Downtown Detroit43

Buddy'sCantonSaksey's

Reconnecting Metro Detroit to our soul // New Buddy's, and a new bar

Norris Howard is in. 00:36 – We talk about the great feedback we got from listeners in Canton; how development happened in Metro Detroit; and part of the draw of the city of Detroit is reconnecting our region to its soul. 15:57 – A new Buddy’s is opening up in Canton 19:59 – Dan Gilbert has a new cocktail lounge, Saksey’s, opening up in the basement of Gilly’s. It’s named after the bar his father owned. Feedback as always – dailydetroit – at – gmail – dot – com or 313-789-3211 Fol...

Downtown Detroiturban developmentpublic policy

Downtown Detroit needs more people

There’s an inconvenient fact: Downtown Detroit needs more people to provide some of the things that people seem to be clamoring for, and be an economic engine to help the rest of the city. Residents, specifically. In this episode, we talk about a recent real estate report that shows although downtown Detroit added residents, it pales in comparison to like cities for downtown. The pandemic has shaken things up – and we have to adapt to grow....

Conrad KickertDowntown DetroitDetroit retail

Downtown retail will never be the same (ft. Conrad Kickert)

Here's an idea: Because of the changing nature of what retail is, the new Gucci store coming to downtown Detroit doesn't have to sell very much directly to be a success. There's been a lot of talk about downtown Detroit's retail situation as some businesses have closed up shop or left. But, it looks like it may be part of a bigger shift nationally and internationally around what retail in downtowns is and what kinds of things activate those spaces. You can become a monthly member on Patreon:...

BarDetroitDowntown Detroit

10 Cozy Bars In Metro Detroit For Whittling Away Winter

The holidays are over, deep winter has set in and you need a strategy to survive the next few months of cold and dark. We get it, and we’re here for you. What you need — what we all need — is someplace dark and warm, cheery and cozy to indulge in what the Danish call hygge. So grab your drinking coat and let’s have a lot of fun around town with these 10 cozy drinking spots. 1. Joe Bar, Hazel Park Here’s a newish, off-the-beaten-path outpost that’s entirely worth a visit. It’s smack-dab ne...

DetroitDowntown DetroitUgly Christmas Sweaters

Ugly Sweater Lovers Unite: World Record Attempt For Largest Gathering Of Holiday Sweaters Dec. 9

Do you love ugly Christmas or holiday sweaters? Have you ever wanted to be part of a World Record attempt? Here’s your chance. Here’s the plan. On Saturday, December 9 at 6:30 p.m. in Beacon Park in downtown Detroit the hope is to get together more than 3,473 people to break a nearly two year old world record of the largest “gathering of people wearing holiday sweaters,” as measured by the Guinness Book of World Records. The record-holding city is currently Lawrence, Kansas. They set the rec...

BillboardsDowntown Detroit

OPINION: Banning Billboards In Downtown Detroit Is Ridiculous And The Law Should Change

Active, vibrant cities the world over have billboards and advertisements. But in Detroit, almost all the ones you’ve seen pop up over the last few years? Turns out they’re illegal, according to city code. And that’s especially ridiculous in Detroit’s core business district. If you didn’t know, there’s a prohibition in the city of Detroit against large advertising signs, billboards and painted wall graphics basically anywhere from Grand Boulevard to the Detroit River. Opponents of these big...

Downtown DetroitGoogle

REPORT: Google Moving Office To Downtown Detroit, Doubling Size

More and more, downtown Detroit is where technology companies want to be in Metro Detroit. The latest addition? Google. According to a report being circulated by the Associated Press (CNBC link), a Google spokesman has confirmed that the Detroit area Google office is moving from suburban Birmingham to Detroit, along with 100 employees. They expect to double the physical size of the office, which focuses on the automotive industry, from the current 17,000 square feet they occupy. There’s...

Capitol ParkDowntown Detroit

A Look At The Changes Coming To Detroit's Capitol Park

Capitol Park will be getting a face lift starting in the spring of 2018. Monday night during a community meeting the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) and PUBLIC WORKS principal designer Marc Ryan went over the potential plan for the park.   Currently, Capitol Park is a lacking green space and trees. The new plan would include trees that will create a rising canopy, river gardens, and grassy areas. The mix of five trees will mainly be native to Michigan. The trees are being chosen ba...

Campus MartiusDowntown DetroitSkyscrapers

Plans For Monroe Block Suggest Density, Modernism Coming To Detroit

There’s big downtown Detroit development news — and to no one’s surprise, Dan Gilbert is involved — as Bedrock Detroit plans an $800 million new mixed-use development anchored by a 35-story tower overlooking Campus Martius. So far as I can tell from the renderings, plans for the Monroe Block project call for building two towers and other buildings on two irregularly shaped blocks bordered by Monroe Avenue, Bates and Randolph streets, and Cadillac Square. The blocks today are mostly either su...

Downtown DetroitKit and AceLululemon

Woodward Avenue Is Getting A Lululemon Store In The Old Kit And Ace Spot

Vancouver-based Lululemon is taking over the spot recently vacated by Kit and Ace at 1459 Woodward Avenue. The fitness and yoga clothes retailer has several suburban Metro Detroit locations, including in Birmingham, at Somerset Mall, and Twelve Oaks Mall. They’re taking the spot next to Warby Parker. Kit and Ace closed all of their U.S., U.K. and Australian stores earlier this year, leaving this storefront open as part of the aftermath of that move. A fun little fact. Kit and Ace was sta...

Downtown DetroitHistoricRenovation

Renovation Project On Woodward In Downtown Detroit Reveals Old Sanders Sign

For 85 years, Sanders did business at this location on Woodward Avenue – 1529 Woodward, just south of Grand Circus Park. That’s until the December of 1982, when, according to newspaper reports, it closed up shop. The signage was was covered over, and except in the minds of the older among us, the downtown Detroit store was forgotten. Sanders was founded in 1875 and is a legendary name in Detroit and is the company that makes all kinds of sweet treats like bumpy cake, candies and hot fudge....

Downtown DetroitNorth endQLINE

New Report Shows QLINE Service Improvements, Ridership On The Rise

A new report from the parent organization of Detroit’s streetcar says that the new QLINE streetcar service is making improvements following several opening glitches, expected growing pains and complaints from riders. M-1 Rail, the QLINE’s operating organization, has been working with the streetcar’s operator, Transdev North America, on service improvements for about a month now. Those have resulted in more riders, shorter waits and better coordination with traffic signals. Ridership on the Q...

Beacon Park OpeningDowntown Detroit

Beacon Park In Downtown Detroit Is Now Open

Last year, work begun on transforming a lot that was a few industrial buildings and gravel into “Beacon Park,” a downtown green space inspired by Norman B. Leventhal Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The project started as an idea when Gerry Anderson, the CEO of DTE Energy, was visiting shareholders in Boston in 2015 and he was impressed by Leventhal Park – and found that it was the business community there that partnered together to make the space happen. Today, the park opened with a cerem...

Beacon ParkDetroitDowntown Detroit

Watch The New Beacon Park Be Built In Just One Minute In This Time-Lapse Video

The much anticipated Beacon Park is almost ready to open to the public. The 1.5-acre park located on the west side of downtown Detroit has been under construction since last year. Today comes a time-lapse video of the construction. I’ve embedded the video above. The new park is located on Grand River and Cass Avenue, between the historic G.A.R. Building and the DTE Energy Headquarters. The opening ceremonies will be held on Thursday, July 20 at 11:00 a.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony....

Downtown DetroitLa Dulce

La Dulce Announces Opening Of New Downtown Location, Shares Menu

A downtown Royal Oak favorite will now embark on a new chapter as a 7,000 square foot downtown Detroit restaurant. Back in June we shared that La Dulce was moving to downtown Detroit, and today the team behind the restaurant sent word that they’re now open in the Crowne Plaza Riverfront, across from Cobo Center and a block over from the Apparatus Room. Today, Daily Detroit got word the place is open along with some courtesy photos. So this isn’t a review or anything like that – this is more...

Downtown DetroitLa Dulceroyal oak

La Dulce To Move From Downtown Royal Oak To Downtown Detroit

A popular downtown Royal Oak Restaurant is making moves to the city of Detroit. La Dulce opened in downtown Royal Oak and made waves for their unique look. The place has been pretty popular, but moving to downtown Detroit was an opportunity owner Luis Negrete couldn’t pass up. “We have absolutely loved our time in the Royal Oak community and will miss the neighborhood that embraced us as we built out footprint. We had an opportunity to be part of Detroit’s growing culinary scene that we coul...

Bird BeeCapitol ParkDowntown Detroit

FIRST LOOK: Inside The Beautiful New Bird Bee In Capitol Park

Detroit’s Capitol Park is a hotbed of new retail activity with quite a few new places opening up. The latest entry is Bird Bee, an online retailer and HATCH Detroit finalist that is opening their first brick and mortar store in downtown Detroit. On hearing of their soft opening, we decided to check it out. Their official grand opening celebration is June 1. The store is beautifully merchandised, to scale with the space and has items at a variety of price points. It’s a smart, coord...

Downtown DetroitDTe Energy parkFood

Owners of Big Rock Chophouse, Griffin Claw And Clubhouse BFD To Open Restaurant In New Downtown Park

There’s a park rising on the west side of downtown Detroit at Cass and Grand River, and today we have more information on the restaurant space that’s going to go in it. DTE Energy, who owns and is constructing the new public access park, announced it has partnered with restaurateurs Norm and Bonnie LePage to operate the restaurant. The restaurant, currently under construction, will open this fall and will be the first restaurant in the city for the LePages who also own Clubhouse BFD in Roche...