CORKTOWN, Mich. – Mayor Mike Duggan laid out his vision for Detroit during his 10th State of the City address.
His addresses are never short on detail, and Tuesday (March 7) was no different as he had a major focus on development.
He took the show on the road to showcase different parts of the city on Tuesday. Central Station, which is still under renovation, was the ultimate symbol for Detroit blight, now it has a whole new dynamic future ahead of it.
“We’re building a Corktown for everyone, including 600 new units of affordable housing,” said Duggan.
A large portion of the mayor’s presentation planning included:
- Demolishing blighted homes
- Increasing home values and beautification
- Upgrading neighborhoods like the Joe Louis Greenway
Another Hallmark of the addresses is sharing credit, like recognizing councilwoman Latisha Johnson’s crusade to help low-income families renovate.
“We will give you the house, put up the $75,000 into that house if you promise to rent it out or sell it to a person of low income so we can move low-income families into the single-family homes and mix them into the neighborhoods,” Duggan said.
Most of his speech was about development, but combating crime was going in a new direction.
“The kind of violence that we are seeing here is hard to get your head around,” Duggan said.
The city will sink $10 million to partner with community groups with a track record of working with those on the street. The idea mobilizes those groups into targeted areas for two-year stints. The city is asking for RFPs starting Wednesday.
Local 4 didn’t expect a primer on tax policy and strategy, but that was probably the most interesting part of the address. The Ilitch’s request $800 million in incentives for more work on District Detroit and a partnership with Stephen Ross. It has really generated resentment, and the contentious issue sits before City Council.
“They’re asking for $800 million in tax discounts over the next five years,” Duggan said. “‘How much is that going to cost me?’ Well, If you’re a City of Detroit taxpayer, it will cost you zero; Coming out of the school taxes, zero; Coming out of the Detroit library taxes, zero.”
Watch the full address below.