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Jer Staes

Jer and Devon are back with a packed episode of Daily Detroit.

Where we've been: Let's kick things off with a glowing review of a special Club sandwich at Rocco's Italian Deli;

Today, Norris and Jer open up the Daily Detroit mailbag and answer your listener questions.

  • The status (as we know it) of Fisher Body 21
  • Frustrations with there not being enough resources spent on the
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Check out the Spritz Bar, serving Aperol for the season in Detroit

I had a chance to check out Spritz Bar at San Morello. It's open in the evenings Thursdays through Sundays through Negroni Week (think end of September) on the ground floor of the Shinola Hotel.

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The patio is on Woodward and the cityscape views are great. On a nice day, the vibes, as some might say, are immaculate.

If you’ve never had an Aperol Spritz, I suggest you try it.

As I know it, it’s Aperol, Prosecco, and a splash of club soda over ice. Light and refreshing, good warm weather drink. Not too boozy.

As you can guess by the colors, orange flavor is the vibe. But not overly sweet (which I like).

Today's all-local daily podcast is in three parts:

First, we spent the morning at the Automate conference in Downtown Detroit. Bringing thousands to the city, the conference touches on the best in industrial

Hey Detroit! We are back in our TechTown studio for your Daily Detroit, and on this Thursday, May 15th, 2025, the city is absolutely buzzing with news – from delicious new spots, to political shifts, to

The next Mayor of Detroit, whoever they are, will have some really big challenges from their budget to figuring out how to continue to draw investment, to trying to rebuild the city's middle class.

Cartier is coming to Somerset in Troy, Michigan

An eagle-eyed listener sent word that on the first floor of the south side of Somerset Collection a Cartier location is set to open in Winter of 2026.

Cartier is a highly sought-after brand in the region, and the "Buffs" sunglasses are part of Detroit's culture (and lately, the University of Michigan football team).

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Cartier at Somerset 📸 Shianne Nocerini

The closest official store location until now has been Chicago, though various boutiques and stores have them available locally like Optica (also in Somerset).

There are 30 boutique locations nationally listed on the Cartier website, not including Metro Detroit.

My two cents? It might just be me, but in my mind Black Detroiters made Cartier the big deal it is here. They even recently did a serious of partnerships with Detroit influencers. This should store should have been in the new Hudson's Detroit across from Gucci, or hear me out — on the Avenue of Fashion on Livernois. But I'm sure it'll do well at Somerset.

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Plus Engineer Randy visited a new tiki spot, and the historic fountain on Belle Isle will be closed for two summers for repairs
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The fountain on Belle Isle will be closed until 2027 for repairs

The historic Scott Memorial Fountain will undergo $6 million in renovations starting this summer, paid for by federal relief money.

The 18-month project will close the fountain until May 2027, but promises to preserve this 100-year-old treasure for future generations.

A DNR park ranger runs through a series of complex steps to turn on the multitiered fountain.

"Two years ago, results of the concrete core samples taken from the lower bowl showed the basin structure needed to be addressed," said Thomas Bissett, urban district supervisor for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. "Although the project will have an impact on visitors, we're grateful that ARPA dollars were available for this project to strengthen and protect fountain structure and operation for future generations."

Aerial view of the James Scott Memorial Fountain and lagoon with the Detroit River and skyline in the distance. 

Per press materials:

To ensure the basin's structural integrity and protect the underlying mechanical room, the renovation project will involve installing new concrete beams and replacing the underlying fountain plumbing. Additionally, a watertight seal and marble elements around the lower bowl will help prevent water infiltration to subgrade operational space.

A bummer for this and next summer, but the work is way overdue and there just hasn’t been the money to do more than spot repairs for decades.

In honor of the Tigers being one of the best teams in baseball, Jer and Fletcher get into it on the Tigers.

Why they're doing well, what to look for to feel even more

Today, we're diving into a world of capes and incredible local talent. The Detroit Historical Museum has just opened a brand new, year-long exhibit called "Heroes vs. Villains: The Art of the Comic

Detroit is like the weather. Wait fifteen minutes, and something new will happen. Well, in Detroit's case, stuff will happen.

Part of what's awesome about following this town. Norris Howard joins Jer to

Today, Norris Howard joins us to talk about the hot stories of the day and your big feedback about rental housing in Detroit and Metro Detroit.

01:02 - Six Mile or McNichols?

03:12 - Canadians

Today: University of Michigan president Santa Ono is unexpectedly leaving for the University of Florida. We talk about it.

Plus, Javier Báez' play rebounds this season as the Tigers soar to the top of the

On today's all-local Daily Detroit (with Norris Howard):

00:40 - What car should Norris buy next?

03:07 - Detroit's new apartments are among the smallest apartments in America, even smaller than Manhattan

Today's episode Producer Shianne and Devon O'Reilly join Jer to talk about things around town.

  • We're going back to the Mackinac Policy Conference this year. We talk about why we do it

Mark your calendars: Ferndale Pride is in downtown Ferndale on Saturday, May 31st, 2025. The party kicks off with an opening ceremony at 12:30p, vendors and stages open at 1p, and the energy

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A 100-year old building in Detroit's North End is getting rehabbed

I was headed down Oakland Avenue over the weekend and saw some big construction work happening on what will become a mixed-use building with retail spaces, apartments and a parking lot out back.

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Built in 1925, the commercial block was on the city's demo list until the non-profit Stafford House put the project forward.

It'll have four ground-floor commercial spaces at about 1,000 square foot each. Last I could find, there'd be a coffee shop, training center, retail and offices for an engineering company.

The second floor will have 10 affordable apartments.

The project aims to be complete by the end of this year.

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One on One Conversations with Candidates for Detroit Mayor

Detroit is getting ready for a pivotal election! Residents will choose the next mayor in 2025. This is important because the mayor leads the city and helps solve problems for the next four years.

Daily Detroit wants to help you learn about the people who want to be mayor. There are 10 people running, and we are talking to them one by one. So far, we've shared talks with 3 of them.

In these talks, you can hear about who the candidates are and what they plan to do for Detroit. It's a good way to understand their ideas before you vote.

Here are links to the three conversations we have so far:

Fred Durhal III

They might become Mayor of Detroit: Fred Durhal III
Our series talking to the people who want the city’s top job begins with the District 7 Councilman

Saunteel Jenkins

Saunteel Jenkins wants to be Mayor of Detroit
On today’s edition - we talk with former city council president and recent non-profit executive at The Heat and Warmth Fund, Saunteel Jenkins. She’s running for mayor of the great city of Detroit, and we’re going to get into a number of issues that matter. Jenkins said

Mary Sheffield

Why Mary Sheffield wants to be Mayor of Detroit
In the third in our series of conversations with candidates for Mayor of the City of Detroit, I sit down with current Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield on a number of issues from entrepreneurship to transit to much more. Above you’ll find a video version of our conversation. Her

We plan on talking to more people running for mayor soon, so keep listening to Daily Detroit!

Remember these important dates for the election:

  • Primary on August 5, 2025: A vote to pick fewer people to run.
  • General on November 4, 2025: The final vote to choose the mayor.

If you're a candidate and would like to join us (for mayor or city council), get in touch.

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In the third in our series of conversations with candidates for Mayor of the City of Detroit, I sit down with current Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield on a number of issues from entrepreneurship

One of the most common pieces of listener feedback we get is why are we often positive about Detroit? Why don't we generally cover mayhem? And how can we think Detroit and Metro Detroit