Daily Detroit (Page 128)

Detroit Zoo’s Penguin Conservation Center Wins National Award

The Detroit Zoo can put another award on their shelf. Their Polk Penguin Conservation Center received the 2017 Exhibit Award from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) that they opened in April of 2016. The Exhibit Award, according to the zoo, is the top honor bestowed annually upon accredited institutions for excellence in exhibit design. The penguin center cost $31 million to construct and boasts a 326,000-gallon, 25-foot-deep aquatic area where visitors can watch more than 80 penguins...

Changing NeighborhoodsDetroit Development

Allow Me To Freak Out About $400K Homes In My Old Detroit Neighborhood

I last spent time in Woodbridge Farms, my old neighborhood, last fall, when I joined some coworkers to plant trees with crews from the Greening of Detroit. And I wrote about what I saw and how it illustrated the dramatic and jarring ways that Detroit is changing. But nothing quite prepared me for this. A developer team is working with the city to invest around $6 million to build up to 27 houses in the historic neighborhood, which began in the early 1870s. All good. But here’s the kicker, vi...

Cable Car Crossing Over Detroit River Floated By Windsor Mayor As Part Of Amazon Bid

It’s an idea that has been in the minds of Detroit and Windsor civic leadership since the 1960s — an aerial tramway or cable car between the two cities, crossing the international border between Canada and Detroit. Discussions then, as far as we can find it, were revived in 1985, with a study funded by Detroit’s Downtown Development Authority. Obviously, a cable car or gondola over the river never got built. The idea has now been raised by Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, according CTV. “Perhap...

Eastern MarketNorth end

$27.5 Million In Financing Comes Together For New Housing Developments In Detroit

Development news broke at the Crain’s Homecoming IV event that three entities – The Platform, a development company that’s been very busy as of late, Detroit native Stephen Ross (who owns the Miami Dolphins), and the Ford Foundation have teamed up to put together a total of $27.5 million in investment for developments in the city. The Ford Foundation is putting in $10 million; The Platform $10 million; and Ross $7.5 million. What they’ll do: They’re aiming to bring new affordable and market...

AlbumsDetroit Detroit Album Covers

10 Great Album Covers Featuring Detroit

Detroit’s not just the Motor City, we’re Motown. We have a beautiful history of musical accomplishment, and one way that’s expressed is through amazing record album covers. Vinyl aficionados can appreciate how the art goes with the record, helping reinforce the over feel of the experience. And today, although not quite the same, there are still digital album covers to promote music and appear on our Spotify or Apple Music app. So let’s sit back and check these out who we thought we’d highlig...

Wayne State's New Football Uniform Celebrates 100th Anniversary, Medal Of Honor Recipients

Through various college names, Wayne State University has had an athletics program for a hundred years. To celebrate that, and to give light to the Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor in action against an enemy, force, The Wayne State University Department of Athletics unveiled a new football uniform today. This new uniform will be worn for the first time at this Saturday’s 6 p.m. game against Saginaw Valley State. Only 3,499 recipients in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps an...

DetroitFirst Person Hazen Pingree

The Best Mayor In Detroit’s History And “Idol of the People” Deserves More Recognition

The city of Detroit is rife with nods and tributes to ghosts of its past, legendary and sometimes infamous individuals who have helped shape the city for hundreds of years. Names like Woodward, Lodge, Fisher, and Cass are so synonymous with the thoroughfares and buildings they represent that many people don’t even associate the names with the actual individuals they represent. However, one name that doesn’t appear on any major road signs or building facades is that of a man who may be the grea...

HAPhealthcare Losing Coverage

HAP Leaving Health Insurance Marketplace, More Than 9,000 People Affected

The gridlock in Washington D.C. around the topic of healthcare is having real world implications. Detroit-based Health Alliance Plan announced today that they’re withdrawing from the Health Insurance Marketplace, often referred to as Obamacare. Specifically called out was the uncertainty the federal government will continue offering subsidies to fund reduced prices for those who currently qualify. The decision to reduce HAP’s 2018 individual plan offerings was based on a variety of factors...

Would You Rent Your Favorite Team Jerseys? This Service Thinks So

Sports teams are near and dear to the heart of Detroiters. On any game day, it’s a sea of jerseys around the stadiums, and it’s not uncommon to see people wearing their jerseys out to the bar or, as I’ve seen in some cases, to work. But things change. Favorite players get traded, there are new styles that come out — and, let’s be honest — buying jerseys can be really expensive, often north of $100. Enter Rep The Squad. It’s a company that has a local tie — one of their investors is Detroit L...

City Of Detroit's Poverty Rate Is Lowest Since 2008, Household Income Up

Here’s a piece of good news. There has been some progress on the poverty front in Detroit. According to new U.S. Census data, the percentage of Detroiters living in poverty dropped by 4.1 percentage points from June 2015 to June 2016. The threshold for poverty for a family of four nationally is $24,563. The poverty rate in Detroit fell from 39.8% in 2015 to 35.7% in 2016. The national poverty rate was 14% last year. In 2008, the percentage in poverty was 33.3%. More progress with children:...

Here's A Great Drone Video Of The Crazy Light Show At Michigan Central Station

Detroit’s abuzz about the light show at the old train depot in Corktown. Here’s our first report. Now, there’s a much higher quality video shot with a drone by YouTube user 3andathird (Nadir) and you’re going to want to check it out. The light show is for Crain’s Detroit Homecoming IV, a star-studded affair that aims to attract ex-pats to invest in Detroit. Actress Lily Tomlin was at Sister Pie, and former boxer Tommy Hearns have been seen running around....

12 Facts About The Plans For The Tallest Building In Detroit

This week the Bedrock team, who works for Dan Gilbert, revealed more details at a Downtown Development Authority meeting about what, if and when it is built, will become the tallest building in the city of Detroit. Gilbert is a guy who gets things built, so let’s be honest — there’s little doubt the project will happen. So let’s dive in. 1. It’s going to be on the old Hudson’s Department Store site I remember that implosion in 1998. The old building was beloved by many and millions a...

Check Out This New Fanciful Detroit Subway Map

There are reports today that there are plans for more coordination when it comes to bus systems in Metro Detroit for the next Regional Transit Authority ballot proposal, that might or might not come to voters in 2018. However, Detroit could have had a subway system, according to plans from a hundred years ago that were scrapped. But what if we did get a subway? That’s where this fantasy map from Mike Weiss comes in. We chatted with Weiss about his production, that looks something straig...

Things to do in Detroit this weekendWeekend events

Your City 5: Things To Do In Detroit For The Weekend Of September 15-17

Hello, hello, hello! Here’s a super double bonus edition of our City 5. My weekend plans are looking promising. There is so much going on, that I had a hard time narrowing down what I wanted to add to this week’s City 5. It was tough, but I figured it out. Have a great weekend everyone. 5th Annual Michigan Burlesque Festival Looking for some tantalizing fun this Friday night? Might I suggest the 5th Annual Michigan Burlesque Festival at the Hastings Street Ballroom at 715 Milwaukee in D...

Mack Avenue

21 Community Organizations In Detroit Get Grants From The Kresge Foundation

There are a lot of organizations in the city working to make their slice of the Motor City better, and the Kresge Foundation announced this week that they’ll be supporting their work with $1 million in grants. The grants will be used to help the operating expenses of the community development organizations over a three year period. “These three-year grants reinforce our top priority, which is spreading the energy of renewal to the city’s neighborhoods,” said Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing dir...

AmazonShelby Township

Amazon To Build Fulfillment Facility In Shelby Township, Hire 1,000

1,000 jobs are coming to Shelby Township. Amazon.com announced plans today to open a new million-square-foot fulfillment center in the Macomb County township in 2018. At the center employees with pick, pack and ship larger items. Amazon’s Michigan workforce will now number more than 3,500. Beginning in 2016, Amazon has announced multiple facilities in Michigan including three fulfillment centers and one sortation center in Livonia, Romulus, Brownstown and the Charter Township of Shelby...

Ambassador BridgeDetroit Gordie Howe Bridge

PODCAST: "The Race Is Over," Moroun Will Build His Bridge To Canada First With Dave Battagello, Windsor Star

This edition of the Daily Detroit Happy Hour is very timely as Sven Gustafson is talking to veteran reporter Dave Battagello of the Windsor Star about the bridge projects to Canada, the border crossing, and how it affects thousands of people. He’s been the lead guy covering this issue that most of the Detroit media has been silent on, even though long term, it will affect the livelihoods of many citizens of both countries, and there’s important news. There are some key points you’re going...

Bolt EVChevy Bolt

This Self-Driving Car Could Be Mass Produced Right Here In Metro Detroit

Although Silicon Valley is making a play for Detroit’s crown as the automotive headquarters of the world, Detroit’s not going down without a fight. Autoblog is reporting that driverless car startup Cruise Automation, purchased by General Motors for $1 billion last year, has a production-ready, mass-produceable self driving car. It’s going to be a version of the Chevy Bolt EV that’s assembled at the Orion Assembly Plant. Per a Medium post, Cruise Automation CEO and Founder Kyle Vogt says: “...

What to know and where to go in Metro Detroit