Detnews: BCBS Moving 3,000 Downtown from Southfield

[Lowell]

Soylent Green ... Robbing Peter to pay Paul ... I see Detroit as that contiguous international metropolis we see from satellite. Like it or not we are bound together and rearranging the chess pieces on the same board is hardly cause for celebration.

3000 jobs move from Comerica Dallas to Rencen. Now that's news.

[East Detroit]

I see Detroit as that contiguous international metropolis we see from satellite.

Great in theory, however, we instituted political boundaries that keep the metropolis from sharing all taxes and services as one community. So, kids in Detroit have a poor "State education" and kids in Grosse Pointe have a great "State education." All while the metropolitan population stays steady and people shift from one political/incorporated entity to another.

So, shuffling more money into the bona fide center of the Metropolis that others see as representative of the whole metropolitan area bolsters the external view and bolsters the internal pride.

The City of Detroit should be the centerpiece of the metropolis. That is where the DIA is, the Historical Museum is, the sports venues, the business and financial centers [[should be), etc.

It is embarrassing and demoralizing to have a metropolitan area where the centerpiece is in "ruins."

Going "downtown" for entertainment, dining, shopping... should mean one place, not 30.

[Focus313]

Going "downtown" for entertainment, dining, shopping... should mean one place, not 30.

This is so true, and it applies to living here as well. when I meet people from either the suburbs or from another state and I tell them I "Live Downtown" they always have one of two reactions...

1) oh that's great....which city?

or

2) complete shock and horror

We should all be routing for one outcome; a healthy vibrant downtown, no matter what the rest of the city does. Eventually that prosperity will transform both the city itself and the mentality that Detroit is hopeless.

[bartock]

Great in theory, however, we instituted political boundaries that keep the metropolis from sharing all taxes and services as one community. So, kids in Detroit have a poor "State education" and kids in Grosse Pointe have a great "State education." All while the metropolitan population stays steady and people shift from one political/incorporated entity to another.

So, shuffling more money into the bona fide center of the Metropolis that others see as representative of the whole metropolitan area bolsters the external view and bolsters the internal pride.

The City of Detroit should be the centerpiece of the metropolis. That is where the DIA is, the Historical Museum is, the sports venues, the business and financial centers [[should be), etc.

It is embarrassing and demoralizing to have a metropolitan area where the centerpiece is in "ruins."

Going "downtown" for entertainment, dining, shopping... should mean one place, not 30.

Probably a new thread topic, but just for starters since redistribution began in 1994 and then choice of schools, I must be missing something. Is the school mess really about $$?

[bailey]

Probably a new thread topic, but just for starters since redistribution began in 1994 and then choice of schools, I must be missing something. Is the school mess really about $$?

not matter how much is seized from suburban districts to drop in Reverand Murry's lap, it will never be enough.

[DanFromDetroit]

Huggybear, great post.



Out-of-state flight of young couples and families is also hurting the region. Detroit's loss of population is dramatic and unprecedented but there are far too many For Sale signs in western Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Some of the young people who head for the Chicago metro, the Sun Belt, and elsewhere for jobs may return one day to raise their kids, but not enough of them are doing so right now.

I'm one of these [[reluctant) transplants. I got my BSEE from LTU in Southfield and after 6 years of shifting from power to automotive to steel [[one step ahead of layoffs/downsizing) I realized that it was time for a change. I couldn't ignore the out-of-state recruitment calls anymore. I've been gone for 3 years with a steady job and no snow! But even with all that, I desperately want to move back but I can't find a good justification for it. If I were one of these BCBS workers though, I'd be disappointed with the move downtown. Southfield is a relatively easy city to access from the surrounding suburbs. It's relatively safe and there's no city income tax! Sure the river walk is nice but is it worth 1.25% of my yearly salary...

[Huggybear]

Anyone notice that as of today, there are huge BCBS banners [[or window "skins") now hanging on the north side of 500 and 600?

[Wintersmommy]

Anyone notice that as of today, there are huge BCBS banners [[or window "skins") now hanging on the north side of 500 and 600?

yeap it goes over my office window

[Huggybear]

What does that look like from inside?

yeap it goes over my office window

[DTWflyer]

Interesting that BCBS will be getting most of Tower 500 & 600, considering they are still mostly all occupied.

EDS still has a number of floors in 500 and Deloitte has over half of 600.
I know Deloitte was interesting in moving/expanding their space, which now I think they may be moving into one of the other towers [[100-400) into some of the space vacated by GM.