The future of Detroit is from the ground up, not top down (Lincoln Park: apartments, insurance)

[Cleverfield]

Originally Posted by Ivorytickler

But there's nothing to keep growers in the city. What makes sense is growing locally so this would have little impact on the city.

Cheap land would be incentive. Maybe some tax breaks as well. You've got to start somewhere.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by citylover89

The marijuana industry was reaching and maybe wishful thinking on my part .

The problem is what would Detroit manufacture? A lot of the auto plants moved overseas long time ago. Companies have little reason to provide decent wages. From a business standpoint, many national companies outsource highly skilled positions to Michigan because they can pay cheaper wages. Many other industries are not realistic as economic drivers because other cities are better for them (IT, tourism, entertainment). The bankruptcy and resulting investment in the downtown area is bringing economic vitality to Detroit but I am not sure if it will be long term.

If smart car technology becomes solid, maybe Detroit can get some boost from that? However, the type of jobs that would be created require a lot of education which...would not be accessible to most Detroiters. I wish more money could be put into the education system there, which is a disaster. Something that brings jobs to a city is foreign investment. Detroit does not have much of that.

I thought that Detroit had potential when it came to the movie industry but that seems to be moot now because a law was signed ending incentives regarding that.

Snyder's signature means lights out for Michigan film incentives

It's certainly not where it was back in the early 90's, but the manufacturing industry has added back 100,000 jobs to the Detroit metro economy in just the last 5 years. West Michigan has added 30,000 manufacturing jobs. Almost every week I read of another manufacturer in West Michigan expanding, many of which ship their products overseas now or are actual international companies (many German owned).

Southern states are tripping over each other and giving massive tax incentives to get manufacturers to build there, because they know every job an OEM or Tier I manufacturer creates has a multiplier of 4 - 6 other jobs, way more than professional service firms spin off.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Michigan should go back to being a predominantly manufacturing economy, but putting up new factories in the city of Detroit provides employment that is medium skilled (people can be trained or have an associates level degree), accessible by mass transit, full time employment. China's edge in doing manufacturing work has diminished greatly, and most companies are not outsourcing there much anymore (plus the quality of Chinese products does not usually meet the standards of advanced manufacturing OEM's like the auto companies or military suppliers).

Some of the fastest growing manufacturers over here are Plasan Composites, which makes light weight components for the automotive and military industries, Founders Brewing Company, which just expanded again and has the capacity for 900,000 barrels a year (yes a brewery but their main processing facility is right near downtown GR), and Firstronic which makes electronic medical devices, just to name a few. There are even more companies like this in Southeast Michigan.

You just have to convince them to build in Detroit instead of out in Macomb or Livingston Counties. Or give them incentives.

Year in Review: Expansions dominate year

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...try-to-restart

[Ivorytickler]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

Cheap land would be incentive. Maybe some tax breaks as well. You've got to start somewhere.

Yeah, land that's contaminated with lead and other toxins. Much of Detroit's land isn't fit for growing anything that is consumed. Also we have a short growing season. Grow houses are an expensive way to go. Trust me they'll keep shipping in pot from places where it's cheaper to grow.

[Cleverfield]

Originally Posted by Ivorytickler

Yeah, land that's contaminated with lead and other toxins. Much of Detroit's land isn't fit for growing anything that is consumed. Also we have a short growing season. Grow houses are an expensive way to go. Trust me they'll keep shipping in pot from places where it's cheaper to grow.

It's illegal to ship it across state lines, since it's still illegal on the federal level. The plants wouldn't have to touch soil. Cleveland built a massive hydroponics greenhouse in an inner city, formerly industrial area. Hydroponics is the best way to grow anything, especially a product where quality is very important like marijuana.

3.25-acre hydroponic greenhouse in the Central Cleveland — City Farmer News

[Ivorytickler]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

It's illegal to ship it across state lines, since it's still illegal on the federal level. The plants wouldn't have to touch soil. Cleveland built a massive hydroponics greenhouse in an inner city, formerly industrial area. Hydroponics is the best way to grow anything, especially a product where quality is very important like marijuana.

3.25-acre hydroponic greenhouse in the Central Cleveland — City Farmer News

I think we're already headed down the road where it will be decriminalized in all states. I just don't see Detroit in particular benefitting from legalized pot unless Detroit were the only place it was legal. I could set up a green house anywhere in the state. I don't have to put it in Detroit and given the nature of the product and the average police response time in Detroit I would have strong incentive to put it elsewhere.

[Cleverfield]

Originally Posted by Ivorytickler

I think we're already headed down the road where it will be decriminalized in all states. I just don't see Detroit in particular benefitting from legalized pot unless Detroit were the only place it was legal. I could set up a green house anywhere in the state. I don't have to put it in Detroit and given the nature of the product and the average police response time in Detroit I would have strong incentive to put it elsewhere.

Again, if the city were smart, it would give them the land for free, and give them tax incentives to locate there.

[Ivorytickler]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

Again, if the city were smart, it would give them the land for free, and give them tax incentives to locate there.

Yes because MORE drugs in the city is just what the city needs.


As I said if I were a pot grower I'd want to be where I felt safe. Where I knew the police would come if I called. When you have a valuable crop to protect, you want to be where you can protect it. Free land doesn't accomplish that. It also won't fix the city's neighborhood issues. Who's going to want to live near the pot growing locations?


I don't think legalized pot is going to be Detroit's salvation by a long shot.

[MS313]

Originally Posted by Ivorytickler

Yes because MORE drugs in the city is just what the city needs.


As I said if I were a pot grower I'd want to be where I felt safe. Where I knew the police would come if I called. When you have a valuable crop to protect, you want to be where you can protect it. Free land doesn't accomplish that. It also won't fix the city's neighborhood issues. Who's going to want to live near the pot growing locations?


I don't think legalized pot is going to be Detroit's salvation by a long shot.

How about invest in some fences, 24 hour security, cameras, ect. I'm sure large scale pot growing in any major city will require some investment in security. Detroit is no different. And I agree, it's not going to bring Detroit back but Detroit can sure get a piece of a pie that is only getting bigger. Investing in other industries period, will help improve Detroit.

"Cleverfield": Welcome to the Detroit forums buddy. Where we can't even agree on how to solve Detroit's problems lol. Idk how Cleveland's forum is but it can't be this bad lol.

[Ivorytickler]

Originally Posted by MS313

How about invest in some fences, 24 hour security, cameras, ect. I'm sure large scale pot growing in any major city will require some investment in security. Detroit is no different. And I agree, it's not going to bring Detroit back but Detroit can sure get a piece of a pie that is only getting bigger. Investing in other industries period, will help improve Detroit.

Every time I think of how to improve Detroit I come back to the green space idea. Turn large run down sections of the city into recreational areas. Parks, hiking trails, etc... When I was a kid we ice skated, tobogganed and did archery at Rouge park and there were functional pools. Start bulldozing entire blocks and putting in things that make the city more attractive and useful for residents, workers and to attract visitors.


One thing that would really help the city is to have transit police like they do in DC and a mass transit system that works. I remember visiting DC and there was an almost constant police presence on the subways and busses. You could get from anywhere to anywhere using both. I find it ridiculous that the people mover just goes around in a circle in the city. It would have been so much more valuable with two rails going to the suburbs. One on the east side and one on the west. Do something to bring people into the city.

[Cleverfield]

Originally Posted by Ivorytickler

Every time I think of how to improve Detroit I come back to the green space idea. Turn large run down sections of the city into recreational areas. Parks, hiking trails, etc... When I was a kid we ice skated, tobogganed and did archery at Rouge park and there were functional pools. Start bulldozing entire blocks and putting in things that make the city more attractive and useful for residents, workers and to attract visitors.


One thing that would really help the city is to have transit police like they do in DC and a mass transit system that works. I remember visiting DC and there was an almost constant police presence on the subways and busses. You could get from anywhere to anywhere using both. I find it ridiculous that the people mover just goes around in a circle in the city. It would have been so much more valuable with two rails going to the suburbs. One on the east side and one on the west. Do something to bring people into the city.

Green space is nice, but it doesn't generate any money. Transit is great, but it's very expensive, and isnt going to lure anyone in from the suburbs unless there's something valuable to go to in Detroit proper. Business has to come first. Opportunity is the number one thing that brings people to cities. There is lots of potential opportunity in Detroit; the city just has to be more open to it.