Quote Originally Posted by emu steve View Post
A quick pivot from food to the debate about those who stayed and tried to build Detroit up and those who fled for the 'burbs [[e.g., Davidson) in relation to the proposed move of the Pistons back to Detroit. [[Davidson gave up on Detroit and fled for the 'burbs).

Some families were singled out for praise. A few individual were not.

While I'm not denigrating Gilbert, he, to me, was a 'Johnny come lately' to saving the city. He was like the guy who goes 'bottom fishing' in the stock market and jumps in and makes a killing by buying cheap.

I feel for the pioneers, listed in the article, who stuck by Detroit when it wasn't considered financially a smart thing to do.

Gilbert was[[is) a very, very good businessman; the others put city before profit [[they arguably were 'not' good businessmen by putting their heart and soul ahead of their brain and wallet).

http://www.freep.com/story/money/bus...ette/93111834/

Gilbert was not a Detroit landowner in the late 80s. He was still a very young man building his main business then. Apples and oranges. If the shoe fits...

What you call merely "buying low" corresponds with literally saving a dozen historic building. If it was so obvious that a self-interest profiteer would have behaved like Gilbert circa 2010, then where the hell were the Illitches [[or anyone else for that matter)? As I've asked elsewhere, did the Ilitches construct ONE residential unit prior to the pending arena project? They never left the city, but they clearly didn't believe too strongly in it, either. Rather, they took a route which ensured pure profiteering [[tax credits, public support, ripping off the city re TV royalties and the JLA lease). That this elicits praise from John Frickin Gallagher is neither impressive nor notable. At best, it is impressive only because the tide was so massively pro-exodus in the 80s and 90s.