Daily Detroit

Today's show is mostly about developments around town. - There are new plans for the State Fair Transit Center that would save the historic Dairy Cattle Building, but demolish all but the portico of the old Coliseum - Marwood + Marston is coming to the North End, an $18.2 million residential development with affordable housing - There's some progress over at the Eddystone. It overlooks Little Caesars Arena. - Barcade (the actual name-brand Barcade) will open on Selden later this August. - Is a business-focused hotel coming to downtown Ferndale? - A possible Meijer in Macomb Township is facing stiff resistance from residents because of fears of lights, crime and sex trafficking that the grocery store might bring. https://www.macombdaily.com/2021/08/06/plans-for-macomb-township-meijer-move-ahead/ - And late-breaking news as we record the podcast, the founder of Garden Fresh Salsa, Jack Aronson, has died at 68. Remember we're wherever fine podcasts are found and are powered by our Patreon members! Thanks to our newest members Timothy, Gary, Kanwinder and Jon... as well as Rebecca who stuck with us. You can join them at http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

For the first time in 16 months, Man about town Devon O'Reilly is in studio to help talk about some interesting stories around town and highlight things to check out this weekend. Stories: COVID numbers are up in Metro Detroit: https://covidactnow.org/us/metro/detroit-warren-dearborn_mi/?s=21421067 Rocket Companies says employees need to be vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID tests Smalls in Hamtramck, Magic Bag in Ferndale and Marble Bar in Detroit are leading the pack with requiring vaccination or proof of a negative test to enter. Is this the way of the future? Will what part of town the bar is in play a role in this? Townhouse is reopening with a new look. Devon talked with the owner and here's pics: https://www.facebook.com/townhousedetroit/posts/4815531851806846 Jer waxes about the wax at Spotlite Detroit. It's at 2905 Beaufait Street. https://www.spotlitedetroit.com/ plus pictures on our Instagram, http://www.instagram.com/dailydetroit The Detroit Smart Parking Lab is opening up on West Lafayette, in West Riverfront between Corktown and downtown. It's a neat thing that Devon gets into what exactly it is. But what you don't say is that it's in Corktown Shores. That doesn't exist. The First Lady of Detroit Techno has died, K-Hand or Kelli Hand. Then we get into fun things around town: The Motor City Car Crawl is this weekend downtown. It's no auto show, but you'll be able to get your outdoor new car thing going if you're interested. https://naias.com/motor-city-car-crawl The Hamtramck Music Festival is this weekend: http://2021.hamtramckmusicfest.com/ Detroit City FC opens their season at Keyworth Saturday (preview tomorrow with Fletcher on the show): https://tickets.detcityfc.com/events/dcfc-mens-80721 And for future weeks, check out the Grand Circus Bourbon Party is every Thursday.

Tuesday's primary election results in the city of Detroit turned some heads and created some interesting conversation on social media. After all, Mayor Mike Duggan pulled in 72% of the vote; and the hotly debated Proposal P fell to defeat by a 2-1 margin. To help unpack what all of it means and what we should be thinking about going forward, Chase Cantrell. He's the founder and executive director of Building Community Value and he has a real passion for how policy could improve the lives of Detroiters. He also understands how systems work. Between running a non-profit, being a developer and having a law background he's able to add needed context and understanding to the conversation. Find him here: https://www.bcvdetroit.org/ Support our show, members are crucial to keeping us on the air: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Antoine Bryant is Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's pick as Director of the Planning and Development Department. He stopped by the studio for a wide-ranging conversation on what he hopes to bring to the table; and his ideas for the department to be visible in and include all of Detroit's neighborhoods. Support our show, members are crucial to keeping us on the air: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Although cases are lower than areas right now, the path isn't looking good. Soon we'll be in another COVID outbreak - along with hospitalizations - thanks to the Delta variant and a high percentage of unvaccinated people who are vulnerable to getting catastrophically sick. With just 40 percent of city residents vaccinated and less than half of state of Michigan citizens, we're in for a rough time with the Delta variant that spreads faster. To help get us ready, educator and nurse John Campbell joins me from the U.K. He has a popular YouTube channel that I've been following this whole pandemic for science-based, smart and practical knowledge about what's happening in the world. And as the Delta variant has spread around the world first, I thought it important to get international perspective. After all, the cases and positive test rates are rising fast here in Metro Detroit. In Michigan last week, 10 counties qualified under CDC guidance as high-transmission areas. Now, 31 do, including Oakland and Macomb. The respected nurse and academic has a doctorate focused on the development of open learning resources for nurses nationally and internationally. He's very good at helping things make sense. You can find his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF9IOB2TExg3QIBupFtBDxg Support our show, members are crucial to keeping us on the air: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Carl Levin has passed at the age of 87. Jer has thoughts from interviewing him and his memoir, "To the Heart of the Matter." Jer also penned this piece in March for Hour Detroit: https://www.hourdetroit.com/political-topics/carl-levin-isnt-giving-up-on-american-democracy/ Also: Both U of M and MSU are mandating vaccines for students, faculty and staff this August. It's expected smaller schools may follow. Cade Cunningham is a Detroit Piston, and he has buffs There's a new Detroit House of Pancakes appearing. Thanks to a listener tip! Plus, remember the primary election in your local community is Tuesday, August 3rd. In the city of Detroit, turnout is expected to be 18% or less so your voice really will matter if you vote. Thanks to our members on Patreon who keep this show going: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

We cover seven stories to know around town from rising COVID cases to new developments to things to go check out in the next few days. - COVID cases are on the rise as the Delta variant spreads - Ford confirms their ION battery park and is making progress in the electric market - DT Midstream puts their HQ in the Ally building in downtown Detroit - A row of 12 townhouse units on Porter street in Detroit get new life, with some being set as affordable units. The building was built in about 1917. Also, Clark Park is getting $3.3 million in improvements. - The Special Olympics Unified Cup is coming to Keyworth in 2022 - Rendezvous du Detroit is this weekend at Fort Wayne. More here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/le-rendez-vous-du-detroit-tickets-160324822861 - On Tuesday is a pop up at Soho in downtown Ferndale for Delray Barbecue. That's Engineer Randy's pick. https://www.facebook.com/events/4032432490199930 p.s. - Heads up that this one will sound a little bit different because Jer's recording went bad. So we used a backup mic. Still totally audible but it sounds like he's on the phone. Apologies.

Three stories: 1) Detroit City Council member Andre Spivey has been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery over an alleged $35,000 accepted between him and a staff member. 2) The Great Lakes Water Authority CEO, Sue McCormick, is resigning. And although many people will be pleased by the news, I outline why whoever is in that job in the future has a tough road ahead. 3) Finally, Fletcher Sharpe stops in to talk about the Pistons and rumors they might not take Cade Cunningham first in the NBA draft. He thinks if they skip Cade that's a mistake, and we get into it.

What do you do to handle traffic before there were traffic signals everywhere? Build a tunnel to safely get people across the street, of course! That's what Highland Park did in the 1920s and we tell the story of these forgotten tunnels that look like the entrance to subways stations - and the context of the city they were built in. Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

On today's podcast, Fletcher Sharpe is in studio. We talk about the COVID memo outlining punishments for teams that forfeit games to due to unvaccinated, COVID-positive players. The Tigers have a seven game winning streak. Plus, we've talked to fans who think Detroit City FC should be in Major League Soccer. Fletcher outlines why you might not want that to happen and why you should support the team now instead of later.

Robert Courtney is our guest today as we talk about business and marketing tips for the world after COVID as the pandemic recedes. More on Robert here: https://www.robertcourtneyandassociates.com/ Plus headlines: Reports say Ford may have computer chip modules installed by dealers to help alleviate supply chain problems that are hurting the company More: https://www.autonews.com/dealers/ford-weighs-shipping-vehicles-missing-chips-dealerships-finish Vault of Midnight is moving from downtown Detroit to the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood (near New Center) The Canadian border is reopening to vaccinated Americans in August 600+ Nurses have issues their notice to strike at Macomb McClaren Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit Love the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-detroit/id1220563942?mt=2

Today's feature conversation is about a proposed downtown Warren concept, that would transform land next to Warren's city hall into a hotel, 500 apartments, dining and restaurants. To discuss it and the merits of the project from his perspective, David Gifford joins us. He's a Warren resident and runs Transit Guide Detroit on Twitter. Plus some news stories around town: We now have the cost to rebuild I-75 in Troy, plus how long it's going to take. The new greenway that will be finished later this year down the old Jos. Campau from Jefferson to Vernor has a proposed name - the Dennis W. Archer Greenway. I also share some details on the project in case you're not familiar. Royal Oak's Social District is opening this weekend, letting you take to-go drinks around downtown Royal Oak near Main Street. Stay as dry as you can out there. We had a record rainfall for July 16, 2021 - 2.13 inches. You know, we're supposed to get 3.16 the entire month of July.

Our feature conversation is with Katrina Wilson, owner of Crème Brûlée Detroit, a new three-story luxury salon in New Center. We have a wide-ranging conversation about the business, changes in the city and the future. Online at: https://cremebruleedetroit.com/ Plus - President Joe Biden has declared a Major Disaster in Wayne and Washtenaw Counties; and some wild speculation as we've all learned that the University of Michigan Innovation Center may end up in the Ilitch-owned District Detroit (a development that the residential portion has been stalled for quite awhile). Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Today: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan talks about the changes the pandemic has brought, especially with projects that were offices possibly becoming residential, among other topics. As the pandemic recedes, childcare is the number one reason people aren't returning to work. Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II outlines the desire for a childcare accelerator and his concern about getting people vaccinated. I-75 got toasted in Troy by a tanker and will need serious repairs, possibly slowing and snarling traffic for weeks. The University of Michigan Innovation Center planned for the old fail jail site on the edge of downtown is off. Developer Stephen Ross says it'll go somewhere else in the city, but there's no word as to exactly where or when. Construction was supposed to start this year. Remember we're member funded. Your support keeps this all-local source of information and context free for everyone else: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Seven stories to know around town, plus Devon stops by to preview what he's been working on at the Detroit Policy Conference. - There's a new contract between the city of Detroit and the Firefighters Association. It comes with raises and changes. - A former Macomb County Prosecutor is facing 10 felony charges and the preliminary exam started today - A boutique in Auburn Hills is in hot water after what their Vice President said in an email to a job applicant - There's a setback for advancing LGBTQ+ protections in Michigan, already ranked one of the least welcoming for that community - Trinity Health will be mandating vaccinations for their employees and contractors Fun things to do: - The Taylor Summer Fest is this weekend: http://www.taylorfestival.com/437/Taylor-Summer-Festival - And join a barchaelogist guiding a speakeasies and scofflaws tour: https://thedetroitbus.com/product/scofflaws-and-speakeasies-the-detroit-prohibition-history-tour/ Plus Devon O'Reilly joins me at the end of the show to preview the Detroit Policy Conference. I'll be there, too if you happen to be there and want to say hi. https://www.detroitchamber.com/dpc/ Thanks to our newest member, Jonathan. Support us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit Talk with you Monday!

Edsel Ford is one of my favorite characters from Detroit's history, and I often wonder what would have happened if he hadn't died early of stomach cancer in 1943. If you've seen a Lincoln Continental - you can thank Edsel. If you've seen a Ford in general, he saved the company convincing his attached-to-the-past father to produce the Model A. And this doesn't even begin to get into Edsel's numerous civic works that have left a mark on our region for generations. Been to the Rivera court at the DIA? Yeah, he was a big part of that. The Edsel and Eleanor Ford House - his old estate in Grosse Pointe - has gone through a major upgrade adding new spaces, new exhibitions, upgrades to support the Ford's passion of migratory birds, and more. Joining me on today's episode is Mark Heppner, President and CEO of the non-profit Edsel and Eleanor Ford House for a wide ranging conversation about what's happening and a shared figure of Detroit's history that maybe isn't talked about enough. More on the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, including how to visit yourself: https://www.fordhouse.org/ Thanks to our members at http://www.dailydetroit.com/support

On today's show: Flooding closes Detroit's Main Branch to close until at least Labor Day The DNR Outdoor Adventure Center reopens July 16th A Detroit Firefighter is killed in a road rage incident in Troy The Detroit Institute of Arts has hired a new Diversity and Inclusion Director For our feature conversation, Fletcher Sharpe (@saintfdw) joins us to break down Detroit City FC's Championship win over the LA Force and things to look forward to next season starting in August. Also, the Tigers have been looking better in the middle of the season here, and are in striking distance of .500.

Today's show focuses on sports. 00:48 Previewing the semi-final between Chattanooga and Los Angeles, the winner who will play Detroit City FC in the final at Keyworth this Saturday. 04:33 Golden Nugget Online Gaming is becoming the training kit sponsor (among other things) for DCFC. But NISA betting in Michigan isn't a thing. Should NISA – not a development league, but not a premier league – be allowed to be available in sportsbooks? Should betting come to NISA? 10:29 The Women's DCFC team lost 3-2 to Midwest United. Fletcher breaks it down. 11:22 U-23 Team DCFC update 12:39 Miguel Cabrera has hit homer number 493 and the watch for 500 career homers starts. He's tied with Lou Gehrig for career homers. 14:47 The Detroit Pistons actually got the first pick, with NBA Hall of Famer Ben Wallace there. So what will they do with the pick? Follow Fletcher Sharpe on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/saintfdw

Parts of Metro Detroit got as much rain in five hours as they'd normally get in two months, overwhelming our aging sewer and drainage system. I-94, as of this recording, is still flooded. The Fisher Building sits dark without power due to a substation being out. Thousands of basements were filled with water, and countless personal items lost across Detroit, Dearborn, the Grosse Pointes, and elsewhere. There's a lot to this story, and with such a catastrophic failure, there's no one answer. But a big part of this is climate change. Our infrastructure, in some cases built as much as a century ago, wasn't designed for this new climate we find ourselves in today. So not only do we need to update our aging infrastructure, to help stop this happening again we need to think better. And do that, we need to understand climate change and how it plays into everything and why organizations like the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department as well as residents need to be aware of it and prepare for it. To give us a bigger lens, Sheril Kirshenbaum. She's a scientist who through her work at Michigan State University, PBS, and other places helps increase the understanding of science and improve communication between scientists, policymakers and the public. She's also the co-author of Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future. We're gonna talk about not just the flooding, but how it all works together. Our food. Our health and safety. Economy. And that not all hope is lost, but action is needed. Listeners have been asking for ways to help. Here's a link to volunteer with the City of Detroit to clean out the basements of the elderly and disabled. The city will provide protective gear: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/4a7bc7eb369b41f9a0edd71d63c0cbb6 Here's a link to Sheri's work: http://sherilkirshenbaum.com And her Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sheril_ Of course, thanks to our members who make this show possible. Thanks to Erin and James who signed up over the break: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

More than three quarters of a century ago, Sarah Elizabeth Ray was kicked off the Boblo Boat for being African American, as it was a segregated attraction. Her lesser-known case made it to the U.S. Supreme Court and laid the groundwork for later cases involving Rosa Park ands and Brown v. Board of Education. Now Ray's home is on the list of 11 most endangered historic places, and there's an amazing documentary trailer telling her story. Desiree Cooper joins us to talk about it.

More: http://electriflydetroit.com/

01:05 – Fletcher Sharpe (@saintfdw on Twitter) previews the LA Force Men's Detroit City FC match on Wednesday night at Keyworth Stadium 05:37 – The DCFC Women's team had their first loss against the Chicago Mustangs. Fletch breaks it down and looks forward. 10:51 – Fans across the country have been acting up between dumping popcorn on Russell Westbrook to spitting to a fan running on the Sixers court. Fletcher makes the argument that until fans get it together, we shouldn't let fans in arenas. Local and frequent Detroit City FC news coverage is brought to you by our members on Patreon. Join us: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

It's a Friday edition of your Daily Detroit and Devon O'Reilly joins Jer to send us out to the holiday weekend. 00:20 First up, we talk about our cocktails of choice. Jer talks about what he dubs the "Sapphire Sun," meaning Faygo Arctic Sun and Bombay Sapphire gin. All that's needed is your local party store to pull this one off. Devon's drinking an Americano with a touch of booze. The stories: 02:01 There's generally great news on the COVID-19 front, and unless there's major changes we're finally going to be pushing that coverage kinda to the back. The Detroit region is doing very well, with a test positivity rate below 5%. 05:10 Proposed changes to Detroit's charter will not be on the ballot thanks to a judge's ruling that without the Governor's signoff, it cannot appear. As a city resident, some of the ideas inside were compelling - but probably belong in the form of laws or ordinances instead of the charter itself. Also, it seemed a bunch of people forgot we as a city have $200m+ of annual pension payments looming over our heads. 09:33 The city is getting $826 million in Federal dollars to help plug holes created due to the pandemic. Half goes straight to the budget, but over the next few weeks there will be a series of public meetings to direct the rest of those dollars to make an impact in the community. 14:28 So many things in Corktown from noise questions around the PAL facility at the old Tiger Stadium site to dollars for affordable housing projects. 23:44 Janet's Lunch had been standing at the corner of Kercheval and Maryland in the east side streetcar suburb of GPP since 1938. This week, it was torn down. We reminisce another piece of history coming down and speculate what might be next. As always, your feedback and support are welcome. We have a couple projects in the pipeline that we're going to tell our members on http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit first now that the pandemic seems to be loosening its grip.

Detroit is only second to New York City when it comes to overall tax burden, according to some estimates. And when it comes to property taxes, due to the systems of incentives, breaks, Neighborhood Enterprise Zones and other financial tools, it's very possible a loft downtown with a higher value can have a far lower tax rate than a neighborhood house. Matthew X. Roling shares with us on this episode of the Daily Detroit podcast how he thinks a split rate property tax system would slow down land speculators, lower tax bills for actual homeowners, and encourage development without doing massive giveaways. Oh, and it'd be revenue neutral, too. This is something that's actually been talked about among leadership, but would require a change in state law to make possible. It also might break some of the addiction Detroit has for incentives. Those incentives often reduce the property tax burden to what are basically normal state levels. That'd even the playing field for smaller and individual developers, including people who want to fix up a house to live in.

Housekeeping: We're getting a lot of requests for t-shirts. Do you want one? Are you willing to meet us in the middle and cover the cost of yours, or become a member? Listen to the end for more. On today's show, Eric Trytko joins us to break down the Ford F-150 Lightning. How will it stand up to competition? Is there a market for this? What is there to look forward to, and what are the reservations? It's an in-depth, smart conversation on a vehicle that Ford is making big bets on. Plus stories around town: - Venues are opening up around town and concerts are returning - Nicole Curtis won her case with the Detroit Land Bank Authority, keeping at 1908 Foursquare in the Islandview neighborhood - Spotlite Detroit just opened also in Islandview - Listener Jason reminds us Mt. Clemens in Macomb County is doing a drinking district, too (whoops! Sorry! Mt. Clemens has some beautiful architecture) - Detroit City FC is playing the Michigan Stars after all this weekend after much drama Thanks to our episode sponsor, Fusion Marketing. Go check John out at http://www.tryfusionmarketing.com for everything from websites to large format printing. Also thanks to our members: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

OMGWTFBBQ what an episode. We literally scrapped it three times and then everything happened. First, Devon O'Reilly joins us to talk about the change in mask policy. In Michigan, as of 9am Saturday, it's masks off for vaccinated individuals. But will you? Will he? And in what situations? And we get into what some of the thinking might be behind the moves. We also talk about Bedrock's purchase of 300 River Place and the vibrant neighborhood that is down there at Jos Campau on the river side of Jefferson. I-75 will be a mess this weekend, just avoid it. Then, Fletcher Sharpe joins us for a not only a wrap-up and preview of the Detroit City FC matches, but literally while we were recording the show news broke that the Michigan Stars won't be going to California and are forfeiting their match over a conflict with the league, NISA. Safe to say, Fletcher unloads. @saintfdw on Twitter, btw. And finally, Michelle Mirowski from Ferndale Radio is on to talk about the ongoing fundraiser. The community station is raising $12,000 to start streaming what is a low-power FM signal on the internet. Which is exciting for fans of local content like us. Alright, it's been a heck of a week. Pet your dogs, love your people, and we'll see you next week. If you appreciate our work, consider sharing it with your friends or becoming a member at http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

The whole Line 5 pipeline situation under the straits of Mackinac, as I uncover more and more, seems to be a symptom to a larger, bi-national problem and lack of plan. Proponents say the pipeline critical to the economy and energy infrastructure. Opponents say a double pipeline under the great lakes - especially one that's not buried - poses a special threat to the unique fresh water resource that is the Great Lakes. What if both concerns are true? And what if I told you that it's a pipeline that provides half of the province of Ontario's fuel needs and two thirds of Quebec? That's around 23 million people that are reliant on this thing. It turns out Michigan draws a small percentage of the product, and most of it - possibly more than 90% - is pulled out of the ground in Canada, then starts in Wisconsin, goes through Michigan - and back to Canada. So do we want to cut off our neighbor and ally without a backup plan? But also… should we as a state demand more for bearing so much environmental risk? Should we set a real plan in motion because we're transitioning out of needing so much fossil fuel? Spending the last week pouring over numbers, getting through the FUD - fear uncertainty and doubt - pipeline maps, all of that - made me question a lot about how fundamentally we've constructed our energy future. My guest to help unpack this is Warren Mabee. He's the Director of the Queens institute for energy and environmental policy of the Queens Institute, based in Kingston, Ontario. As always, if you have feedback, guest ideas, or questions - my email is [email protected]. Our show is member funded. Support our work: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit