Sven Gustafson - Daily Detroit (Page 11)

LISTEN: Michigan's Blue Wave & Legal Marijuana, Explained

It was a big Election Day here in Michigan, where the much-discussed “blue wave” helped sweep Democrats — all of them women — into the top statewide elected offices. A fourth, Debbie Stabenow, survived a closer-than-expected battle to win re-election to the U.S. Senate. We’re devoting today’s episode 100 percent to post-election results and analysis. Occasional host and Daily Detroit spirits advisor Nuri Gocay joins Jer and I to break down the results. He also talks about his experienc...

PODCAST: Election Day, I-696 Construction May Not Be Finished By Christmas, Amazon HQ2 Splits In Two & Mable Gray

Happy Election Day, Detroit! If you haven’t already, go out and exert your privilege as a resident of the world’s greatest democracy. The polls are open until 8 p.m. On today’s show, we run down some news about long lines and voting machine hiccups across the region. Reports of long lines are widespread. Elsewhere, Amazon HQ2 is said to be headed to the New York City and Washington D.C. areas as a split second headquarters. That’s given critics plenty of fodder, as we discuss. Remember w...

LISTEN: Hotel Strike Ends, New DIA Asian Art, Detroit-Style Pizza & More

Welcome to Monday, friends. Here’s your Daily Detroit for Nov. 5: * The workers strike at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel is over, as the Unite Here union announces a settlement and a new contract. * GM has rolled out e-bikes as part of its focus on mobility and cracking urban mobility markets. But it wants help from the public in coming up with a brand name. * Beaumont Health and Universal Health Services will open a $40 million, 150-bed inpatient mental health hospital in Dearborn. * A...

BicycleBicycling General Motors

GM Unveils 2 eBikes, Wants Suggestions For Names

General Motors is branching into e-bikes. The company has unveiled images of what it calls “innovative, integrated and connected eBikes” that it says will go on sale in 2019. One is folding and the other is compact. But neither of them have a brand name yet, and that’s where the company is soliciting help. GM has set up a website called eBikeBrandChallenge.com where you can submit your ideas for a name. The person who comes up with the winning name gets $10,000, while nine participants...

PODCAST: New Pistons Threads, Madonna, Knight Foundation Invests In Art & Our Nov. 6 Picks

On today’s edition of your Daily Detroit podcast, the team goes deep on the major statewide races and ballot issues that will appear on next week’s Nov. 6 ballot. We’re not making newspaper-style “endorsements,” just breaking down each race and, yes, divulging who we’re voting for. And agree or disagree all you want — just so long as you get out and cast your vote. It’s the best way to preserve our fragile democracy. Also on today’s show: * * The John and James L. Knight Founda...

Check Out The New Renderings For Dan Gilbert's Hudson's Site Tower

Bedrock over the weekend released new renderings of the latest design for the Hudson’s site tower, showing a 912-foot stepped glass tower that would be 200 feet taller than the Renaissance Center and make it one of the tallest buildings between the skyscraper meccas of Chicago and New York City. As construction continues at the Hudson’s Site, Bedrock’s most ambitious project to date, we are excited to share brand new renderings featuring an updated tower design. At 912 feet, plans include 1...

PODCAST: Tasting Detroit’s Food With Pati Jinich, Scooters Expand Across City, Openings & News

This is your Daily Detroit for October 24, 2018 from the Podcast Detroit studios at the Detroit Shipping Company. If you’re anything like us, then you’re a huge fan of PBS, and you also love food. And if you check both of those boxes, then you’re probably familiar with our guest on today’s podcast. Pati Jinich is the host of the James Beard Award-winning, Emmy-nominated PBS television series “Pati’s Mexican Table,” which combines travel to explore the cuisine of her native Mexico and how-...

PODCAST: Strike Pushes CityLab Conference To Move, Substitute Teachers Left Out And Royal Oak Parking Woes

It’s a sunny, crisp fall day in Detroit, and here’s the rundown of our show recorded on Tuesday, Oct. 23: * * The ongoing strike by workers at the Westin Book Cadillac has prompted organizers of the CityLab 2018 conference to relocate to the Marriott at the RenCen. That’s a place that striking Book Cadillac employees says pays their workers a living wage. * A private company that arranges substitute teachers for more than 100 districts across Michigan has abruptly closed up shop...

PODCAST: Police Investigate Detroit Funeral Homes After Remains Found, Ford Taps Bryan Cranston For New Ads & New Life For An Old Detroit Mall

Greetings, friends. Here’s your Daily Detroit podcast recorded in the Paris of the Midwest on Monday Oct. 22: Two Detroit funeral homes are under investigation after police found the remains of fetuses and a dead infant. One of the businesses — Perry Funeral Home — was closed by the state, with its mortuary license revoked. Sven reports to us about his trip from Las Vegas, where Ford briefed dealers on its plans to make 75 percent of its product lineup all-new by 2020 and unleashed the ne...

Rochester Hills

PODCAST: Video Shows White Man Shooting At Black Teenager, Detroit's Tallest Skyscraper Gets Taller & Ammunition For Weekend Warriors

Friends! We have nearly made it to the weekend, and (temporary) salvation is nigh. Here’s the rundown of what you’ll find on the Daily Detroit podcast recorded on Thursday, Oct. 11: * Newly released surveillance video contradicts the claims of a white, former Detroit Fire Department lieutenant that he tripped and accidentally discharged a gunshot at a 14-year-old black student who had knocked on his door, seeking directions. * Dan Gilbert already wanted to build Detroit’s tallest skyscrap...

Belle Isle Aquarium Gets $1.7 Million Grant

Here’s some more good news for Belle Isle. The Belle Isle Conservancy says it received a $1.7 million grant from the William Davidson Foundation to upgrade and restore the historic Belle Isle Aquarium. The foundation named for the former owner of the Detroit Pistons awarded the grant last year, so infrastructure repairs are already under way. The news adds to a recent string of announcements about improvements to Detroit’s signature island park. Famed landscape designer Piet Oudolf was...

This Popular Local Race Adds These New Events

In case you’re wondering what I’m doing, that’s the way the Free Press would tease this story about its own signature event in the headline. So figured I’d follow suit. The Detroit Free Press/Chemical Bank Marathon events come to town the weekend of October 20th with two new events. A competitive 1-mile race along the riverfront, plus the Motor City Challenge Series for runners who want to run more than one event during the weekend. There’s also late registration available onsite Friday o...

PODCAST: Tigers TV Broadcasters Out, Belle Isle Aquarium Grant, Solar-Powered Bus Stop & Your News

In today’s episode of your Daily Detroit podcast: * Federal law enforcement officials rounded up more than 120 missing children in Michigan as part of a giant sweep for sex trafficking victims. * The Detroit Tigers will have a new team calling games from the broadcast booth next season. Unsurprisingly, Fox Sports Detroit opted not to renew the contracts of Mario Impemba and Rod Allen after long-simmering tensions between the longtime broadcasters simmered over last month in Chicago. Here’...

World's Largest Linear Welder Arrives In Detroit

Detroit is now home to the world’s largest linear friction welder after it was delivered on Tuesday to Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow, a public-private advanced-manufacturing partnership down on Rosa Parks Boulevard in Corktown. The linear friction welder weighs about as much as a Boeing 737, and has the “largest tooling envelope of any linear friction welder in the world,” allowing for the production of full-size parts. I thought it looks kind of like a pilot house of a tugboat, pe...

Royal Oak To Vote On Its Own City Bus Service On November 6

Voters in Royal Oak will be asked whether the city should establish its own bus system called Royal Oak Go, or ROGO for short. A proposal on the November 6th ballot will ask voters to approve a five-year, 1.25-mill proposal to fund the program. That would equate to about $125 a year for the owner of a home with a $200,000 market value. Much about how ROGO would be run would fall to the city commission and the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation, better known as the SMA...

Former Councilwoman Refusing To Leave Job Leading Charter School

Former Detroit City Councilwoman Sharon McPhail has been fired from her post leading a struggling charter school on the city’s west side, but she’s refusing to leave. In response, school authorizer Bay Mills Community College says it’ll seek a court order for her removal and is appointing a conservator to oversee the school. It’s also temporarily suspended the school board. McPhail was — and apparently still is, unofficially — serving as chief administrator of Detroit Community Schools, a...

Infamous Motel At 8 Mile And Woodward Being Shopped For Redevelopment

One of the Detroit area’s most infamous motels is being shopped as a redevelopment opportunity. The Motorama Motel on Eight Mile Road at Woodward in Ferndale is for sale for a little over $1.5 million. The 21,000-square-foot, two-story building is being listed by real estate brokerage CBRE. An associate working with the listing agent tells Daily Detroit the owner won’t share financials for the business, but says the site’s location makes it most valuable as a mixed-use redevelopment — pos...

Detroit's Palmer Park To Get New Tennis Courts

Detroit’s Palmer Park is getting some badly needed new tennis courts. Crews recently demolished the old courts, which sit along Woodward Avenue between McNichols and Seven Mile Roads and have hosted a popular youth Tennis Academy for the past five years. The group People For Palmer Park tells Daily Detroit the plan is to reconstruct the courts with new fencing, benches, nets and windscreens. There will be nine courts in total and six junior courts, which are about half as long as full-siz...