What would you Develop if given the chance outside of the Downtown area

[wingedwheel1983]

Alright, I'm a bit of a dreamer anyway, here it goes: Immediate project: I'd redo some of the old apartment buildings in Palmer Park that are still for sale on loopnet. Some real gems are for sale there. Long-term project: A riskier venture would be the old Crosman school that you can see right from the Lodge. That building is beautiful. I don't know about the immediate neighborhood though. I'm not too familiar with it. For whatever reason I envision a giant REI with rock climbing walls, or even one of those trampoline parks for kids. Project that will never be: The old University Club that some DB tore down. That was one of my favorite buildings in Detroit. I think it was getting demoed around the same time that Atwater Brewery was shopping around for a larger place. I thought that a Brewery and Restaurant would have been perfect for that old beauty. Oh well, another one bites the dust.

[The Nerd]

I wish you could see the so many programs that work with area kids.

Our kids are our future. They are charming and decent. Hardworking young folk. We are buying a swimming pool this year. I am/was a helicopter Mom so expect to open our yard 3 days a week to area kids. I just adore them.

Hate how people sit in sub chairs and deplore Detroit. So much is going on. True vibrancy!

As a Detroit resident, I'll match our MBAS to your GEDs anyday. my area kids are going to camp. If things work right my area kids will go to college.

People are working hard to fix fundamentals.

Sumas:

I do not believe that we disagree on the importance of giving kids opportunities for a vibrant future and I applaud your efforts. However, in the context of this thread, I was simply stating that changing the physical landscape [[new/renovated buildings) will not be enough to revitalize neighborhoods with stable middle/working class families necessary to maintain any physical redevelopment. I believe it is most important to fix the underlying problems [[crime, poor schools, lack of community values, and poor city services) first and that once fixed the neighborhoods will come back on their own.

Since the 1980s Detroit voters have passed several bond measures that have renovated or built new Detroit Public Schools - with no significant measurable educational improvement. Shopping centers/strips and stores have been built in the neighborhoods to staunch the outward flow of residents and retail - to no avail. Many such shopping centers have declined greatly in quality or have become abandoned themselves. And let's also not forget the dozens of recently built homes in some areas that now too sit burned-out and abandoned. Decades of simply building it or renovating it hasn't seemed to work for Detroit.

The city's projects that have worked have either displaced the trouble makers to other areas of the city and increasingly the suburbs or diluted the population of original residents. And both of those things [[displacement and dilution) simply move the problems without fixing them.

We're on the same side. I too hope to see the day when Detroit is once again compared with Paris instead of Pripyat.

[Django]

Turn Chene South of 94 into a red light district.

[sumas]

Sumas:

I do not believe that we disagree on the importance of giving kids opportunities for a vibrant future and I applaud your efforts. However, in the context of this thread, I was simply stating that changing the physical landscape [[new/renovated buildings) will not be enough to revitalize neighborhoods with stable middle/working class families necessary to maintain any physical redevelopment. I believe it is most important to fix the underlying problems [[crime, poor schools, lack of community values, and poor city services) first and that once fixed the neighborhoods will come back on their own.

Since the 1980s Detroit voters have passed several bond measures that have renovated or built new Detroit Public Schools - with no significant measurable educational improvement. Shopping centers/strips and stores have been built in the neighborhoods to staunch the outward flow of residents and retail - to no avail. Many such shopping centers have declined greatly in quality or have become abandoned themselves. And let's also not forget the dozens of recently built homes in some areas that now too sit burned-out and abandoned. Decades of simply building it or renovating it hasn't seemed to work for Detroit.

The city's projects that have worked have either displaced the trouble makers to other areas of the city and increasingly the suburbs or diluted the population of original residents. And both of those things [[displacement and dilution) simply move the problems without fixing them.

We're on the same side. I too hope to see the day when Detroit is once again compared with Paris instead of Pripyat.

I am sorry that I am being crabby. Teeth pulled and waiting for dentures. Frankly I am starving, lost 15 # that I don't need to lose. I truly do see the great need. My area kids mean so much to us. I give cooking classes but mostly these kids live on junk food from the area liquor store or gas station. My husband gives piano lessons. So many kids come over and just don't want to go home. It can be heart breaking sometimes. As a community, we have tried very hard to keep people in their homes. Stabilizing neighborhoods is very important.

[sumas]

Kudos Nerd, in a few short paragraphs, you did a good job of summing up city issues. I have so much I could say but just hate feeding the trolls on the board.

Doesn't thrill me that the ice cream truck sells drugs or went to pick kids up for an event and the stench from their home was overwhelming. Half our kids can't read. The corner gas station sells drugs. The car delivery service to the abandoned home of drugs across the street from us, the list could go for days. See I fed the trolls.

I just prefer to focus on the so much good and positives I see. There is a lot of good and positives and in my neighborhood so many contribute to each other and our kids.

PS: I'll try not to be crabby