Hey friends, Jer here.

One of the key services any major city provides is transit, and Detroit has had its share of ups and downs around this over the years.

One key to keeping buses on the road is a good place to keep them and fix them. The Coolidge terminal on Schaefer just north of I-96 has been out of commission since a fire in 2011.

Thanks to an influx of dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act through the Federal Transit Administration — as well as some city and state funding — the $160 million project rebuilding the terminal that serves the city's west side is underway and progress is two-thirds complete.

Let's peek at the progress, from the break rooms for the bus drivers to the bays for maintenance of the buses.

There are three main buildings:

The operations building is almost 17,000 square feet.

It has spaces for offices, radio dispatch, as well as lockers, a workout area, and a break room for drivers.

Bus storage and coach services is a sprawling structure that spans more than two football fields at more than 121,000 square feet.

On site, our guides said it can hold 148 buses nose-to-nose. The terminal can expand to handle 250 coaches.

The mechanical nerd that I am, I was intrigued most about the maintenance building.

The first three bays are for light inspection. The next four are for oil changes and will have platforms for inspections above the bus.

And then more bays beyond that for heavy repair.

The buildings themselves are made of large pre-fabricated panels, that can be a foot thick, with an outer layer, an insulation layer, and an inner layer.

There's massive work around drainage being done to make sure the sprawling lots handle water and runoff properly.

About 35,000 tons of existing concrete pavement and foundations from landfills were recycled back into structural backfill material. 

The parking lot out front will have nearly 250 spots for staff.

The terminal complex is expected to open in 2026.

RenCen Tower 200 is locked up

A listener who works on site told me that as of today, the doors of Tower 200 of the Renaissance Center are locked "permanently," with a sign saying that the doors will be closed until further notice.

Tower 200 is one of two medium-height towers on the East Jefferson side that would be saved under the current publicly shared plans for the partial demolition and reconstruction of the RenCen. It has a red LED at the top in the photo above.

I've also heard that December is when all the remaining retail and service tenants need to be out of the RenCen.

Whatever happens next — either the residential/office/park renovation proposed or total demolition, it seems one of Detroit's iconic buildings is truly closing a chapter.

🧘‍♀️ There will be a pair of places to get a pair of yoga pants in Downtown Detroit. Alo has been confirmed as the first retailer in the Hudson's Detroit development, on Woodward in the spot across from the Shinola Hotel.

Also known as Alo Yoga, it will be about a block from another retailer, Lululemon. The Los Angeles-based athletic retailer has stores across the United States, Canada and the globe — including a location in Somerset Collection in Troy. [WXYZ]

🏢 A busy Midtown Detroit retail property anchored by Whole Foods Market has changed hands. The Ellington Retail, a fully-leased 34,431-square-foot shopping center at Woodward and Mack was sold by The Platform to an unnamed private investor at an undisclosed price. It does not include the residential at The Ellington. [ReJournals]

I can’t help but notice The Platform — once very active on the redevelopment front — has been unloading as of late.

🗳️ Detroit Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero's ballot disqualification has been rescinded. After the Wayne County Clerk's Office waived her $250 fee “for good cause,” Santiago-Romero is set to appear on the August 5 Primary Election ballot, pending a court order.

The District 6 representative, who won her first term with nearly three-quarters of the vote in 2021, says in a press statement that her campaign had submitted more than 600 petitions for her re-election campaign.

Detroit One Million first reported on the issue last month.

🏗️ Livonia officials want to build a downtown. Leaders at the Wayne county suburb of more than 92,000 people is looking to create a downtown area at Five Mile and Farmington roads.

The city is seeking voter approval for a $150 million bond this August to fund new police and fire facilities, a library, and community spaces. The project involves relocating city buildings to free up 27 acres for development, with plans for housing, retail, restaurants, and walkable spaces. [Crain's Detroit Business]

🐦‍⬛ The Cravin' Raven boutique opened today in Downtown Mt. Clemens. They feature unique, handcrafted items made with love (and a touch of steampunk). Offerings include, gourmet charcuterie cups, skincare products, art, gifts and more. Listener Jason tells me it's a warm, family-run spot you'll want to check out. You can find it at 58 Cherry street.

Thanks so much for reading! If this is your first time here, don't forget to sign up for future notes that push Detroit's conversation forward.

Remember that you are somebody, and we'll talk soon.

-Jer

p.s. - One of the things on in the background when I work from home is have drone videos of cities on with music.

Inspired by that, my music track tonight is a little chillhop, "This Love I've Met" by Guggenz. Plenty of soul, jazz, and funk samples. Also, the work of The Dronalist is pretty darn good, too. There are a bunch of cities, but above I linked to the video with the music.