mayor Mike Duggan didn’t shy away from once again touting the NFL draft as he kicked off his 11th annual State of the City address Wednesday night at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church on Detroit’s northwest side.
Duggan expects similar crowds to previous NFL drafts, which drew about 300,000 attendees. The mayor encourages them to visit redeveloped sites seen across the country during Detroit’s bankruptcy a decade ago, such as the Michigan Central Depot, from which he delivered his State of the City last year, and see how much the city has changed.
“We have an opportunity to introduce ourselves to America,” Duggan said. “The last time we were in the national spotlight on MSNBC, it was about bankruptcies and a lot of people… when they get here, you’re going to see a very different city.”
The mayor delved into a long list of recreational and major developments, including: GM Factory Zero and Stellantis assembly plants; Development of State Fairgrounds into a transit and Amazon fulfillment center; the $3 billion Henry Ford “Future of Health” development; Hudson’s site, where GM recently announced plans to move its headquarters to the city’s newest skyscraper, and the Water Square homes and hotels at the former Joe Louis Arena site.
Duggan added that when he first ran for office in 2013 and met hundreds of residents, it “hurt” to realize that many of them felt the city and country had forgotten Detroit.
They said, “Our neighborhood is forgotten… there’s illegal dumping going on, no one picked it up. There’s abandoned houses open, no one cares. You call 911, the police don’t show. The ambulance doesn’t show up.” ,” Duggan said. “What they were really saying is that our city has been forgotten.”
Duggan praised a number of the city’s achievements, including eliminating blight, plans to remove abandoned vehicles, demolishing and restoring abandoned homes and boosting the city’s several parks, recreation centers and public spaces in an effort to beautify Detroit .
Here are some key insights:
No more ‘ruin porn’
More than a decade ago, visitors took “ruin porn” tours in Detroit to document some of the city’s destruction, including the iconic Michigan Central Depot, which was initially slated for demolition in 2009.
But this year, Duggan declared those tours “cancelled.”
Several sites are under development, including Lear’s seating factory to replace the Hudson’s Motor factory abandoned 40 years ago; the renovated and opulent Book Tower with residences and restaurants; United Artists Theater building being converted into apartments; the Eddystone renovated into apartments; GM parts plant to replace long-abandoned AMC headquarters; the Fisher Body Plant is being restored into apartments, and one of the biggest eyesores, the Packard Plant, is being demolished this year.
In lieu of tours, Duggan pointed out the city’s improved amenities, including the RiverWalk, Riverside Park, Beacon Park and more.
Land value tax
Before Duggan delved into the mayor’s proposed Land Value Tax plan, which would increase property taxes on vacant land, he touted the city’s credit rating upgrade to achieving investment grade. Higher ratings mean that governments pay lower costs to borrow money for investments in the city.
As he pushed the property tax plan through the Michigan Legislature, Duggan once again reminded Detroiters that it would cut property taxes for homeowners by 17% and increase taxes on vacant land, including parking lots and demolition yards. However, not everyone agrees with the plan.
“I fought in Lansing for the land value tax … which every national economist said would be a great thing in Detroit.”
Duggan referenced a poll of economists who agreed this would boost Detroit’s economy.
Improving public safety
Detroit, once known nationally as the “carjack city,” Duggan said, saw 782 carjackings in 2013, prompting Detroit officers to leave the city in “record numbers.” By 2024, Detroit was averaging two per week, he said. Duggan pointed out that former Detroit Police Chief James Craig was the victim of a carjacking in 2013. The city, meanwhile, provided wage increases as an incentive to stay. The number of homicides in Detroit dropped from 386 in 2013 to 252 in 2023.
The city also started Project Green Light, which uses cameras installed at several businesses, aimed at deterring crime and providing video evidence when it happens near a Green Light location.
“Ten years later, Detroit is a national leader in reducing carjackings,” Duggan said.
Detroit also launched a number of community violence intervention initiatives, including gunshot detection systems to prevent gun crime. Six activist groups received federal grants to research ways to prevent crime and curb gun violence. Duggan plans to ask the City Council to extend their contracts through 2025 after seeing a 44% drop in gun violence in areas where four of the groups focused on face-to-face interaction to de-escalate situations.
Duggan also praised the city’s 911 response time, which averages 7 minutes and 30 seconds, which is less than the national standard. The city is sending 42 ambulances a day, compared to 20-22 last year.
Solar energy
Duggan praised several ongoing solar energy efforts, including 127 municipal buildings converted from fossil energy to solar energy. The city also launched an initiative to convert 250 hectares of land into solar farms. The intention would be to convert the blight into a more productive use. The city would select eight neighborhoods, two of which would power street lights.
Homeowners living in the area will receive $15,000 in energy efficient home upgrades. Duggan will send the first three winning neighborhoods to the City Council for approval next month.
Eliminating junk vehicles
In an effort to remove abandoned vehicles, 20 of the city’s municipal parking rangers are ticketing inoperable or unlicensed vehicles on the streets. The citation gives owners 48 hours to move the vehicle.
“2024 is the year we finally rid Detroit of abandoned illegal vehicles,” Duggan said, adding that a resident complained to him about junk vehicles in her neighborhood, suggesting this is not common in the suburbs.
Owners of multiple vehicles on private property have two weeks to move them, including commercial vehicles. Owners can’t store them on lawns even if they build a fence around them, Duggan added.
“You can’t store your commercial vehicles in our neighborhoods,” Duggan said.
The city has ticketed 5,208 vehicles so far this year. He hauled 769, he said, and 85% were moved by their owners. Residents can report abandoned vehicles through the “Improve Detroit” app.
Rising home values
Home values in Detroit have risen by $3.9 billion since the city’s bankruptcy. According to a University of Michigan study, Black homeowners’ housing wealth grew by $2.8 billion.
‘That’s for the people who stay. The entire city has grown in nine years,” Duggan said, adding in response to those who say downtown and midtown are the only areas seeing growth, “say the University of Michigan study is $4 billion has reasons why that is not true.”
The study found that since the bankruptcy, demolition of blighted and abandoned properties and sales by the Detroit Land Bank Authority have led to a “transformation” of the city’s housing stock, leading to a market recovery as home sales prices rose .
Dexter Elmhurst Recreation Center
The city is renovating the center on the west side with plans to create a recreation center. As a surprise for longtime community activist Helen Moore, Duggan plans to name it after her.
“Tomorrow morning, Councilman Fred Durhal will bring forward the resolution, and next year the brand new facility will be the Helen Moore Community Center,” Duggan said. “There’s one person who has been the champion. For the past 25 years of my life, Helen Moore has been my No. 1 critic. Every time she brings me something, she’s right.”
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mike Duggan praises NFL Draft, junk car removal, crime prevention in State of the City
