 
Eboyer
Member
Username: Eboyer
Post Number: 45
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 9:04 am: |    |
He spoke at an event held at the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center which I attended.
First off, he truly is an amazing speaker and the retired jews loved him. Women thought he was charming, men thought he had just the right amount of confidence. Kwame referenced their old neighborhoods and plenty of yiddish words provided by Dan Gilbert via Blackberry.
The sentiment amongst the crowd was, although their post office address was outside of the city, they still and always will consider themselves Detroiters.
Now onto the good stuff. Here are a few things he mentioned...
1. Light rail on Woodward connecting to an Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter rail by 2011. Light rail will extend from base of Woodward to a little bast WSU campus.
2. New DPS superintendent is the right woman for the job. He has the utmost confidence in her.
3. Kwame loves 3 pm every day, which is when the City's cut of the Casino profits is deposited in their account.
4. THIS IS THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT. He is going to hire 600 new cops for the city, which will be announced very soon. He wants more cops walking the beat, and he wants the residency rule reinstalled. He thinks the police union needs to be more receptive to changes.
This is all I have for now. If I think of anything else, I'll let you all know! |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 3898
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 9:08 am: | |
If true, especially #4, that is great news. |
Thejesus
Member
Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 2875
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 9:14 am: | |
good stuff, but during the Channel 4 interview he specifically said his upcoming announcement pertained to "another site" downtown
I really think he was talking about Marian Ilitch's announcement that Olympia will focus on developing Foxtown now that Motorcity Casino is completed |
Thejesus
Member
Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 2876
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 9:14 am: | |
"If true, especially #4, that is great news."
I agree...I just hope they train them properly, or else they're just going to have 600 more potential multi-million dollar lawsuits on their hands |
Mayor_sekou
Member
Username: Mayor_sekou
Post Number: 1721
Registered: 09-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 9:23 am: | |
^lol, I am actually hoping for numbers 1 and 4. Both of them could trigger developments in the city just as good and just as costly as the huge tax breaks we give out to these companies. |
Danny
Member
Username: Danny
Post Number: 6841
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 10:01 am: | |
Has KING KWAME finally grow up? His next election year would be a landslide vote in a flash. |
Iheartthed
Member
Username: Iheartthed
Post Number: 2268
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 10:07 am: | |
They all sound very good. I'm guessing that the plan is for a street car type of system up Woodward. |
Mackinaw
Member
Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 4072
Registered: 02-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 10:09 am: | |
Sounds like an interesting speaking event.
The ambitions are great. |
Aoife
Member
Username: Aoife
Post Number: 43
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 10:13 am: | |
Wow. If he can pull off 1 and 4 that would be amazing.
I love the light rail idea down Woodward- I know there are lots of employees and students at Wayne State who would go downtown more if there was an easier way to get there other than driving. And yes, I know you can walk, but it takes too long if you have a limited amount of time. |
Mind_field
Member
Username: Mind_field
Post Number: 835
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 10:20 am: | |
First, ASSUMING this is accurate info:
If a streetcar line is built up Woodward, that would be AMAZING. I wonder if this "commuter" rail line will have a stop at metro airport. I would think it would be foolish not to have a stop there.
And along with all the new cops, hopefully a new zero tolerance policy for petty crimes can be implemented. If it worked in New York City, why not here? |
Mdoyle
Member
Username: Mdoyle
Post Number: 264
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 10:26 am: | |
I'm wondering if some of these (1 and especially 4) were conditions or at least off the record promises made to lure Dan Gilbert. Notice the light rail line coincides within about a year to when we would expect the headquarters to be finished. Either way its great news, though Ill believe it when I see it. |
Eboyer
Member
Username: Eboyer
Post Number: 46
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 10:55 am: | |
Two things...
1. Commuter rail WILL stop at metro airport. Not much use if it doesn't. Kwame says we have lost numerous conventions because of this.
2. VERY important business leaders are extremely active in creating mass transit down Woodward. The line to WSU would be the building blocks to a line running to Woodward's end in Pontiac. |
Thejesus
Member
Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 2878
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 10:56 am: | |
If the info about the light rail is accurate, I like how he says it will basically only go from downtown to new center...there's absolutely no reason for it to go all the way up to 8 mile like some have talked about(there might be in the future, but there isn't currently)...just makes the possibility of it happening seem more realistic |
6nois
Member
Username: 6nois
Post Number: 593
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 11:03 am: | |
I know between New Center and 8 isn't the greatest right now but I can see going past Eight Mile to Nine Mile for a Ferndale connection. Ferndale seems to have a strong want for light rail so I see that as a possibility. Either way I think these points sound great and I can't wait to see them happen. |
Citylover
Member
Username: Citylover
Post Number: 2761
Registered: 07-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 11:05 am: | |
Did any you see kiss of the spider woman? |
Thejesus
Member
Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 2881
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 11:12 am: | |
6nois:
They need to learn to crawl before they learn to walk...
Besides, the proposed AA-Det-Pontiac commuter rail goes right through Ferndale...there's no train station there currently, but building a train stop/station there is a lot cheaper and more practical and makes a lot more sense than building a light rail through 5 miles of nothing just to connect Ferndale to downtown
this would connect Ferndale (not to mention royal oak, troy, birmingham and pontiac) to new center, which in turn would be connected via light rail to everything along woodward between downtown and new center |
Iheartthed
Member
Username: Iheartthed
Post Number: 2270
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 11:30 am: | |
quote:there's absolutely no reason for it to go all the way up to 8 mile like some have talked about(there might be in the future, but there isn't currently)...
Transit systems aren't built as reactionary measures. If the line was built up to 8 Mile, the intention would be to spur development along the Woodward corridor from downtown to 8 Mile. The vast majority of that corridor could use a development boost.
I doubt a light rail line will go all the way to Pontiac. A commuter rail- yes, but light rail- no. A commute from end-to-end on a light rail line with stops every 0.5 miles would probably be around 3 hours. In my opinion, that's just not practical for a subway line.
For comparison, the longest subway line in the world is supposedly the A train in NYC which is about 32 miles long. It goes about the entire length of Manhattan then bends and goes through Brooklyn and a small part of Queens. The only thing that makes it practical is that it's an express train for most of it's route and is complemented by the C train. The C train makes the 0.5 mile stops and has transfer points to the A train at various major stations.
ETA: The distance between downtown Detroit and Pontiac is about 30 miles.
(Message edited by iheartthed on November 29, 2007) |
Rax
Member
Username: Rax
Post Number: 18
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 11:34 am: | |
Did KK mention anything about the Broderick Tower? |
Lvnthed
Member
Username: Lvnthed
Post Number: 150
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 11:38 am: | |
Let's not forget the new Gateway Shopping Center on 8-mile & woodward.
Seems like the logical final stop. |
Wanderinglady
Member
Username: Wanderinglady
Post Number: 13
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 11:52 am: | |
Good luck on getting the 600 police officers. As it is, it'll be tough finding 600+ folks with a "clean slate". And, as Thejesus mentioned above, it's important that the police department puts in the time and money to train them properly.
Many cities are having a hard time recruiting officers, since pay and conditions in the suburbs are comparable to or better than those in cities. And it doesn't help that Detroit just got designated as "the most dangerous city" in the U.S.. Talk about bad timing! |
Spiritofdetroit
Member
Username: Spiritofdetroit
Post Number: 750
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 11:57 am: | |
I imagine they would hire many of the officers that have been laid off in the past. However, your concerns are indeed true. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 3905
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 11:59 am: | |
Unemployment is on the rise, departments are tightening their budgets, police are being laid off. They'll need new jobs! Guess they can work in Detroit. |
Thejesus
Member
Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 2883
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 12:00 pm: | |
"Transit systems aren't built as reactionary measures. If the line was built up to 8 Mile, the intention would be to spur development along the Woodward corridor from downtown to 8 Mile."
That's too simplistic (even for you).
We don't build transit systems out in the middle of corn fields to spur development in the middle of nowhere...we build them in areas that people have chosen to populate so they have an efficient transportation alternative...and there's also has to be a realistic chance that investors might want to develop along its route...
right now, there's some development interest between downtown and new center, but not much...a transit line could boost this...now, if that turns out to be successful, then maybe in another 20 years there will be a justification to see if we can make the same thing happen all the way up to 8 mile...learn to crawl before you learn to walk
by contrast, there's hardly any development interest between new center and 8 mile, and its quite possible there won't be for quite some time even with a rail running through it...
not only does going beyond new center make a light rail less likely to happen, but it's a complete waste to just throw a bunch of money at a whole project when you can just as easily do it in segments, stop and evaluate where you're at after each segment, then proceed from there if it makes sense
as screwed up as Detroit's government is, I still find myself amazed at how the city's elected officials understand simple ideas that some DY formers don't...
(Message edited by thejesus on November 29, 2007) |
Iheartthed
Member
Username: Iheartthed
Post Number: 2272
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 12:13 pm: | |
^Have you ever even rode a mass transit system?
I forgot, you're the expert at life. Please save us with your infinite experience and wisdom acquired through your days of living in Livonia, Michigan. |
El_jimbo
Member
Username: El_jimbo
Post Number: 389
Registered: 12-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 12:18 pm: | |
The Police and Fire Unions will fight TOOTH AND NAIL against re-instating residency. Not to mention that if it does go through you might as well kiss the top 10 to 20% of the seniority of both departments goodbye. None of them would want to have to go back to their old scam of renting an apartment in the city to keep a city address while "visiting" in their house in the suburbs where their families live.
My dad did that back in the day and he fought VERY hard to end residency and I know from him what the sentiment would be if it was reinstated.
That being said, adding 600 cops would be GREAT. I think it is important that the cops be visible in the community. Get to know their neighborhood. Show the law abiding citizens that they are there. |
Eboyer
Member
Username: Eboyer
Post Number: 47
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 12:18 pm: | |
Rax, no mention about the Broderick Tower. |
Iheartthed
Member
Username: Iheartthed
Post Number: 2273
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 12:20 pm: | |
quote:Not to mention that if it does go through you might as well kiss the top 10 to 20% of the seniority of both departments goodbye.
Is that all it takes? Good! The police department is much too top heavy as it is... |
Thejesus
Member
Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 2884
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 12:25 pm: | |
"Have you ever even rode a mass transit system?
I forgot, you're the expert at life. Please save us with your infinite experience and wisdom acquired through your days of living in Livonia, Michigan."
don't make stupid comments and you won't get called out like you just did...if I may:
"Transit systems aren't built as reactionary measures." |
Rooms222
Member
Username: Rooms222
Post Number: 75
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 12:29 pm: | |
With regards to residency, as part of union negotiations, existing employees often have been grandfathered in and allowed to keep their existing residency (so they don't have to sell their homes at a loss, etc.).
Also, residency changes would require a state law to be enacted, perhaps not so easy a task at the present time with a divided House and Senate. |
Iheartthed
Member
Username: Iheartthed
Post Number: 2274
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 12:31 pm: | |
quote:
"Transit systems aren't built as reactionary measures."
Because... they aren't. They are built as part of a planned development strategy. Build the line up Woodward to spur the development.
Read up a bit on the topic and then we'll talk a little more. |