| Detroit Renaissance |
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Information AboutDetroit Renaissance |
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A decade of changed planning preceded the City of Detroit 's transition to the new century. In order to attract residential and commercial development, planners devised a strategy of investing in the Riverfront , the downtown, natural landscapes, and the east side as a catalyst to improve the Motor City's image and stimulate its economy.Bailey, Ruby L (August 22, 2007). The D is a draw: Most suburbanites are repeat visitors.''Detroit Free Press''. New Detroit Free Press-Local 4 poll conducted by Selzer and Co., finds, "nearly two-thirds of residents of suburban Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties say they at least occasionally dine, attend cultural events or take in professional games in Detroit." Retrieved on August 22, 2007. The plan included the addition of three casino resorts. As a result, the city is experiencing a significant increase in development. Historic structures are being refurbished into residential high rises and hotels. In 1967, following the , Max M. Fisher , and Alfred Taubman which actively facilitated urban development in Detroit. Detroit Renaissance . Retrieved on July 24, 2007. DETROIT RENAISSANCE (2008).]] ''Detroit Renaissance'' was founded by business leaders in 1970 to facilitate solutions and urban development. It is currently chaired by William Clay Ford and Comerica CEO Ralph Babb. Its board includes Dennis Archer , former Detroit Mayor and Michigan Supreme Court Justice, four university presidents including Mary Sue Coleman , and others. Detroit Renaissance has a long list of accomplishments and has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in development for the city. It is at the center of a nexus of organizations formed for the city's recent redevelopment which include the ''Detroit Riverfront Conservancy''. Detroit Renaissance accomplishments . Retrieved on July 24, 2007. In 1970, Henry Ford II conceived of a Renaissance Center as way to stem the tide of White Flight from the city. The group announced the first phase of construction in 1971 . In the 1970s, Detroit Mayor Roman Gribbs touted the project as "a complete rebuilding from bridge to bridge," referring to the area between the Ambassador Bridge that connected Detroit to Windsor, Canada and the MacArthur Bridge, which connects the city with Belle Isle Park. The ''city within a city'' began to rise. The first tower opened on July 1 , 1976 . Compiled. How the Renaissance Center changed the landscape of Detroit Rearview Mirror, ''The Detroit News''. Retrieved on July 24, 2007. Former Mayor Roman Gibb's call for a complete rebuilding from ''"bridge to bridge"'' would however come to fruition much later. A study, commissioned by Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick , recommended the formation of the ''Detroit Riverfront Conservancy'', incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization. It has raised hundreds of millions of dollars that have been needed to develop and manage Detroit's riverfront. The International Riverfront area ranges from the Ambassador Bridge to Belle Isle in downtown Detroit , Michigan encompassing a multitude of parks, restaurants, retail shops, skyscrapers, and high rise residential areas along the Detroit River . The city's former mayor in the 1990s, Mayor Dennis Archer , a former Michigan Supreme Court Justice, supported a plan to add casinos as a catalyst for development in City of Detroit. Initially, Archer's plan was for a casino cluster along the east riverfront.McWhirter, Cameron and Darren A. Nichols (December 13, 2002). Hurdles will test riverfront vision. ''Detroit News''. After a prolonged court case over the bidding process, the City of Detroit made headway with new casino resorts open for 2008. The plan would change as the city decided instead to have the a promenade of parks along the International Riverfront to spur residential development, thus freeing the casinos to anchor developments in other areas of downtown. A decade of planning and rendering have paid off with the many new developments underway.Saha, Paula (February 13, 1996). University and Detroit leaders collaborate for a better city ''University Record'' - University of Michigan News and Information Service. Retrieved on July 26, 2007. The plan has been expensive. In 2002, a major rennovation of the historic and Cadillac Square Park . The plans have produced new top notch downtown stadiums and a rebuilt freeway system used to showcase the city for Super Bowl XL . With $1.6 billion in construction projects in 2004, the rapid pace of development in the city prompted construction of a $30 million cement terminal. Concrete Monthly (October 2005). Lafarge's new cement terminal is an important part of Detroit's revitalization . Retrieved on July 24, 2007. City management A new master plan draft prepared in 2004 has the city composed of ten clusters of neighborhoods and commercial districts. The plan revealed that Detroit has many growing neighborhoods with youth population increases of greater than ten percent within each cluster, while also showing that larger youth population losses were focused in certain areas, providing support for the concept of focused redevelopment and smart planning. City of Detroit - March 2004 Master Plan Draft Executive Summary , p. 4. In addition to increased business investment, the city's revitalization has been focused on retaining young professionals. The Mayor has targeted two of the city's most blighted neighborhoods, Brightmore and Northend, for complete redevelopment. Grand River/Greenfield and Osbourne neighborhoods have been considered secondary priorities.Bello, Marisol, (March 13, 2007). Reclaiming the neighborhood series ''Detroit Free Press''. Retrieved on July 24, 2007. Quality of life initiatives including the revitalization of parks, residential units, new construction, and historic renovations are at the forefront of the city's plan to accelerate redevelopment across the city. For instance, in 2004, the city added a wave of hundreds of new residential units to its downtown area. Sharoff, Robert (January 30, 2005). National Perspectives: Waves of Renovations Helping Downtown Detroit . ''New York Times''. Retrieved on July 24, 2007. Under Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's administration, the city's streamlined government has a balanced budget and is seeing new growth in business and tourism. Mayor Kwami Kilpatrick (April 12, 2006). Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Explains Budget Plan ''WDIV ClickonDetroit.com'' The city's balanced budget has opened to opportunities for the use surplus funds for demolition and revitalization of neighborhoods without having to pursue a debt option. Since 2000, the city has seen continuous annual increases in tax revenues from its casinos with the city estimated to collect $178,250,000 in casino taxes alone for 2007, with the casino resorts opening in 2008. City of Detroit General Fund -Percent Change in major Revenue Sources . ''City of Detroit 2006-07 Budget'' Progress sometimes emerges from political struggles. In 2000, the city requested an investigation by the United States Justice Department into the Detroit Police Department which was concluded in 2003 over allegations regarding its use of force and civil rights violations. Quarterly Status Report to the Independent Federal Monitor . ''Detroit Police Department'' Retrieved on April 8, 2007. Despite the critics, the city proceeded with a major reorganization of the Detroit Police Department; simply put, the city seized the opportunity to trim its budget saving $20,000,000.Lin, Judy and David Joser, (August 30, 2005). Detroit to trim 150 cops, precincts . ''Detroit News''. Retrieved on July 24, 2007. Savings from the Mayor's strategy toward downsizing and reorganization of the police department, as well as new tax revenues, has created a climate where the city has greater flexibility for accelerated revitalization. The Mayor's confidence that an accelerated pace of development will pay off has nevertheless gained attention. PARTIAL LIST OF NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS was renovated into a residential high rise with retail in 2004 .]] Old buildings in the city are being transformed into Lofts , Condominiums , and luxury high rise residential units at an accelerated pace along with new Townhouse construction.
Many more projects are in the process of planning/rendering and this is all helping bring back more residents to the city.Tweh, Bodeya and Jewel Gopwani (June 14, 2007). 8 Mile Woodward mall plan gets a boost. ''Detroit Free Press.'' HISTORIC RENOVATIONS These are some of the multi-million dollar renovations that have been or will be completed by 2008-09:
These renovations are bringing back more luxury hotels to downtown such as Hilton, Westin, Double-Tree, and four seasons. Some of these hotels have been out of the city for nearly three decades, but a new wave of development is once again attracting them. These projects are attracting corporate headqaurters, offices, and retail. CITY ENHANCEMENTS Projects are happening all around Detroit to enhance landscaping, parks, plazas, and playgrounds.
Casino resorts Since 1996, Detroit's casinos have seen steady increases in revenue. Expansion plans for the casino resorts are scheduled to be completed in 2008. Detroit is the largest city and metro area to offer casino resorts. As of August 2007, Detroit had the fifth-largest gaming market in the United States while its three resorts were spending a combined $1.1 billion in renovations and construction to attract new customers.http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2007/08/22/2881422.htm - MGM Grand Detroit Casino- 2007. - MotorCity Casino - 2007. - Greektown Casino - 2008. NOTES REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING EXTERNAL LINKS |
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