Monroe Block Development

Very nice. I hope it happens. I love the thought of new residential and retail space coming to the area. Like that some of the parking would be underground. As much as possible, please. And the variety of new outdoor/green spaces -- both public and private.

I do wish they'd preserve and restore the entire National Theater though, not just the facade. With the talk of Aretha still wanting to open a club wouldn't it be great if those stars could align?

And I hope they design those sloped roofs with Detroit snow, ice, and wind in mind. I'm reminded of the problems they have of snow and ice falling from the similarly sloped roof of the Bank of America building in NYC. It's a great benefit to be able to learn from other people's mistakes. :)

http://www.businessinsider.com/ice-f...ilding-2013-12

I'm not sure exactly what goes on up there, but you can see an image of the Bank of America building in NYC and its similarly sloped roof here.

Chelis Chili Bar, next to Comerica Park, will close on November 24, 2018.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/en...24/1992440002/

I believe the building is still owned by Ilitch, which will add another vacant building to their portfolio.

This is so very sad....

http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/loca...rr-passes-away

WHAT:
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the City of Detroit will host an open house-style public meeting to provide an overview of the M-5 (Grand River Avenue) project that includes a road diet between M-39 (Southfield Freeway) and Berg Road, east of US-24 (Telegraph Road). This project will convert seven lanes to five lanes with defined on-street parking and possible bike lanes. There will be an opportunity for the community and residents to reviewproject details and locations, provide comments and concerns, and ask questions.

WHO:
MDOT staff
City of Detroit (Neighborhoods, and Planning and Development Department)
Project consultants
Residents and interested stakeholders

WHEN:
Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Brief presentation at 6 p.m.

WHERE:
Crowell Community Center
16630 Lahser Road
Detroit

Accommodations can be made for persons with disabilities and limited English-speaking ability. Large print materials, auxiliary aids or the services of interpreters, signers, or readers available upon request. Please call 517-335-4381.

BACKGROUND:
MDOT and the City of Detroit have partnered to implement this $12 million project on M-5 (Grand River Avenue) that includes resurfacing, sidewalks, and water main work between M-39 and Berg Road, and streetscaping in two sections,from Cooley Street to McNichols Road and from Evergreen Road to Glastonbury Road.
Project area: https://bit.ly/2P7Iszt

The final layout of the roadway cross section has not been determined; the design phase is just beginning. MDOT and the City of Detroit are seeking community feedback to determine the final roadway cross section. Further design community review meetings will be held in early 2019 and construction is planned for summer 2019.

Information on previous community meetings and City of Detroit neighborhood planning in the Grand River Northwest corridor can be found at www.detroitmi.gov/northwest.

Much has been said about the decline of inner-ring suburbs in Detroit. Most of it is true- Eastpointe, Melvindale, Harper Woods, Garden City, etc. just aren't what they used to be. Outside of Dearborn and GP, nearly every inner ring suburb is declining. Allen Park might be a notable exception. It's not doing bad or great- it's doing fine.

Allen Park's stable position is best viewed when compared with its neighbor, Lincoln Park. Lincoln Park has two leveled shopping centers, dying retail corridors, and dilapidated housing in the northern sections. LP, it's worth mentioning, has a school district that's fallen off a cliff in the past few years. Carr and Hoover schools, which are closer to Wyandotte, remain fine; the rest are looking worse by the day.

It's also worth mentioning that Allen Park, while not bordering the city of Detroit, has a lot in common with other 1950s built inner ring communities such as Lincoln Park, Redford, and Eastpointe. It probably has more in common with these communities than Melvindale, which has its roots in housing Rouge plant workers in sided bungalows.

Allen Park is not a growing or thriving suburb by any means (as much of the population is getting older and dying out), but there isn't much evidence to say it's declining. The city remains composed of small, well-kept brick homes on tree lined streets. Shopping options on "The Hill" are plentiful and are growing. Ford and other engineering companies maintain white-collar offices in the city. Perhaps the most interesting part of Allen Park's relative stability is its school district. Allen Park High School is second-best to only Woodhaven High School in mainland Downriver.

Allen Park also remains stubbornly white. The city has gone from 95% white in 2000, to 92% in 2010, to 87% now. Melvindale has dropped from 87% to 57% in that time, and LP from 93% to 70%. The school district, which in inner ring suburbs is usually less white than the city itself, is 87% white. Even the hispanic population, which is surging in Melvindale and LP, is just 9%.

Overall, AP has resisted the downward trend of other inner-ring communities. The question, of course, is why?

Ferris State has won a shot at the Division II national football championship in a story that also features a redemption of Cass Tech's Jayru Campbell who once seemed headed to a life of prison. He blew a MSU scholarship, barely avoided prison and began his climb back by leading a junior college to a national championship.