a good-paying job with Ford Motor Company. Ramone’s story exemplifies the many ways our veterans’ programs serve, and what our veterans deserve.

As Piquette Square evolves, we expect that it will be a blend of two kinds of situations for the veterans residing there. Piquette provides permanent supportive housing, and, undoubtedly, there will be many veterans who will remain there for the long term. For other veterans, Piquette will be an important transition, providing them the dignified housing and comprehensive support services they need to become self-sufficient and reintegrate into society.

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When you ask anyone what they think of when you say Detroit they will probably say “It’s The Motor City. It’s home to Motown music. It’s Hockey Town. It’s Tiger Town or it’s where Henry Ford lived.” In the past two years you might even hear someone say “Great Super Bowl Commercials” – “Imported from Detroit” or “It’s Halftime in America.” What you won’t hear anyone say is Detroit is home to the world’s foremost medical research to reduce infant mortality.

Work being done at Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center’s Hutzel Woman’s Hospital is saving the lives of at-risk babies every day.

Detroiter Kai Paul knows first-hand about this life-saving research.

In October 2009 she thought she was going to Hutzel Hospital for a routine prenatal check-up.  She was in her fifth month of pregnancy. She had no clue hers was high-risk and could result in her baby being born prematurely and possibly with severe health problems.  When Kia learned of her condition from an ultrasound she became hysterical and emotionally distraught.  She could not believe her baby’s life was threatened.  She was stunned, felt like she had nowhere to turn and thought she had little or no options other than to hope she would not suffer a spontaneous abortion.

Fortunately, she became part of a groundbreaking clinical trial at WSU and the PRB that enabled her to deliver a full-term, healthy baby boy – Chase Paul, who celebrated his second birthday this past February.

Today, Kai and Chase are doing fine and Kia is pursuing her degree in nursing. She credits the PRB with saving the life of her son. The multi-year study conducted at several dozen locations worldwide found using an ultrasound to identify a short cervix in pregnant women decreases the risk for premature births – and that treating them with an inexpensive progesterone gel significantly reduces premature delivery.

Unfortunately, infant mortality is a huge issue in Detroit. The rate of preterm birth here is 17% while the national average is 12.7%. “In terms of serving the high-risk population in Detroit, we’ve cared for more than 20,000 mothers and our mission is to continue to serve the population of Metro Detroit and beyond,” says Dr. Sonia Hassan, associate dean for maternal, perinatal and child health in the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Dr. Sonia Hassan

That high rate was instrumental in bringing the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) to Wayne and the DMC’s Hutzel Women’s Hospital in 2002. These two institutions were chosen to host the program because of the university’s strong Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the access to high-risk patients, including racial and ethnic minorities, and Wayne’s commitment to maternal and perinatal research.

“I believe the decision was based in large part on the high-risk population that exists in Detroit, including racial and ethnic diversity,” says Hassan. “This, together with the many resources available on the WSU/DMC campus, provided the ideal environment to conduct critically needed research into the many and diverse causes of adverse pregnancy outcomes.”

In addition, Dr. Roberto Romero, chief of the perinatology research branch housed at Wayne, is recognized as the world leader in perinatal research.

So why is preterm birth research so important to the U.S.? It accounts for nearly 70 percent of infant deaths. Preterm babies who do survive could face a life filled with numerous health issues including cerebral palsy, blindness and learning disabilities.  Preterm births are estimated to be 14 times the cost of a normal birth.  The latest available data (2005) reported nearly 13 million babies worldwide – 500,000 in the U.S. – were born premature.  Moreover, the annual cost of caring for preterm babies in the U.S., exceeds $26 billion and is among the most expensive hospitalizations.  At a cost of $19 million per 100,000 deliveries, the cost savings is significant.

Several studies have been done to reduce the cost and the risk. Perhaps the most significant was a 2011 study that demonstrated the rate of preterm delivery in women with a sonographic short cervix can be reduced by 45 percent simply by treating them with a low-cost, bio-identical to natural form of vaginal progesterone gel from mid-trimester of pregnancy until term. The study also showed the use of vaginal progesterone reduced the rate of respiratory distress syndrome in newborns by 61 percent. This protocol is currently saving infant lives around the globe.

This fall, WSU’s 10-year contract to host the PRB is up for renewal. The university and DMC are optimistic about continuing the successful partnership.  It’s good for Detroit’s economy as well. The Anderson Economic Group estimates the cumulative economic activity for metro Detroit during a second 10-year contract would exceed $347 million.

For mothers Wayne State and DMC have helped carry their babies to term, the benefits are priceless.

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When you think networking event, fun might not be the first word that comes to mind.

“We started this because we hate networking events,” Jeanne Ballew confesses. “We found as we were talking to people, they hate them too! The formal thing where you’re all trying to push business cards on each other, and everyone’s all stiff… It’s exhausting!”

So Ballew and her partner Christa Chambers-Price came up with a new idea. Instead of the business card shuffle, why not have something akin to the MOTH story hour? Few people like listening to a sales pitch, but everyone likes a good story.

“The biggest rule we have in addition to having fun and bringing friends is that you can’t pitch your business,” Chambers-Price reiterates. “We don’t want to know about the widget. We want to know why the widget was built in the first place.”

So with these rules in place, conversations become more authentic. It becomes easier to connect. “We know that people know how to connect authentically and organically,” Chambers-Price says. “The connection to the entrepreneur through their story is much deeper than at an event where people feel like they have to be “on” and put up with front first before they truly get down to the heart of what they’re doing.”

EntreSLAM events happen every month and entrepreneurs sign up to tell their stories. There’s a bit of a competition between the participants, too. “It’s not anything scary of vicious,” Chambers-Price promises. “It’s just competitive in how the entrepreneur talks about themselves.”

To keep things fresh EntreSLAM rotates themes every month.. This month’s theme is the unexpected. “We’ve been very thoughtful and careful about choosing our themes,” Ballew explains. “It’s a little tricky because we want something with drama, but it could go either way and become positive or negative.”

Ballew and Chambers-Price will donate a percentage from every EntreSLAM event to a local nonprofit. “There are so many nonprofits that are a part of this community and across the state and other cities that people might never know about unless they were exposed,” Chambers-Price explains. This month, their donation will stay close to home with Tillian Farms Development Center via Selma Café. Their work is growing a sustainable, local food economy and their goal is for Washtenaw County to grow 10% of the food it consumes.

So far Ann Arbor has been home base for the duo, but they’re planning on expanding out into other communities and hope to spread nationally.

There’s a website. At that point they can decide if they want to sit and take it all in or if they want to be a storyteller.

To keep up with EntreSLAM, their philanthropies, and upcoming events, visit their website and find them on Facebook.

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As you know it’s customary for the Detroit Unspun team to head out to various participating venues during Detroit Restaurant Week to give you a glimmer into our experiences and what’s going on tableside at these various eateries.

So my husband Duncan and I headed to La Dolce Vita Thursday evening for our Restaurant Week date. It was a beautiful evening and after leaving our red Mini Cooper with the valet, we headed into the restaurant. I had never been before but Duncan had and he was pretty sure I would like it. He was right.

We walked through the clay red-stained stamped concrete patio and were shown a table for two in between two other tables for two on the back wall of the restaurant outside the bar area.

Our server Michael was polite but fun as he walked us through the tasty-looking Restaurant Week menu. As we each sipped a delicious glass of perfectly chilled chardonnay — a splurge bottle to celebrate Duncan’s successful end to his semester of graduate study at Wayne State — it became evident that we were flanked by two engaged couples discussing their upcoming nuptials.

Since my husband knows no strangers we were soon in an animated discussion of the ups and downs of wedding planning.  As the old married couple we were sharing our experiences and insights as the young thirty something couple was looking at their wedding four weeks from now and wondering how many guests would really show. Meanwhile the other couple, who had been together for 20 years, was putting together their guest list and save the date for the November wedding reception that would follow their tying the knot in Windsor where same sex marriage is legal.

All in all it was a fun evening – delicious food with the person I love the most talking with two other couples in the company of the person they each love the most.  It was just the thing to touch my inner romantic on a beautiful spring evening in Detroit.  As we climbed in the car to leave, I couldn’t help but feel the restaurant was aptly named.
___________________
La Dolce Vita
17546 Woodward Ave
Detroit 48203 MI
(313) 865-0331

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Rumors of Detroit’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Sorry, newspapers, magazine, journals, trade-group rags and the like. You can write whatever you want, but it’s just not the truth any more.

Why can I say this? Because everywhere I look around the city I see green shoots. There are signs of growth and development and, most importantly, love. There is so much affection for this aging metropolis that I’m convinced Detroit cannot die.

I’ll give you a few examples. The first comes from Andy Didorosi, who announced a start date and launched a web site this week for The Detroit Bus Company, a group that will ride a bunch of buses around the city to provide extra transportation for residents, visitors, business owners and their patrons and just about anyone else willing to pony up the $5 for an all-day ride.

Then, there was a kind of war between developers as to who would get to develop three of the buildings in the city’s Capitol Park area. Lansing’s Karp and Associates won out over guys like Dan Gilbert and the Ilitch family, according to media reports. And managing partner Richard Karp told The Detroit News that he cannot wait to get into Detroit…he’s always wanted to do some work there.

Add in great events like this weekend’s Rockin’ 4 Hunger, a musical fundraiser run by an all-volunteer committee to raise money for two important charities that serve the metro Detroit area: Macomb Charitable Foundation and Forgotten Harvest. All of the money from the Saturday-night party will go to to help feed our neighbors.

“Awareness is a huge challenge because so many of us that have enough don’t have a lens into the people that don’t,” said Rockin’ 4 Hunger organizer Michele A. Jones.

Warning: If you want to buy tickets to what is being calling the “Best Rock-n-Roll Charity Fundraiser,” you have to do it TODAY! The count is up to 290 people right now, so it will be a great crowd. If cannot get those tix in hand, you also can “Like” the event on Facebook to keep track of new events as they arise.

The $55 ticket price include three bands (Category 5, Soulkrackers and Fade to Grey) playing high-energy live blues, soul, classic and modern dance rock. They serve premium appetizers, which are more like a meal. And open bar-drinks are included in your ticket price. There also is a silent auction with unique items, photo booth and way more fun than should be allowed! (OK, Michele added that, but I’m gonna guess she’s right.)

This year it is being held at the Lafayette Grand Ballroom, a beautiful historic Masonic Lodge facility in downtown Pontiac. “We want to support urban areas and help introduce people to the great experiences urban areas can provide. It is VERY easy to get to and very safe with guarded parking. It will be a fun adventure for our guests,” Jones said.
“There is so much great musical talent in the Detroit area and we have some great bands at Rockin’4 Hunger to prove it,” she added.

The demand for food around Metro Detroit is “staggering,” Jones told me this week. There is not enough for so many.

“The need is great. As recently as a few weeks ago, Macomb Charitable reported to our team that all the homeless shelters in Macomb County were full. That they receive calls from schools asking for help because kids are living in cars with their parents, from police stations asking for help for families living in parks. It was reported that there are close to 1,000 homeless school age children in Macomb County alone,” Jones said.

That is one reason event organizers also are sponsoring a “Truck for Taters” at the event. Stevens Van Lines – a major event sponsor – is donating the truck in the parking lot. There, you can deposit your bags of potatoes for Forgotten Harvest. The goal, Jones said, is to collect 500 pounds of potatoes during the event.

Rockin’ 4 Hunger’s mission is to raise money for metro Detroit food charities through music.  We are an all-volunteer group of nine people, five of which are on the board. The goal is to have an impact across metro Detroit and to impact a mixture of communities.

They chose Forgotten Harvest because they are a large, food rescue organization that does a terrific job serving communities across metro Detroit. This is the third year Rockin’ 4 Hunger has supported Forgotten Harvest. And Macomb Charitable Foundation does a remarkable job assisting families, especially children across Macomb County. Jones said many of the members of its team live and work in Macomb County and “we want to help make a difference in our community,” she added.

Yup. Detroit’s not going anywhere. Try to fit that into your headlines, folks.

This is a new and different Detroit. This is a city that people want to be in. There are new gardens, new art developments, new changes every day. I’m thinking Detroit isn’t dead; it was simply waiting for the right season to bloom.

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Up on the roof in Midtown Detroit one recent sunny spring day were 20 members of several garden clubs from Grosse Pointe. These ladies, including four octogenarians, had just climbed up on the roof to see the rooftop garden at Traffic Jam and Snug (TJ’s), one of Midtown Detroit’s favorite restaurants. In addition to its great food, TJ’s is also a bakery, micro-brewery, dairy and cheese maker and now rooftop urban garden pioneer.

While giving new meaning to the term “ladies who lunch,” they were fascinated by the technology, the clever use of space, the vista of Midtown Detroit and the variety of herbs and plants that go from rooftop, to kitchen, to plate –now that’s locally sourced food!

This tour was actually a bonus for the garden club members who had just enjoyed lunch along with an impressive presentation by Kirsten Lyons who works at Midtown’s Green Garage and Green Alley as a master gardener and recycling coordinator. She was joined by another Green Garage and Green Alley veteran Mitzi Carter.

The women were captivated by the story of the Green Garage, Midtown’s green business incubator housed in a sustainably renovated former Model T showroom. They were particularly taken with the history and installation of the Green Alley, a unique sustainable greenway and garden in the alley it shares with Motor City Brewing Works, which it partnered with on the project along with support from Midtown Detroit.

According to the Green Alley’s wiki page, “It was intended to create a model for sustainable alleys of the future for our city and region. So often an alley is a visible representation of the worst of our culture…the waste, trash, concrete…no life…an urban wasteland. And yet, we long for a more respectful relationship with the earth than our alleys represent. Our alley spaces have great possibilities. We need to just envision a new future and make it happen. Who knows where this may lead? All we need is one green alley…and then another.”

With enthusiastic backing and backbreaking work by Green Garage’s founders Peggy and Tom Brennan and Motor City Brewing Works’ John Linardos, along with dedicated staff and volunteers, work began in spring 2010.  Together with careful design, preparation and cultivation, the Green Alley uses a selection of mostly native Michigan plants in a carefully constructed hard scape that has resulted in a garden way that is now watered entirely by rainwater collected in rooftop and underground cisterns. It’s been a win/win for the Midtown community.  The alley way has gone from eyesore to green gem serving as a demonstration project for rainwater capture and use in other alleys and applications while still meeting the access needs of emergency vehicles.

As the garden club members saw firsthand, today the Green Alley is a vibrant greenway for pedestrians and bicyclists to enjoy the beautiful gardens, stop and shop at local business establishments or gather with a few neighbors to talk about the day. All in all, the ladies were impressed with the incredible work being done in Midtown Detroit and are already cultivating their next field trip to Detroit.

Visit the Green Garage’s wiki pages to learn more about the Green Alley and Green Garage and plan your own field trip. Be sure to stop by both Motor City Brewing Works and Traffic Jam too.

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More than half of the world’s 6.6 billion humans live in cities today. By 2050 that jumps to more than 70% … and if we continue down on the path we are on that would be 70% of 9 billion. So the number of people living in cities will just about double to around 6.3 billion by the middle of this century. So says the United Nations.

Urbanization is unstoppable and it means we must reinvent and revitalize our cities. That’s the theme of a new documentary with a working title of Reimaging Our Cities produced by Carrie LeZotte. In case you don’t remember, LeZotte was the producer of the 2009 documentary Regional Roots: The Birth and Evolution of Detroit and Its People. Her new work is based on Detroit Free Press reporter John Gallagher’s book Reimaging Detroit.

The film is not just about Detroit. It’s about the challenges … and opportunities … the world’s cities have as they try and reshape, reimage, reinvent, revitalize, reuse, rejuvenate and reinvest in themselves and their people. Revitalization is, indeed, an international phenomenon in some of the world’s big cities. The documentary takes a look at Flint, Youngstown and Philadelphia as well as Manchester, England and Turin, Italy. These cities are dealing with the same issues as Detroit, where the documentary takes its closest look.

You’ll see Steve Vogel talking about daylighting in Elmwood Cemetery.

You’ll see Jenenne Whitfield from the Heidelberg Project and Chaz Miller talk about the role art plays in revitalization.

You’ll see Gary Wozniak talk about his plans for a tilapia fish farm in Eastern Market, right around the corner from the Roma Café.

You’ll see Riet Schumack, co-director of the Brightmoor Youth Garden, talk about how farming is helping turnaround Brightmoor.

“You can’t wait for the city to figure out what to do with our neighborhoods,” she says. “We have to do something now.”

Programs like Brightmoor farming and other green initiatives are essential to the transformation of urban centers to the cities of tomorrow, LeZotte says. Sustainability is the watchword. “We must make cities we can all live in,” she says.

The documentary is 30 percent shot. “We continue to look for additional funding,” LeZotte says. “On August 1 we will go with what we have and decide if this documentary will be an hour or 90 minutes.” The release date is timed to debut of Gallagher’s new book sometime in early 2013.

Many of the initiatives highlighted in the documentary are not new to those who developed them. People like Vogel and Schumack have been at it for years. It just takes time to bring a concept to reality and have it make sense to the business community.

The old business model was “grow, grow, grow,” LeZotte says. “That is not a shrinking city’s philosophy. We must resize ourselves.”

That means having conversations across all groups and taking action that results in collaboration, a shared vision and a higher degree of reimagination coordination among everyone.

This film showcase the possibilities of urban change and the urban heroes who are reimagining the future of Detroit and many of its sister cities.

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It’s official. CriticCar Detroit is coming to the streets of the Motor City. You’re going to be able to give your critique of a play, art show, concert, auto show, whatever and let the world know what you think.

CriticCar is becoming a reality thanks to the National Endowment for the Arts and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. They just awarded up to $80,000 to Jennifer Conlin, a long-time contributor to the New York Times, and Dan Shaw, former New York Times reporter and co-founder of the online cultural magazine RuralIntelligence.com, to get the project moving.

You may recall we wrote about this idea last October  when it was called iCritic and Jennifer and Dan had just made it to the final round for the award. Their idea and two others … one in Charlotte, North Carolina, and another in Philadelphia … were chosen from 233 applications.

“This is exciting for Detroit and the artistic community we have here,” Conlin says. She says CriticCar will help show the diversity of Detroit’s artistic community and show how much art influences a city’s transformation.

So here’s how it works. After you come out of a play, art show, concert, auto show … whatever …you can stop at the CriticCar Detroit mobile video booth parked in front of the event and record your review. It’ll be posted on local websites and shared on social media channels. It’ll crisscross the city and be at different kinds of events, large and small, so under the radar performances will be showcased as well as those that are better known.

In short, you’ll become part of the conversation about Detroit’s vibrant arts scene. Conlin says they hope to have CriticCar on the road by the end of summer.

“The critiques generated through CriticCar will not only create buzz about cultural events, but will document in words and images the diversity of Detroit’s cultural life and audiences, and help connect residents and visitors to local arts organizations,” Conlin said in the application.

CriticCar also hopes to go to schools and involve kids in learning how to be good critics. If all goes according to plan they will be taught by a few local professional critics so they can learn how to do good, honest, interesting critiques.

“We hope lots of people will participate and that this will go viral,” Conlin says. “We want people to start making road trips and come to Detroit and enjoy the art scene.”

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