Small amount of shopping in Detroit means small amount of interest
Adam Krause
Contributing columnist
Detroit is a great American city, and I say it with the utmost sincerity. It is undeniably one of the major factors in the United States’ industrial development throughout the 1900’s. In 2004, however, with the loss of manufacturing jobs across the nation, Detroit is may be starting to see that the future of this city includes more than heavy industry. New corporate ventures and shopping centers must be established.
The move of the Compusoft headquarters to Detroit was a great way to bring more jobs--and thus, more taxpayers--to the city of Detroit. Unfortunately, many workers in Detroit are still commuters, and although there exists the city tax, these people spend little time or money in the city. Indeed, if you ask many people, they still have little hope for Detroit’s future. But negative thoughts only beget negative outcomes; Detroit still has a great future ahead of itself, if only it can unify the city government. The Detroit News Web site recognizes that, "The Detroit City Council has been an obstructionist institution for more than 20 years, acting more as an impediment . . . than a partner in solving Detroit's many problems."
Great, new attractions like our three casinos, Comerica Park, and Ford Field have brought a new and exciting feel to Detroit, but often times the council is in disagreement about how to best proceed with future projects. Luckily, the city has secured their bid on the 2006 Super Bowl, but the city government is scrambling to cover up the eyesores in the city. The magnitude of problem has perhaps never been so highlighted until now. It is reminiscent of a child boasting of his abilities to his peers, only to be humiliated when given the chance to prove it. The Detroit city government realizes that Super Bowl XXXVI is their big chance to prove themselves, but we can only hope that they succeed in competing with the big boys.
In order for our city to sustain itself and blossom into a newer, more attractive city, the Mayor and Council must inevitably integrate more commercial opportunities into its existing economy. Doing a quick Yahoo! search for information on Detroit, one finds discouraging-but-true statements. ". . . Shopping is not as scarce as it once was downtown. These days, however, you can get the best bang for your buck in nearby suburbs, such as Birmingham, Royal Oak, and Troy." Not only does Detroit lack proper shopping, but many of its own residents shop in the suburbs because they have few choices in the city. And with the development of the Greektown Casino, we saw Trapper’s Alley transformed into a place where unemployed factory workers could blow their pensions and severance pay in hope of winning it big. Outside of this, little shopping remains.
Commercial space should not be a problem in Detroit, when one can drive down Woodward to the site of vacant shops. The city wants to build new hotels, but what of the old Detroit Train Station and Hotel on Michigan Avenue? As the city favors new developments, there still remain countless numbers of decaying buildings that could either be renovated to retro glory, or demolished to make way for new projects. Indeed, the city should try starting its renovations from the center of the city and move outward, or else the city may once again become a scattered landscape of hard-to-reach attractions.
When one looks at it, it is hard to blame anyone in particular for Detroit’s current situation. In the past, industrial production was needed and Detroit supplied it. It was hard to see down the road to the day when new technologies and markets would open, and perhaps the city government did the best it could with its limited foresight. But instead of dwelling on the mistakes of the past, we should all start hoping and planning for the future.