Critical Mass

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

The title does not refer to the trouble-making bicycle idiots of a few years past.

Stepping back and thinking about the city as a whole, I realized something. As much as everyone [[myself included) likes to whine and complain about the various troubles Detroit and Michigan have and have had, there are tons of things to be optimistic about and grateful for. In fact, I will risk the laughter and condemnation of some of my fellow posters by saying we have hit the point of "critical mass" downtown, with results spilling over into both outlying areas of the city and the suburbs.

Among the things happening now:
-Major reno and expansion at Cobo, making it a good choice to hold an event, and something we don't need to apologize for or explain away to others.
-Reno and conversion of many buildings, large and small, that had long been left for dead. With paying tenants of all sorts moving in.
-Michigan state gov't actively working as a partner and friend to the city.
-Detroit city gov't actively working as a partner and friend to the city.
-Many new hotels open, with more on the way. And in a variety of locations and at differing price points.
-New arena, surrounded by a large new commercial district.
-Several different transit options coming to the city and region, including a modern streetcar system and a rapid bus network.
-Bankruptcy. Yes, it's a good thing. Our financial prognosis was terminal before. The chemo that is federal bankruptcy court will allow us to live as a city. The bankruptcy marks the end of an era of non-management by city government.
-Stores and bars and restaurants are more plentiful downtown, with more on the way. They will continue to attract more and more people, which will attract more and more stores, bars, and restaurants.
-The new bridge is close to beginning construction.

We have many things yet to fix in our city. That too is a good thing. Getting up in the morning with something to do is a plus. One problem of the past is fading away: various projects used to be terribly isolated [[RenCen, Civic Center, etc). Now, as apartments and office buildings and stores fill in, downtown in merging into midtown. Development is spreading east and west of the Woodward corridor. More people are moving to Detroit [[the 2020 census will have us with more residents, I bet, than the 2010 census), more people are certainly doing business in Detroit, and visiting Detroit. It is safe to do business here again. On the whole, businesses, non-profits, the city, the state, and so many of our residents are working more productively to improve the city than anytime in the rememberable past. Dog parks are getting built. People are renovating and flipping houses. Galleries are drawing out-of-state visitors. Street lights are getting repaired. The Packard Plant has a taxpaying owner pledging to make it a hub for assorted businesses. Bikers and hikers have great places to go now, with a lot more underway. Eastern Market continues to grow and improve. We have a Whole Foods and a Meijer, with a second of the latter under construction.

Kudos to us.