Hi, friends. Jer here.

So I wanted to highlight a few stories for you before we all pack it up for the week. Some of them we talked about more on the podcast, some broke since the last show we recorded.

The Grand Prix will roar in downtown Detroit

It’s a done deal with a unanimous vote by Detroit City Council. The race, held for many years on Belle Isle, will return to the streets of downtown in 2023.

The 1.7-mile course had a couple of turns added (see the map above), and promises to bring in an additional $10 million-plus to downtown businesses that between the pandemic, the unsure future of the auto show and more need some more events to look forward to.

It’ll also allow increased attendance above the practical cap of about 35,000 a day that you have on the island.

Not to mention, it gets the race off of Belle Isle.

On the racing side, Eric Trytko shared his thoughts on the new course, and I talk about how taking the race downtown bring energy back and opens the doors to an event that, since it was on an island, became pretty closed off. It’s also a win for park users.

We are the Champions!

Detroit City FC won the Fall 2021 NISA table over the weekend. It’s a win we all should be proud of in Metro Detroit, especially for a team as fun to watch as Le Rouge.

Me and Fletcher Sharpe broke it down after the match (look, ma, we’re on video!):

Barbara Rose-Collins, Michigan’s first black female member of Congress, has died

Barbara Rose-Collins was 82. Although the family did not share the cause of death, she had gotten COVID-19.

WXYZ reports she had been vaccinated.

Her elected service started in 1971 on the Detroit Public School Board, the Michigan House of Representatives, the Detroit City Council (for two different periods of time) and was the first Black woman from the state of Michigan to serve in Congress.

She was also the first to introduce a bill around Juneteenth becoming a a federal holiday, and was an advocate for civil rights.

Her career wasn’t without controversy.

Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick - the mother of former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick - defeated her in the 1996 Democratic primary amid a Justice Department and the House Ethics Committee investigation for the alleged misuse of campaign and scholarship funds.

That investigation found that Collins violated 11 House rules and federal laws in 1997.

No disciplinary action was taken as she had already left office.

Popular among residents, she returned to Detroit City Council. She retired in 2009.

This quote from the Family’s official statement stuck with me:

“Known for her flamboyant and colorful African attire, Ms. Collins was never afraid to speak her mind nor stand up to the powers that be. According to her grandson, City of Detroit Ombudsman Bruce Simpson, “My grandmother was not only an inspiration to many, but a guiding light in my path to be of service to citizens in my community.””

Which reminds me real quick:

Do what you want with this information, but COVID cases and hospitalizations are back on the rise in Metro Detroit after we thought we might see a real downturn a month ago. This rise is happening across Michigan and other cold-weather states. Via COVID Act Now:

I see elected people:

Building Community Value’s Chase Cantrell joined us to break down the Detroit election results. We get into the fact that not only did Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan win 3 out of 4 votes cast, but also that this almost completely brand-new council will have more progressive voices than ever.

What might change because of this? What are the big issues that the city needs to tackle over the next four years? Do we need to lower residential property taxes? A city that’s shrinking is a harder case to make for investment. What could we do to turn it around?

Have a listen here.

Alright, that’s it for today as I’ve gotta get to finishing today’s Daily Detroit podcast.

We’re talking about a wide variety of topics from a Federal grant to grow Eastern Market, the new Basan and Freya restaurants that are coming, and more.

As always, thanks to our members on Patreon including Jeremy who joined us last week. It’s much appreciated. If you’d like to join and support the work so it can stay free for everyone else, you can here.

I’ll see you around Detroit,

-Jer

p.s. - What would you like to see more of in the newsletter?

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