Nolan Finley: Time to Revive Detroit's Black Bottom

[Hypestyles]

Curious. I wonder what developers and investors would be willing to take on a project[[s) of this scale? Where is the outreach to international [[African and Caribbean, etc.) corporations and investment outfits?

"Recreating Black Bottom — named for its rich, marshy soil and not its residents — on the jail site would also give downtown what it has long needed: a signature tourist district that directly touches the city’s roots, like Music Row in Nashville or Chinatown in San Francisco. It would be a place visitors could find a focus that specifically says Detroit.

Think nightspots offering Motown, jazz, R&B and hip-hop acts. Stores filled with urban fashion, supported by design shops nurturing young creative talent. Art galleries. Soul food restaurants. An experience different than what’s available in any other city.

Such a concentration of black-themed, and hopefully black-owned businesses would also counter the perception that African-Americans are being excluded from downtown’s resurgence.

The idea would not be to segregate businesses in a strip isolated from the rest of downtown, but rather to make the new Black Bottom a destination point for all visitors. At the same time, it could be an incubator for black entrepreneurship that spreads throughout the city.

Proposals for redeveloping the jail site include a soccer stadium and a mixture of office, retail, residential and entertainment. That sounds a whole lot like what the Ilitches have planned for the new Red Wings arena complex."

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opi...ttom/30946651/

[mwilbert]

I suspect there is a way to make use of Detroit's black heritage to help revive the city, but this doesn't seem like a very promising concept--it seems to me likely [[in the unlikely event it happened at all) to turn into a Black Bottom theme park. I'm not sure there is a clientele for that.

[gvidas]

Americans tend to prefer black culture after it's been separated from black people. [[See: Elvis; Hall & Oats; Iggy Azalea; etc)

Solving that problem is a pretty tall order for a Detroit development project. But it'd be awesome if it could happen, without further disenfranchising black Detroiters, and with authentic culture.

[Cliffy]

Nolan Finley threw this garbage out there because his next article will have a racist overtone so now he can tell everyone "Look, I like black people" so you won't call him racist.

[royce]

Wasn't this idea once suggested by some previous city council members and they were vilified by the media for suggesting an area be set aside for "African Town." Go to Bert's Warehouse or Baker's Key Board Lounge or Flood's if you want to experience black culture. It doesn't have to be in one designated spot. I'm surprised that Nolan Finley would even suggest this. He must be mellowing in his old age.

[detroitbob]

I'm surprised that Nolan Finley would even suggest this. He must be mellowing in his old age.

Finley is angling for something, possibly a new job opportunity after the hedge fund that bought out the Detroit News pulls the plug next year. Remaining long time staffers see the handwriting on the door. So does Nolan. He is pimping himself as the open collar nice Grosse Pointe Republican guy, "see I like black folk and even Mexicans" [[as long as they don't live in my 'hood).

[dtowncitylover]

Americans tend to prefer black culture after it's been separated from black people. [[See: Elvis; Hall & Oats; Iggy Azalea; etc)

I wouldn't say that's true. Iggy Azalea isn't as popular as you think she is. I would say "Americans" [[though I think you want to say white Americans) prefer black culture when it's not associated with "thugness" or "gansta" culture. My grandparents were from a different time and while they would never say the n-word and casually supported civil rights from afar, I'm sure they would not have appreciated a black family in the neighborhood. But it was interesting to find Harry Belafonte and Louis Armstrong albums in their collection when they died. So in other words, they like black culture and people when it fits their own cultural normative mindset.

In regards to this idea by white, hetero-normative, male journalist Nolan Finley, what an awful concept. He says the idea is not to "segregate" but it does just that. I fail to see how urban fashion shops are going to be an urban destination point. [[Northland should still be open then, right?). There's nothing wrong with "urban" [[read: black) fashion, but I would think they can exist along side other shops. In fact, most of these places should exist along side other places. There's no need anymore for a Black Bottom. Black Bottom was the black ghetto. Black owned businesses can exist in the mainstream, if they don't already, there's no need to set them aside.

[Honky Tonk]

Wasn't this idea once suggested by some previous city council members and they were vilified by the media for suggesting an area be set aside for "African Town." Go to Bert's Warehouse or Baker's Key Board Lounge or Flood's if you want to experience black culture. It doesn't have to be in one designated spot. I'm surprised that Nolan Finley would even suggest this. He must be mellowing in his old age.

A +5 post if there ever was one. A freakin' "Black Theme Park"? Give me a break. I don't know why everything has to be contrived and served up with Krack Fries and Crap Beer before people participate. I'm going to add John's Carpet House to your list.

[Smirnoff]

Whooze talkin bout crap beer?

[iheartthed]

Kind of hard to rebuild Black Bottom since most of it is now an 8 lane freeway.

[royce]

One thing that I think should be brought back is the street name "Hastings" for the west side of the Chrysler service drive. It would be a small gesture of reconciliation on the city's part for past transgressions. Returning the name Hastings to that side of the freeway only seems fair since James Couzens and Schoolcraft still maintain their names along the Lodge and Jeffries freeways where those freeways took over.

[dtowncitylover]

One thing that I think should be brought back is the street name "Hastings" for the west side of the Chrysler service drive. It would be a small gesture of reconciliation on the city's part for past transgressions. Returning the name Hastings to that side of the freeway only seems fair since James Couzens and Schoolcraft still maintain their names along the Lodge and Jeffries freeways where those freeways took over.

Or if 375 is ever re-developed into a parkway/boulevard, call it the Hastings Parkway/Boulevard.

[masterblaster]

We already have a Black Bottom-type commercial district in Detroit - it is the Seven Mile/Livernois commercial area [[the Avenue of Fashion). Instead of trying to create a fake entertainment district from scratch, why not put any available funding into marketing the Avenue of Fashion, and making infrastructure improvements such as getting rid of the needless median installed by Kilpatrick, widening the sidewalks, installing angled parking along the street, and implementing other similar improvements that could help make it a regional destination.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kuzzos-chick...affles-detroit

http://www.yelp.com/biz/simply-casual-detroit

[p69rrh51]

I wonder where Nolan was going to place the doctors, lawyers, grocers and other assorted small business' that were the backbone of Hastings street/Black Bottom? His article is not very well thought out.

[archfan]

The most successful destination areas - including Greektown and Finley's examples of Music Row and China Town - seem to be the ones that grow organically. I can't think of any artificially designated destination spots that didn't eventually end in lots of empty storefronts.

[KJ5]

So Nolan Finley wrote this in an attempt to make himself look less racist, but only came off as looking more racist?
Ha! I can't stand that guy.

[Hermod]

One thing that I think should be brought back is the street name "Hastings" for the west side of the Chrysler service drive. It would be a small gesture of reconciliation on the city's part for past transgressions. Returning the name Hastings to that side of the freeway only seems fair since James Couzens and Schoolcraft still maintain their names along the Lodge and Jeffries freeways where those freeways took over.

The original name on the concept plans was the "Hastings Freeway"

[mwilbert]

We already have a Black Bottom-type commercial district in Detroit - it is the Seven Mile/Livernois commercial area [[the Avenue of Fashion). Instead of trying to create a fake entertainment district from scratch, why not put any available funding into marketing the Avenue of Fashion, and making infrastructure improvements such as getting rid of the needless median installed by Kilpatrick, widening the sidewalks, installing angled parking along the street, and implementing other similar improvements that could help make it a regional destination.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kuzzos-chick...affles-detroit

http://www.yelp.com/biz/simply-casual-detroit

Leaving out the median-hate and the sidewalk widening [[why? It was wide enough at the height of the Avenue of Fashion.), I would agree with this, except for the obvious and probably insurmountable problem that it is nowhere near the center of redevelopment of the city. The Black Bottom idea, dubious and synthetic as it is, at least would have the prospect of piggybacking on other activities.

[RickBeall]

I think reviving the Avenue of Fashion is a good idea. You already have Bakers at one end. You need to get some other Jazz clubs i nthe near vicinity. And you need a marketing guru, like the Midtown people.

[detroitsgwenivere]

Leaving out the median-hate and the sidewalk widening [[why? It was wide enough at the height of the Avenue of Fashion.), I would agree with this, except for the obvious and probably insurmountable problem that it is nowhere near the center of redevelopment of the city. The Black Bottom idea, dubious and synthetic as it is, at least would have the prospect of piggybacking on other activities.

Then how do we explain the development in the Old Redford area, or the plans in the works at the Fairgrounds? Those sites aren't near any redevelopment, they are the redevelopment.

I would love to see something beautiful in the works for the lower east side, and it is only possible with the involvement of what's left of the community. But as with so many other "great ideas" around here, it will be top down, artificial, and catering to people not even living in that area. Dubious and synthetic, great choice of words.

[mwilbert]

Then how do we explain the development in the Old Redford area, or the plans in the works at the Fairgrounds? Those sites aren't near any redevelopment, they are the redevelopment.

I didn't mean that 7-Livernois couldn't or shouldn't be redeveloped--I've seen some improvement there already. For instance, I remember when there were literally no sit-down restaurants, and now there are some. I meant that it wasn't likely to be a "destination point for all visitors" as described by Finley. It is just too isolated from where the visitors are.

I would love to see something beautiful in the works for the lower east side, and it is only possible with the involvement of what's left of the community. But as with so many other "great ideas" around here, it will be top down, artificial, and catering to people not even living in that area. Dubious and synthetic, great choice of words.

We hope for better things.

[G-DDT]

Nolan Finley threw this garbage out there because his next article will have a racist overtone so now he can tell everyone "Look, I like black people" so you won't call him racist.

True. It's a pattern that's overlooked by others, but not by some of us.

[G-DDT]

Whooze talkin bout crap beer?

Tasted like what I would imagine sweat coming out of the costume of Barney the Dinosaur would taste like.

[Honky Tonk]

Then how do we explain the development in the Old Redford area, or the plans in the works at the Fairgrounds? Those sites aren't near any redevelopment, they are the redevelopment.

I would love to see something beautiful in the works for the lower east side, and it is only possible with the involvement of what's left of the community. But as with so many other "great ideas" around here, it will be top down, artificial, and catering to people not even living in that area. Dubious and synthetic, great choice of words.

Every neighborhood has a future, it's just not the time for yours.