While no one expects this one action to single-handedly turn around the City of Detroit, it could signal an important turning point for Motown:
As Detroit waits to hear whether Quicken Loans founder and boss Dan Gilbert will move his headquarters and some 5,000 employees downtown, many leaders talk of a tipping point at which the downtown revival of recent years would really take off.
But those same civic and business leaders admit that, even if Gilbert relocates to Detroit from the suburbs, downtown's revival remains a long-term goal, not a short-term promise.
Creating that more vibrant downtown will take a lot more work, said Matt Cullen, head of economic development for General Motors and cochairman of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, which is building the new RiverWalk.
"We are kind of at the end of the beginning," Cullen said. "It's approaching a tipping point, but it's very fragile. I think there's all kinds of excitement and emotion around it, but it's still hard."
Kate Beebe, president of the newly formed Eastern Market Corp. and a longtime downtown planner, agreed.
"We really have to stay on task to make sure these things get done that we've started," she said. "We have to constantly work to reinforce what's there, because it won't just happen on its own."
But downtown still sports too many empty buildings, vacant storefronts and blocks mostly devoid of pedestrians. A relocation by Quicken, also known by its local brand name Rock Financial, would help. But more must be done, according to political, corporate and nonprofit participants in the rebuilding process.
Good. People should be excited about all the progress that's been made in Detroit in recent years. Clearly, this citywide turnaround won't just happen on it's own -- that's where organizations like the Trust Fund come in.
While business development is obviously a big part of the city's revitalization plan, affordable housing obviously needs to be part of the solution as well:
Besides daytime office workers, downtown needs more residents, too.
Downtown has enjoyed an influx of residents in recent years as projects like the Kales Building and the Lofts at Merchants Row opened. But the gains have been modest.
"Unfortunately, this housing crisis has really slowed things," said Ray Parker, a downtown property broker. "Until the population increases downtown, we will be short of what's needed to maintain the little retail we have now and support the restaurants."
If you get a chance, go read the whole article.
Again, while Detroit's turnaround isn't going to happen overnight, it's still encouraging to see positive press like this. Here's hoping we see even more in the future.