DETROIT – Five years ago, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder put pen to paper and sent the city of Detroit into the largest municipal bankruptcy in history.
Now, the city is a vastly changed place in some ways, but exactly the same in others.
Detroit's city skyline five years ago was roughly the same as it is now, but back then, there was a 20 percent occupancy rate in downtown buildings, which has entirely changed.
Dan Gilbert moved into Downtown Detroit in 2009, and by the time his development took hold, there was a shortage of office space.
Since five years ago, Detroit has gained new ambulances and police cars, buses and downtown traffic.
In 2013, Michigan Central Station didn't have windows, and now, Ford owns the windows and the redevelopment.
On Cass Corridor, where once prostitution and homelessness was often found, restaurants and a new hockey and basketball arena are now in place.
Plunkett Cooney Bankruptcy lead Doug Bernstein said there's incalculable momentum in Detroit.
"Would you have ever dreamed the New York Times would say Detroit is one of the 10 best places to visit?" Bernstein asked. "It's a complete revitalization and new enthusiasm."
Former Detroit City Council member Sheila Cockrel said another important change was bringing in Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti.
"An academic superintendent," Cockrel said. "We have the rebuilding of the school system that again is absolutely essential for the city to stabilize and take it to the next level."
There has been some work to improve the housing stock, and city officials are working on that issue. But there are still houses that are falling apart, some with windows boarded up. City officials and Mayor Mike Duggan said they know they have to start working to create a citywide change, which could take another five years.
Bernstein said the real heroes of the bankruptcy were the city of Detroit pensioners who took reduced pensions and health benefits to allow the city to emerge from the bankruptcy and move forward.