DETROIT – Mayor Mike Duggan is taking his show on the road.
Instead of opting for one of the typical high-profile downtown venues, he's moving his second State of the City address to the Redford Theatre on Detroit's west side. It makes sense given Duggan's emphasis on improving life in Detroit's neighborhoods.
Last year, when the city was still under an emergency manager and in bankruptcy, Duggan promised a re-lit city by the end of 2015. There's already been substantial progress.
He promised 50 new Detroit Department of Transportation buses. Those came through, but those who ride said the system still has a long way to go.
When he takes the stage Tuesday night, expect Duggan to hit on neighborhood improvements, economic development and job creation.
In many ways, the second year of his term will be tougher. There is no Kevyn Orr and there is no bankruptcy to help erase debt.
When Detroit exited from bankruptcy, it came out with much less debt but hardly in a strong financial position. The way forward is tough.
Sheila Cockrel, who knows more than a little about Detroit city government and the politics around it, said she thinks Duggan's second year will be significantly harder than the first.
"I think the depth of the problem, the restructuring, rebuilding, reorganizing this city, is going to (be) in the hands of his team and they will fully engage and embrace that," Cockrel said.
Local 4 spoke with political strategists, city vendors and politicians from the local to state level to take an informal poll on his performance. Across the board, Duggan gets high marks -- the lowest a B-plus, the highest an A.
Duggan's address is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday. It will be live streamed here on ClickOnDetroit.com.