Hey, it’s Jer.
Checking in on you ahead of the weekend. How are you doing? It’s been busy over here with the podcast, finishing up the trim on the new studio at TechTown (we’re almost there!), and building out our new website and email platform.
Anyway, let’s get to the stories.
📰 What to know
» Fires at GM’s Factory Zero are causing concern for the Detroit Fire Department. Since the facility doesn’t just build cars — but also makes electric vehicle batteries — a recent report says that the city at times has had to respond with as many as 22 fire trucks for an incident. Electric vehicle batteries burn harder and hotter, requiring a lot of water and time to put out. The city and the UAW is pushing the automaker for a better plan to deal with the possible danger. [Freep]
» AB Ford Park in Detroit’s Jefferson Chalmers is closed for the summer for planned improvements and soil decontamination. As much as two feet of fill will be added in some spots, and more than 250 trees will be removed as only 10 of the current trees are in healthy condition. They will be replaced by nearly 600 new ones. This was a former Nike missile control site during the Cold War. [Bridge Detroit]
» Work has begun in earnest at the former location of the legendary Chung’s restaurant in Detroit’s Midtown. Thanks to listener Rob who tipped me off about the work at Cass and Peterboro. I headed down to check out the work myself and they’re stripping the building down to the walls, studs and floors. Which, after years of neglect, makes sense.
I actually got to go to Chung’s just before it closed in 2000. Great memory, glad I got in there before the end. I don’t have word on the future plans.
» Incentives have been approved for the residential, retail and research portion of a massive $3 Billion development in partnership between Henry Ford Health, Michigan State University, and the owners of the Detroit Pistons. Look for 600 new apartments over a couple of square blocks, adding a ton of residential of life to this corner of town. [Urbanize Detroit]
» Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum wants you to know that they’re not closing. On a social media post, they said they’re looking for a new spot but haven’t found one yet that hasn’t checked most of the boxes. They’ll be open at their current Farmington Hills spot until the end of the year, after which the building will be demolished for a new Meijer location. [Facebook]
🍕 News bites
» Pizza Cat Max, just outside of Greektown, is done. Aiming to “Keep Pizza Weird,” the “Max” dine-in location was their first flag planted in Metro Detroit and included an 80s gaming theme. In the less than two years of between time, the Ohio-based operator has opened a number of carryout spots around the region. They will stay open. The Max location closes at midnight, March 3. [Pizza Cat Max]
We gave the place a spin when it opened in the summer of 2022. [Daily Detroit]
» Chipotle, Chick Fil-A, Adelina, Dunkin, Gilly’s and more are opening in downtown Detroit. A lot of it will be ahead of the NFL Draft coming in April. [Crain’s Detroit]
🎧 On the podcast
» Did you know Barbra Streisand’s first performance outside of New York was at Detroit’s Caucus Club in 1961? Me and producer Shianne caught up about a bunch of the fun concerts and events happening this summer. [Barbra archives]
Plus, I talk about trying Super Crisp. I know, I’m late to the party.
» From food reviews to development, our Friday podcast had you covered. Devon O’Reilly joins me to talk about the new Presley’s in the David Whitney Building, and somehow Engineer Randy and I got the first ever order in for Elephant and Co. pizza.
Plus, do people pay more attention to U of M than other schools in the news? And we discuss the changes in downtown Detroit’s employment numbers and how that’s having an impact on the ground as Rocket has cut more than 11,000 employees in the last couple of years.
» Detroit’s first 3-D printed house is for sale in Detroit’s Islandview neighborhood. Designed with efficiency and accessibility in mind, the home clocks in at just under 1,000 square feet. The walls were 3-D printed, and the interior more conventionally framed.
This results in a place that is pretty energy efficient, and an open concept for the kitchen and living room. The bedrooms are easy to walk into.
The idea is that if they can continue to get costs down, this could be a way to create attainable housing in the city — and put to use some of the tens of thousands of the city’s vacant lots.
I had a conversation with Fernando Bales of Citizen Robotics about the project, what they learned and what’s next on the Monday podcast.
Here’s the listing if you’re interested: [Realtor]
And below, a snippet from our Daily Detroit Minute on Instagram with a video tour.
💰 Support the work
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Feedback as always, dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com.
Until next time — remember that you are somebody — and I’ll see you around Detroit.
-Jer
