Hi, it's Jer.
Welcome back to your Daily Detroit evening edition!
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Let's get honest about our local stadiums
I recently saw a headline that caught my eye, calling Ford Field "ugly." It got us to thinking, "OK, so what are the best stadiums in and around Detroit?"
We put together a gaming-style tier list of where they stand. "S" tier is unmatched. "B" is average. And it goes down from there.
We pulled apart the details on our podcast if you want to hear how (and why) we got to where we got.
So how would you rank our sports palaces? Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know - dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com. Or reply to this email.
💸 The U.S. Department of Education slapped Michigan-based Baker College with a $2.5 million fine for "substantial misrepresentation" of student career outcomes. The nonprofit college, which once boasted near-100% employment rates, was found to have published misleading statistics and misrepresented graduate earnings data.
Baker College president Jacqui Spicer says the college did nothing wrong.
There have been big changes in recent years. ProPublica says that enrollment has plummeted from 45,000 to 4,000 students. The college is now pivoting, moving from industrial areas to more affluent suburbs. [ProPublica]
🏡 The Biden administration has awarded the city nearly $347 million in federal funding to combat basement flooding and expand affordable housing options.
"We have 1,800 miles of old alley sewer lines built 70-90 years ago for a city of 1.8 million residents. With 700,000 residents today, there is no way we’d be able to address a problem of this magnitude without significant federal support.” - Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan
Duggan wants to use a significant portion of the money to prioritize repairing and replacing these failing alley drains, with the goal of addressing blockages at 10,000 Detroit homes over the next two years.
The HUD funding also can be invested in the construction of new flood-resilient affordable housing.
The city has 120 days to develop an action plan for the money, with community input sessions planned.
⚡️ Detroit is taking another step toward renewable energy with the announcement of two new Solar Neighborhoods in the Houston-Whittier/Hayes and Greenfield Park areas. The expansion will add 61 acres of solar arrays to the city's existing 104 acres, bringing the total to 165 acres.
- The combined solar arrays will power 127 municipal buildings
- Two leading developers, Lightstar Renewables and the DTE Electric Company, will share development equally
- Project funding is supported by tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act
- Residents in affected areas will get home energy efficiency upgrades
- 11 Owner-occupied homeowners have contracts for their homes to be bought, and renters who are relocating will get 18 months of free rent
The solar fields will operate for 35 years, with developers required to return the land to green space afterward.
The city says that the expansion represents a significant step in Detroit's Climate Strategy, which aims to transition the city to clean, renewable energy by 2034.
⛳️ Metro Detroit is getting another large golf tournament. LIV Golf says that their season-ending Team Championship will be held at The Cardinal at Saint John's Resort in Plymouth Township this August. The Saudi-backed tour's event will take place August 22-24.
The tournament will bring LIV Golf's "Golf, But Louder" atmosphere to the recently opened Cardinal course, the first new golf course in Southeast Michigan in more than 20 years.
Saint John's Resort underwent a $50 million redevelopment after being purchased by the Pulte Family in 2021. The resort now operates under a "humanitarian hotels" model, owned by the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, with profits supporting charitable initiatives in metro Detroit. [Detroit Free Press] [Crain's Detroit Business] [WXYZ]
🎬 A new trailer is out for the upcoming TV show "Grosse Pointe Garden Society." The premise is four members of a garden club share a murderous secret. Starring Melissa Fumero, Aja Naomi King, AnnaSophia Robb and Ben Rappaport, it premieres February 23 on NBC and will stream on Peacock.
Although the story is set in the east side suburb of Grosse Pointe, the show was shot in Atlanta, Georgia.
🍹 A former Tiki Bar and pocket disco is up for sale. Lost River and Apartment Disco didn't make it (and nor did a "microcinema"). But the two-story building on Mack on Detroit's east side border could be yours for $300k. Includes a new rooftop deck. Liquor license extra. [O'Connor Real Estate]
🍗 We have a date for the first Raising Cane's restaurant in Metro Detroit. It'll be located at 44218 Ford Road in Canton and open on February 4, 2025. They're hiring.
🥊 A Championship woman boxer from Michigan, Claressa Shields, is challenging the male boxer and influencer Jake Paul to a match. Shields has Olympic Gold, while Paul recently defeated AARP-benefits qualifier Mike Tyson. Recently, the president elect of the United States said that he wants to "end" women's boxing. [USA Today]
🛣️ There's a proposal to rename "Campbell Road" in Royal Oak to "Dan Campbell Road" in honor of the Lions coach. If the city approves, businessman Kristopher Powell of HRPro says he'll raise the money to make the change. New signs cost about $150 each. [Detroit News]
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I gotta go get ready for an Detroit auto show thing tonight. I'll take some pics and share what I see in a future note.
Remember that you are somebody — and I'll see you around Detroit.
-Jer