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Axios Detroit
New director shares his vision for U of M's innovation center
The U of M Center for Innovation being built downtown has a new director who is already planning the graduate and workforce development programs that will be offered when it opens in 2027.Why it matters: The $250 million facility has a lot of hopes riding on it β it's been pitched as a catalyst for more development in the District Detroit, as well as an economic driver.Driving the news: We spoke this week with UMCI director Scott Shireman, who started the job Jan. 1 to help fulfill U of M's new mission around building accessible careers.Starting in May, residents can...
City leaders respond to District Detroit delay
Since District Detroit developers delayed construction of their 17-story office building, city leaders have reacted with a mix of understanding, optimism and a touch of "I told you so."Why it matters: Previous development plans around Little Caesars Arena have a history of delays and unmet promises.State of play: The city is banking on the $1.5 billion megadevelopment from the Ilitches' Olympia Development and billionaire Stephen Ross' Related Cos. to help downtown grow and attract new businesses.The office building has been put on hold due to ββdifficulty financing office space.Between the lines: Given the Ilitches' reputation for overpromising and underdelivering, some...
Things to do this weekend in Detroit: March 29-31
This weekend, you can watch some March Madness, cheer on the Michigan Panthers or listen to live music at an art show.Here's what's happening:π Little Caesars Arena hosts the NCAA Tournament's men's Midwest regional, Friday through Sunday.Sparty and Oakland fans might want to stay home β nosebleed seats start at $212.π¦ Bob Marley's sons, Grammy award-winning brothers Damian "Jr Gong" Marley and Stephen "Ragga" Marley, will perform their own catalogs and a medley of their father's classics Friday night at The Fillmore.Tickets start at $60.π The Michigan Panthers are back at Ford Field on Saturday for Week 1 of the UFL's inaugural season.Tickets start at $22.π₯ NSFW: The music and art show Saturday at The Riverside Detroit features art from local artists Bre'ann White and Bakpak Durden, with performances from host Rob Apollo, John Fm, Ziggy Waters, $cottib, Nova Blu and more.Tickets are available online for $12.65 until Friday.π₯ The Corktown music festival begins on Good Friday and continues through Sunday at Corktown Tavern, Gaelic League, Batch Brewing Company and Nancy Whiskey.Free!Sign up for Axios Detroit for free.
Sizing up Whitmer's 2026 replacement
Speculation reignited over potential successors to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after Pete Buttigieg appeared open to the idea at an Axios event last week.Why it matters: Michigan has elected two Republicans and two Democrats since the turn of the century. Should another Democrat succeed the term-limited Whitmer, Democrats would maintain their longest hold on the governor's office since the 1960s.Taking back the governor's office will be instrumental if Republicans want to undo Democratic gains made by the party's first trifecta in almost 40 years.The intrigue: There are several officeholders whose names have been floated as possible Democratic primary candidates in 2026:...
Detroit House Hunting: Waterfront proximity in Jefferson Chalmers
The asking price just got slashed by $15,000 on this four-bedroom colonial in Jefferson Chalmers.Welcome back to our recurring local real estate spotlight.Why it matters: The east-side neighborhood is known for its historic and natural beauty, with waterfront parks, boat launches and places to fish nearby.577 Chalmers St., $219,900State of play: Flooring in the living areas and bedrooms was updated a few years ago, and the kitchen has been renovated with granite countertops, newer cabinets and lighting.The primary bedroom has a balcony overlooking the backyard and a concrete patio for outdoor entertaining. Kitchen upgrades include newer cabinets and lighting. Between the lines: Jefferson Chalmers is a great place if you like to get on the water, but it's known to be flood-prone.City officials have been working on solutions, Outlier reports, including the water department's Basement Backup Protection Program.π Joe's thought bubble: Most home purchases carry risks β few scarier than potential flooding β but this opportunity to live near the water at a discount is worth a look.Sign up for Axios Detroit for free.
Good Chinese takeout in Detroit on Jefferson
π€ Howdy, fellow lazies. Sam here.If you're like me and never feel like making food, finding a consistent Chinese takeout spot is essential.Dig in: Pekin Pavillion on Jefferson serves large portions of American-style Chinese food for a bargain, at least in 2024 money.I ordered sesame chicken, fried rice and an egg roll ($10.95) and six crab Rangoon ($8.25).What to expect: The food usually takes a while. I probably waited 15 minutes in the dingy waiting room on the other side of the kitchen. But the food made up for it.The sesame sauce was sweet and tangy and the rice was soft and pleasant.But the real star was the crab Rangoon. Hot, fresh and filled with creamy imitation crab and cheese β they're my favorite anywhere outside of Chicago's Chinatown. Pekin PavillionState of play: Pekin Pavillion is across from Nicky D's on Jefferson near Belle Isle.If you go: Open daily from 11:30am to 10pm at 6905. E Jefferson Ave.Not to be confused with Peking Express, which is two minutes up the road.Sign up for Axios Detroit for free.
Detroit's Diarra Kilpatrick stars in new BET+ mystery
"Diarra From Detroit," a new show on BET+, could follow "Sister, Sister" and "Martin" as the next hit Black comedy series set in Detroit.Why it matters: Detroit native Diarra Kilpatrick is the show's creator, executive producer, writer and star, Axios' Maxwell Millington reports.Prior to this series, Kilpatrick was a comedy writer and had recurring roles in HBO's "Perry Mason" and Tracy Morgan's sitcom "The Last O.G."Zoom in: Kilpatrick's artistic background started at Bates Academy. She was part of the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit and went to high school at Detroit Country Day.What they're saying: Kilpatrick told Axios about capturing...
Detroit's Diarra Kilpatrick stars in new BET+ mystery
"Diarra From Detroit," a new show on BET+, could follow "Sister, Sister" and "Martin" as the next hit Black comedy series set in Detroit.Why it matters: Detroit native Diarra Kilpatrick is the show's creator, executive producer, writer and star, Axios' Maxwell Millington reports.Prior to this series, Kilpatrick was a comedy writer and had recurring roles in HBO's "Perry Mason" and Tracy Morgan's sitcom "The Last O.G."Zoom in: Kilpatrick's artistic background started at Bates Academy. She was part of the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit and went to high school at Detroit Country Day.What they're saying: Kilpatrick told Axios about capturing...
Detroit back to investment-grade credit rating
Detroit's debt has received an "investment grade" rating for the first time in 15 years.The big picture: Since its bankruptcy more than a decade ago, the city has been moving notch by notch toward investment status using conservative spending practices to get the city's finances back in order.Driving the news: Moody's Investors Service upgraded the city's bond rating two notches to "Baa2" on Friday.Context: The ratings depict the quality of a government's debt β or how likely the city is to be able to repay that debt without defaulting on it.A lower rating means buying the city's "junk" bonds is...
Detroit flight departure times improving
Data: Bureau of Transportation Statistics; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosAlmost 88% of flights out of DTW departed on time in December.Zoom out: Nationwide, more than 83% of domestic flights departed on time last December, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report from the latest Transportation Department data.That's a big upswing compared with December 2022, when Southwest Airlines' epic meltdown dragged the industrywide average down to about 70% for the month.The bottom line: DTW's annual departure performance has been slightly better than the national average in each of the last five years.Sign up for Axios Detroit for free.
Detroit back to investment-grade credit rating
Detroit's debt has received an "investment grade" rating for the first time in 15 years.The big picture: Since its bankruptcy more than a decade ago, the city has been moving notch by notch toward investment status using conservative spending practices to get the city's finances back in order.Driving the news: Moody's Investors Service upgraded the city's bond rating two notches to "Baa2" on Friday.Context: The ratings depict the quality of a government's debt β or how likely the city is to be able to repay that debt without defaulting on it.A lower rating means buying the city's "junk" bonds is...
Detroit flight departure times improving
Data: Bureau of Transportation Statistics; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosAlmost 88% of flights out of DTW departed on time in December.Zoom out: Nationwide, more than 83% of domestic flights departed on time last December, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report from the latest Transportation Department data.That's a big upswing compared with December 2022, when Southwest Airlines' epic meltdown dragged the industrywide average down to about 70% for the month.The bottom line: DTW's annual departure performance has been slightly better than the national average in each of the last five years.Sign up for Axios Detroit for free.
New bus service connects DTW to downtown
A new bus route taking riders from downtown to DTW started Monday.One-way tickets are available online for $6, or $8 at the door.Why it matters: Taking about 30 minutes, the service is the fastest, most direct bus service from the city to DTW and vice versa.Driving the news: The Regional Transit Authority's Detroit Air Xpress (DAX) runs daily from 3:30am to 11pm.There are 16 round trips available each day with stops at both the McNamara and Evans airport terminals, as well Washington Boulevard and State Street, which is blocks away from the Rosa Parks Transit Center downtown.Between the lines: The route begins weeks ahead of the NFL Draft, which is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to downtown April 25-27.Travelers will ride in a luxury coach bus that includes WiFi, charging ports and luggage storage.Sign up for Axios Detroit for free.
Oakland's March Madness run ends, but memories endure
Oakland's brief yet unforgettable NCAA Tournament run is what March basketball is all about.Why it matters: The Golden Grizzlies captured the nation's adoration as they flirted with the Sweet 16, eventually losing to NC State Saturday in overtime.Between the lines: The underdog Grizzlies had the elements of a March Madness Cinderella story: A veteran coach reaching career heights, a star in Trey Townsend whose parents played at Oakland and an unheralded sharpshooter, Jack Gohlke, whose 10 three-pointers helped bury No. 3 Kentucky in the first round.Context: It was Oakland's best season ever, the Detroit News declared.The Grizzlies won regular-season and...
Celebrating Aretha Franklin's birthday
The legendary Queen of Soul was born on this day in 1942.To commemorate, we're bringing some facts you may not know about the "voice of Detroit," who died in 2018.πΊπΈ Franklin sang at three presidents' inaugurations, as well as the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr., according to the Detroit Historical Society.βοΈ She developed an intense fear of flying after a bout of high turbulence in the 1980s and even took a class to try to overcome it, per Biography.com. She took buses instead of planes.π¬ Franklin hung around with friends in the North End growing up in the 1950s, going to the Echo Theatre and a sweets shop at Oakland and Belmont, according to the Detroit News.π€ She gave many an inspiring quote, including when she told Elle magazine: "In terms of helping people understand and know each other a little better, music is universal β universal and transporting." Left photo: Franklin performs at MotorCity Casino's Sound Board Theater in 2013. Right photo: Franklin recording at Columbia Studios in 1962 in New York. Photos: Scott Legato/Wire Image via Getty and Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesSign up for Axios Detroit for free.
Podcast explores Whitmer kidnap plot
A new true-crime podcast examines the 2020 plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, backed with three years of reporting and "hundreds of hours of never-before-heard audio."The big picture: Hosted by journalists Ken Bensinger and Jessica Garrison, "The Michigan Plot" centers on one big question: Did this group of men devise an organized, credible plot, or were they disorganized stoners who were egged on by informants?State of play: Through in-depth interviews and FBI informant recordings, the reporters go deep into the lives of far-right Wolverine Watchmen militia members who were involved.The seven-part series' final episode was released this month.Catch up quick:...
Angelo Colina upends the comedy scene ahead of Detroit show
U.S. Latino comedians have largely become successful by performing in English. But Venezuelan comic Angelo Colina is flipping the narrative by selling out shows and drawing a massive online following with his entirely Spanish-language sets.Why it matters: Colina's show is coming to Detroit at 9:30pm April 5 at the House of Comedy on Woodward Avenue.The big picture: The 29-year-old's surging popularity of comes as demand for Spanish-language content grows, Axios' Kim BojoΜrquez reports.The U.S. is home to the second-largest population of Spanish speakers in the world.Of those in Metro Detroit who speak a language other than English at home, nearly...
March Madness: Oakland makes history, stuns Kentucky
The underdog Oakland Golden Grizzlies vanquished Kentucky in a March Madness thriller Thursday night, 80-76, advancing to the NCAA Tournament's second round for the first time in school history. Why it matters: By outplaying a Kentucky team stacked with NBA prospects, Oakland looks poised for an even deeper tournament run.What they're saying: "We wanted this stage and our kids came through," coach Greg Kampe told CBS after the game. "We win all close games ... that's all we said in the huddle."Between the lines: Guard Jack Gohlke shot the lights out, scoring 32 points on 10-for-20 shooting from three.The big picture: Oakland joined Michigan State in victory Thursday.The Spartans crushed Mississippi State, 69-51, setting up a showdown at 5:30pm Saturday against No. 1-seeded North Carolina on CBS.What's next: Oakland's next game is Saturday, too, at 7:10pm against NC State on TBS.Sign up for Axios Detroit for free.
Rite Aid on Woodward is latest Midtown retail closure
Longtime customers are questioning the closure of a Rite Aid on a busy stretch of Woodward Avenue.Why it matters: Next month's scheduled closure means many Midtown residents, some who get around on foot or via public transportation, will have to travel farther for small groceries and prescriptions.The store has been serving residents in the area for nearly 20 years.State of play: Customers have until March 25 to use its pharmacy β the store is set to close entirely on April 21, and there already are plenty of empty shelves.What they're saying: Above the Rite Aid in the Albert Kahn building...
Rite Aid on Woodward is latest Midtown retail closure
Longtime customers are questioning the closure of a Rite Aid on a busy stretch of Woodward Avenue.Why it matters: Next month's scheduled closure means many Midtown residents, some who get around on foot or via public transportation, will have to travel farther for small groceries and prescriptions.The store has been serving residents in the area for nearly 20 years.State of play: Customers have until March 25 to use its pharmacy β the store is set to close entirely on April 21, and there already are plenty of empty shelves.What they're saying: Above the Rite Aid in the Albert Kahn building...
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