Detroit Rebuilds and Creates New Jobs 2024-2034

Journalist Marie Kornack wrote about developments in Detroit in The Detroitist in January 2024.

The city has been and is continuing to build new venues and support new activities. Musician BIG SEAN's cinema theater project, expansion of The Beauton multi-use complex in the North End, the 600 Associates 25-story residential tower to house 500 individuals and families on the site of the old Joe Louis Arena, and the nearby Hotel Water Square. and the Gordie Howe International Bridge are a few of the first major developments in 2024.

The amazing growth of 21st century Detroit is so big that the National Geographic has written about it.

One recent development is the Dequindre Cut Greenway, constructed over and along the old Grand Trunk railroad line. It has been transformed into a park with a walking/biking path, a park for dogs, and even murals and businesses like cafes along its length. A harvest festival and other events are held here as well.

The greenway is developed further each year, and its south end meets the great Detroit Riverwalk along the Detroit River.

Two actor-businessmen in particular are growing in popularity as they confront obstacles in the path of the cultural and economic health of Detroit. They live, act, write, and produce in the Motor City, as has Aretha Franklin for decades. From Detroit upward though Bay City, along a living boulevard of musical artists, writers, and actors, are thousands of talented people that back Detroit for the future, with or without the support of government and in spite of government obstacles.

Aretha Franklin maintains that she will stay in Detroit and at least two others will stay to rebuild the culture and wealth of the city - Sean H. Robertson and Shane Carson. Both have appeared in ABC TV's Detroit 187, filming in the city and providing jobs for Detroiters. While building their own careers, they are showcasing and uplifting other talented artists of all genres online and in person.

Sean H. Robertson is an author, actor, producer, and director who formed the new production company 313Wood in Detroit about the time Michigan Governor signed legislation in March 2011 to eliminate film industry incentives/credits in the entire state. This system of cuts was called a wrong move by many protestors.

Sean advocates successfully against teen suicide as well as for the film industry and his City of Detroit, while thousands of people rally to his efforts Check out his following and his efforts on his blog and Twitter (links below). Join him and help Detroit and a tradition of good films and television stay alive.

Detroit Author, Filmmaker and Activist Sean H. Robertson on Twitter (X): DETROIT = 313WOOD. Quote from Barnes and Noble: "Author/Actor/CEO/Humanitarian; Loves supporting charities. He lives in Michigan with his family. He's currently writing novellas 2 & 3 of 'The Cries Of Vampira' saga due to release in 2011."

Mr Robertson has acted in the fantastic series that deserves a second season and a second chance: Detroit 187, as has Mr. Shane Carson. Shane operates his own online radio show from Detroit - The WowShane Radio Show- a top notch event every time it broadcasts (links below) and you can listen every Thursday night at 9:00 PM EST and access the archives for more.

The show joins the engaging Detroit auto commercials that highlight the hope and goodness of the city; Shane keeps his Twitter accounts buzzing with the news of Detroit and events you should attend. Do you miss good radio in this country? Listen to Shane Carson and get to know his large team.

In April 2011, we heard via Shane's Twitter streams that the City of Detroit will no longer allow Detroit 187 to be filmed in the city - because of cuts in state incentives to the film industry. This may add power to the dedicated work of some to eliminate the series from a second year of film production for the 2011 - 2012 television season. Someone wants to see it rubbed out.

USA Today reported that Detroit 187 was one of the CBS shows "out" or "on the way out" -- but, so was Star Trek:TOS - twice; and we see how many billions of dollars that franchise has produced. Some of the loc al talent that appeared on Detroit 187 are atttempting to find another network to pick up the storyline.

Surely the history, future, culture, and people of one of the most famous cities in the world - Detroit - might be allowed to do the same. Shane Carson, Sean Robertson and others can help make this happen.

"What the French Toast?"

That's what we heard from one of Shane's many followers and friends when she reported on Twitter that Detroit 187 was denied permission to film in its own city for its second season. The comment with a twist shows what kind of imagination and style Shane and Sean's followers have in the industry. They have something to say other than the overused $!#@/, and that goes for all the Arts and Letters professionals in the city.

Detroit is packed with scientific talent as well.

Dr. Mark Hughes of Detroit is the president of Genesis Genetics and Dr. Gary Smith is the co-director of the Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies at the University of Michigan. Together, that have developed two new stem cell lines from already existing embryo-tissue donations (no new embryos were grown and killed) that can help eliminate Hemophilia-B and one of the muscular dystrophies: Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease. Jerry Lewis has been working against that one for a long time.

Both diseases are inherited conditions that might be detected in the womb in the near future, with the help of the doctors' research, and cured before the birth of the infant. These types of miracles are occurring more and more through research in leading cities, funded through MDA and university resources.

Similar research is gaining momentum in the treatment of spinal cord injuries - and recall, please, that Christopher Reeve before his death from an infection, had regained the use of his hands and could walk under his own power with the help of the water-exerted pressure when he was submerged in a pool. We have geniuses in Detroit!-- And this includes the arts as well as science.

The Governor's cuts affected several films already under way in Detroit, along with filming on television's Detroit 187. Excuses by the Governor were to the effect that filming was 'not presenting Detroit in the best light.'

Not only was this an erroneous statement, but I think a falsehood propagated to cover the fact that the money afforded by the elimination of film incentives was coveted elsewhere. In this case, the ploy seems to have been to vindictively erase anything that another party had achieved to help people and arts-related businesses. It is an old story whose results are more destructive to each new generation.

Governor Rick Snyder offered the a state budget that largely decreased business taxes by $1.8 Billion, but which does not help the incoming film industry. This is a shame, since I found flm-related jobs increasing at the top of the heap of employment form 2008 - 2010.

The budget included new taxes of $900 Million on retirement pensions - another blow to Senior Citizens in the nation of the 18 - 49 Demographic.

Another low blow was the elimination of nearly all of the business and individual tax credits (which discourages new businesses in Detroit and Michigan), followed by severely reduced funding to higher education, public schools, and communities.

The Detroit Free Press reported on April 1 that the State of Michigan's largest recent film incentive application, in which producers planned to spend $58.2 Million and hire 2,256 residents is scrapped and producers went to other states.

Michigan officials (Carrie Jones, et.al.) said that Paramount just left on their own. This is incorrect, according to the studio.

Paramount said:

"The application was not withdrawn," Paramount Pictures Corp. spokeswoman Virginia Lam said in an e-mail statement. "Rather, the application for the state's film rebate program was denied."

A total of nine (9) film projects are now no longer under consideration.

These nine were to have spent $155 Million in-state and provided up to 4,730 jobs (all gone now). Only four projects have been approved, for only $17 Million. One is to assist film makers in converting a 2D film to 3D - perhaps not needed at all. This seems a lip service token to the credits program.

The Governor wishes to offer only another $17.9 Million in incentives to big-name films starring actors like Tyler Perry and Johnny Depp, along with Detroit 187, which is now unfairly kaput. Detroit 187 was pre-empted several times in its one and only season, causing the show to lose its momentum to hold viewers in the ratings.

ABC did the same thing to Boston Legal (with Star Trek's® William Shatner) in its second season - viewers came back anyway. BL's David E. Kelley did as he promised and moved to another network, NBC, in 2010 with a similar series, Harry's Law, popular with both the 18-49 and 50+ demographics. Perhaps Detroit 187 can move to NBC - or CBC and film across the river in Windsor.

Some conspiracy thinkers wonder if Disney-ABC is in cahoots with Michigan's Governor to cut film/TV productions that may be a little on the high side in the range of incentives (probably the best of the best as well).

Money cut from the incentives' piece of the pie-chart go to (big-)business tax cuts, although the politicos say it all goes to small business - I hope at least some of it does. Harlan Ellison wrote about the mediocrity of television in the 1970s and I recently read all of his columns - two thick books, all in fine print. He warned us then and the warning stands as fresh as our new war in Libya. Is anyone at the top listening?

Does a large section of Americans really want a businessman in the White House, as they say? Perhaps someone can approach Mr. Donald Trump about supporting arts and culture in Michigan as he has supported them on Celebrity Apprentice in 2011. He set the stage for raising millions of dollars for charities through art - the biggest fund raising result of any of his series. It's an idea.

Isn't government supposed to create a safe environment for citizens? - an atmosphere in which to create culture rather than merely to survive - rather than a rat race in a cage where the corrupt light cigars with 1,000-dollar bills while the rest work 70 hours a week, over-taxed$ until age 70,and drop dead (I already got my must-work-to-70 notice, did you)?

On Monday April 4, 2011 the Detroit 5,000 March in protest was scheduled. These individuals planned a peaceful but powerful protest of recent legislation that gives Detroit Financial Managers too many powers. It robs the voters of their right to elect these managers as well. Some of the protestors are the Unified Detroit Coalition, Detroit Coalition Against Violence, Black Panthers, and various labor unions, as well as individuals. Collective bargaining is a target for cutting under the bill as well. Mayor David Bing and Governor Rick Snyder both uphold this bill as "fair." It is not fair and people are angry about it.

The March coincided with the 43rd Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. back in 1968. He was defending union collective bargaining rights for sanitation workers in Memphis at the time and was killed that day. The Michigan bill cuts similar collective bargaining rights in this state.

The rise of Temp Agencies in the 1980s gave large and small businesses the incentive to hire labor and avoid paying benefits, pay lower wages, and avoid negotiating with unions. Next, companies hired "full-time" workers without benefits, at under 35 hours weekly, thus avoiding Unemployment Compansation premiums as well. Many businesses have eliminated health and medical insurance coverages for 40-hour workers, decreased vacation and sick days, and eliminated some official holidays from the work calendar. In short, part of the American workplace has been reduced to a certain fast food system of the late 1970s - long hours, no breaks, no meals, no benefits, and no raises above minimum wage.

Although unions arose to protect workers from the atrocities of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and its reports on the meat packing industry. We find similar horrors today brought to light by Fast Food Nation and Nickel and Dimed. I've seen packing house and slaughter floor workers in psychological treatment after Workers Compensation claims in the recent past and know that the books named above are true. Some of our nation's unions are still badly needed at the same time that the relevant unions need to do a better job of helping meat packing and slaughtering employees.

• Kornacki, M. New in Detroit: 5 Major Developments in Detroit to Renew the City. The Detroitist. January 2024.
• Runyan, R. The Beauton to bring new apartments to the North End. Urbanize Detroit. July 2023.