Friday, April 26, 2024     |     www.detroitmi.gov

2024 NFL Draft kicks off in Detroit, crowd breaks attendance record

The 2024 NFL Draft has finally arrived. The event in downtown Detroit started off big, as the first day attendance of more than 275,000 broke the NFL record!

The draft will continue today and tomorrow at Campus Martius and Hart Plaza. Visitors and residents interested in taking part in the festivities can learn more here.

Visit PlanDetroit.com to take the survey!

Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) Director Gary Brown joined other national leaders this week in Washington D.C. to talk about how cities are accelerating lead service line replacement.

Detroit stands as a national leader in replacing lead service lines, replacing more than 5,800 lines since the rollout of the initiative in 2018 and is on pace to replace at least 5,000 lines this year alone.

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative announced the commitment of Mayor Duggan, along with Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago and Mayor Cavalier Johnson of Milwaukee, to join the Great Lakes Lead Pipes Partnership.

Through the partnership, the cities initiative will work with Great Lakes big cities with the highest lead burdens to expedite lead service line replacement. Specifically, this first-of-its kind partnership will facilitate close, purposeful collaboration among mayors and water utilities to surmount common challenges, highlight emerging best practices and replicate success from city to city.

Students join Keep Detroit Clean for 2024 Earth Day

The Keep Detroit Clean campaign and students from the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) came together to celebrate Earth Day 2024 with cleanup projects.

Students at Gompers Elementary-Middle School, Brenda Scott Academy, and Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School cleaned around their schools and planted gardens.

The Keep Detroit Clean initiative encompasses various City of Detroit programs to improve neighborhoods by focusing on cleanup and beautification efforts, addressing blight and informing residents of the many options available to help keep Detroit clean.

Detroit tenants and landlords can register at detroitmi.gov/rental.

Residents can sign up for Detroit Alerts 365 to receive emergency alerts

City residents can sign up for Detroit Alerts 365, which sends Detroit-specific emergency notifications through the CodeRED emergency notification system. This free system allows individuals to choose how they would like to receive alerts – via telephone, text message, and/or email.

There are several benefits to enrolling in Detroit Alerts 365:

• Notifications are on the go with individuals, who receive important alerts and non-emergency notifications, based on their address directly to your cell phone, home phone, text, or email
• Individuals will receive notifications targeted to residents in a specific area experiencing emergency conditions
• Personal data is secure in the CodeRED system

In addition to registering for Detroit Alerts 365, residents can download the CodeRED Mobile Alert App to receive emergency alerts based on their current location.

To register, go to detroitalerts365.org or text DetroitAlerts365 to 99411.

Mayor Duggan delivers 2024 State of the City address

Mayor Mike Duggan delivered his 11th State of the City Address last week at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, highlighting the remarkable transformations happening in Detroit, from revitalized neighborhoods and ambitious cleanup initiatives to investing $1 billion in affordable housing and restoring treasured landmarks.

The speech ended with Mayor Duggan announcing that the former Dexter Elmhurst Community Center, that sat vacant for years and is being redeveloped, will be named for community activist, Helen Moore. The announcement drew a standing ovation from the audience of more than 350.

To watch the full speech, and explore the programs and City efforts helping Detroit grow, go to detroitmi.gov/StateOfTheCity.

Mayor joins GM leadership for new headquarters announcement

Mayor Duggan joined General Motors CEO Mary Barra and local leaders as GM announced it would relocate its world headquarters from the Renaissance Center to the new Hudson’s Detroit building.

GM and Bedrock will work together on the Renaissance Center Redevelopment Plan to develop the complex.

The brand new Hudson’s Detroit skyscraper topped out this month at approximately 680 feet, making it the second-tallest building in Michigan, after the Renaissance Center.

UM study: Detroit’s Black homeowners gained nearly $3B in real estate wealth from 2014-2022

Mayor Mike Duggan, City Council members joined with Detroit residents and real estate agents to celebrate a major milestone for Detroit’s Black homeowners: nearly $3 billion in added home wealth since 2014 for those who stayed in Detroit.

A comprehensive new study released by the University of Michigan Poverty Solutions entitled “The Growth of Housing Wealth in Detroit and its Neighborhoods: 2014-2022” concluded that Black homeowner-occupants in Detroit amassed $2.8 billion in added home value between 2014 and 2022, which represents an 80-percent increase.

According to the study’s findings, the net value of all owner-occupied homes increased from $4.2 billion in 2014 to $8.1 billion in 2022, a $3.9 billion/94 percent increase in housing wealth over these nine years. It also estimates Black homeowners realized the vast majority of that gain in wealth, with their home values rising from $3.4 billion in 2014 to $6.2 billion in 2022.

Detroit, DWIHN celebrate the opening of new 707 Crisis Care Center

Mayor Duggan joined local and State leaders last week for the opening of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN) 707 Crisis Care Center, providing quality mental health services for residents.

The administrative offices were converted and repurposed with industry leading design and technologies to serve Detroit and Wayne County’s most vulnerable population.

With 32 beds, the 24-hour center will provide specialized care for individuals in a mental health crisis. It will house all services under one roof, including crisis walk-ins, crisis stabilization, and a peer-led program called BEST (Building Empowered Supportive Transition).

The 707 Crisis Care Center is located at 707 West Milwaukee. For services, call the 24-Hour Helpline: 1-800-241-4949.

Proud first-time homeowner, Paula Sims, sits with her daughter Emery (7), and nephew on the porch of their new home.

Mayor Duggan, City Council member Scott Benson, and funders joined the Osborn Neighborhood Alliance to celebrate the completion of three newly renovated duplexes. Developed by native Detroiter Quincy Jones, the duplexes will provide six units of affordable housing for residents, all of which will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The duplexes are on Mapleridge between Gratiot and Schoenherr on Detroit’s east side.

In one of the first projects of its kind, each of the duplexes has been sold at a deeply discounted rate to homebuyers with incomes at or below 80 percent of the area median income. Those purchasing the duplexes will live in one unit and rent out the other, providing an excellent opportunity for moderate-income households to build generational wealth.

The development is the latest project to tap the Strategic Neighborhood Fund (SNF), which helps strengthen neighborhoods through targeted investments in parks, streetscapes, commercial corridors and single-family housing. The plans were guided by resident input.

Photo Credit: Montez Miller

The City of Detroit joined its partners at DTE as the first new Welcome to Detroit sign was lit up for the first time.

The landscaping was also completed last week, while the area was fenced off to prevent fans from being injured.

Five additional Welcome to Detroit signs were placed at:

• SB M-39 at 8 Mile Road
• NB M-39 at Ford Road
• SB I-75 at 8 Mile Road
• EB I-96 at Telegraph
• WB I-94 at Moross

The project involved collaboration with DTE, MDOT and the Federal Highway Administration to ensure the sign and the fencing would comply with requirements to protect drivers along I-94.