Detroit: Is there still any signs of a comeback?? (Cadillac: buyers, bankruptcy)

[green_mariner]

It is nice that there are jobs being attracted to Troy and Southfield, but what about the people who live in Detroit? What about the people who want jobs but can't get to jobs because they can't afford a car and the transit system isn't that good? Those are some factors to think about.

[L3XVS]

Detroit is hemmoraging 20,000 people per year! With the auto industry in shambles, there's no way Detroit is making any kind of comeback soon.

[daddythreepointoh]

I think it will make a comeback...but who knows when. I don't think it will be for another 20 years or so.

[waltlantz]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

It is nice that there are jobs being attracted to Troy and Southfield, but what about the people who live in Detroit? What about the people who want jobs but can't get to jobs because they can't afford a car and the transit system isn't that good? Those are some factors to think about.

Edumacation, me bucko. There is underserved and underfunded schools all across the impovershed america (and thanks to PBS's documentary Country Boys, we understand that YES CAUCASIANS FACE THE SAME PROBLEMS IN CERTAIN AREAS).

Detroit (and many other cities) have to figure out what to do with the people who can't get 4 year degrees, after a while I thought.

"While I am sure MORE people can get such degrees, it is a pipe dream to think that we all will get them." There needs to be more community colleges and once certain new industries emerge, new kinds of vocational training. It's a large complicated societal issue.
That's a larger factor, it took a generation for schools to detierorate, it will take another to get them back.

Also I am all for transit, but the city doesn't have the money to make HUGE investments quite yet.

[scrabblegirl]

Originally Posted by waltlantz

Edumacation, me bucko. There is underserved and underfunded schools all across the impovershed america (and thanks to PBS's documentary Country Boys, we understand that YES CAUCASIANS FACE THE SAME PROBLEMS IN CERTAIN AREAS).

Detroit (and many other cities) have to figure out what to do with the people who can't get 4 year degrees, after a while I thought.

"While I am sure MORE people can get such degrees, it is a pipe dream to think that we all will get them." There needs to be more community colleges and once certain new industries emerge, new kinds of vocational training. It's a large complicated societal issue.
That's a larger factor, it took a generation for schools to detierorate, it will take another to get them back.

I think Detroit should be made a college town, but on a huge scale. Remember when Bill and Melinda Gates announced that they were going to make education a priority for their foundation? Buy up what they can in Detroit at rock-bottom prices and create a state-of-the-art education utopia. I'm not talking about another Wayne State. I'm talking about another East Lansing or Ann Arbor, redefining Detroit as a college town.

The Gates' foundation wouldn't even have to fund it completely. Most university buildings are sponsored by endowments. The construction and subsequent operation of the university would create thousands of jobs, not to mention the other local businesses would obviously flourish.

I don't have all the answers. Maybe it wouldn't work unless politicians could somehow get rich off of it. But the point is that education must be the main focus. Everything else is slapping a band-aid on the problem.

[ocean2026]

Scrabblegirl your post and idea of making Detroit a college town is ( make a word out of this)
H L O S I O F

Why would college kids want to leave warm safe climates to go to Detroit?

Why would those at top state colleges around the US want to leave Berkeley, Austin, Bloomington etc to go to Detroit?

[MarissaInMichigan]

Detroit (and all of Michigan) will have to become the "new green peninsula" in order to have a shot at coming back. We need to continue to make it desirable for corporations to come here (tax breaks/an educated work force).

[jimmyP]

please don't make this into black vs. white issue. Detroit and Michigan has suffered from lack of leadership and bad politics for decades. That crosses racial lines. As long as the auto companies kept their coffers full nobody ever looked at the future. Now they are forced to. Great lakes and michigan have a lot to offer (especially water, a precious commodity). I pray they get the leadership required to turn it around.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by scrabblegirl

I think Detroit should be made a college town, but on a huge scale. Remember when Bill and Melinda Gates announced that they were going to make education a priority for their foundation? Buy up what they can in Detroit at rock-bottom prices and create a state-of-the-art education utopia. I'm not talking about another Wayne State. I'm talking about another East Lansing or Ann Arbor, redefining Detroit as a college town.

The Gates' foundation wouldn't even have to fund it completely. Most university buildings are sponsored by endowments. The construction and subsequent operation of the university would create thousands of jobs, not to mention the other local businesses would obviously flourish.

I don't have all the answers. Maybe it wouldn't work unless politicians could somehow get rich off of it. But the point is that education must be the main focus. Everything else is slapping a band-aid on the problem.

The rencen would make a neat college. An entire campus everything you need contained in one building. Turn the hotel into dorms, offices into classrooms. It already ahs a health center and a theater. Lots of big meeting rooms can be converted tino band rooms etc. They could probably even play football inside. I am not sure how big the wintergarden is, but it might work. even if they had to go outside for sports they could build a stadium at old tiger stadium.

All the fear mongering is once again based on a lack of knowlege. Ever actually been to berkley? No too safe. Not reallythat warm either. How about USC? Not safe at all there. (If I wanted to think I could come up with another half dozen examples, but I do nto want to think. It is Saturday and I am not getting paid to think today so I won't). Ever actually been to downtown detroit? It is reaonably safe downtown. I see college age gals out jogging on a regular basis.


Frankly it could work. All you need is a couple of billion. Go ask Obama, that is nothing to him.

ALready college graduates is one of the things that Michigan is exporting in place of cars. OUr universities are top notch. Loads of peole come here for education. It is one of the few industries that is doing ok. It is a good balance with medical technology which is also doing fairly well here. Since we especially have good engineering schools, it is a goodbalance with the whole green power effort that Granholm wants to bring in to replace cars. The only thing keeping the idea from working is that we need leadership and money.

[Coldjensens]

The3 more I think about this, the more workable it seems. The riverwalk would be wonderful for students and the people mover could haul them to greektown to socialize. Cobo may well be for sale really soon and they could use Joe Louis for sports until they build their own places. The RenCen will be really cheap (comparatively) when it goes up for sale. Without GM that building is almost worthless. Grant money is available. Now we just need Bill Gates or Warren Buffet to make up the difference Gates University? or University of Buffet?

On A serious note, this actually could work if there were a group of people decidcated and motivated enough to put it together. Perhyaps the biggest problem with the idea is that Detroit already has a major university. But then LA has two major colleges.

Ok Scrabblegirl. If you will put it together and form a non-profit I will donate the first $25.00. Go for it.