Hey Friends, Jer here.

The “big story” around town is that the demolition clock has started on the Glass House in Dearborn, as Ford is moving their global HQ three miles down the road to a beautiful new building.

Opened in 1956, the last time I visited the Glass House it was a bit long in the tooth for a company the stature of Ford.

But, nostalgia is a thing and so many west siders are used to seeing it off of Michigan avenue for decades. In about 18 months, it’ll be gone to make way for something new.

The new headquarters will be twice the size of the current building and accommodate double the employees, bringing together engineering, design, and technology teams in one collaborative space.

According to Ford executives Bill Ford and Jim Farley, the facility will house up to 4,000 employees with a total of 14,000 workers within a 15-minute walk.

Plus, they’re staying in Dearborn, and the new HQ will be across from the Henry Ford and Greenfield Village, Metro Detroit’s largest tourist destination.

Devon O'Reilly joined me on our podcast today to talk about the impact, what it means for Dearborn and the region, and what could be next for the old Glass House land.

👋 Come say hello at our studio open house on Saturday! From 10a-1p, we’re hosting conversations, coffee, and donuts at our TechTown studio at Cass and Burroughs in Detroit. It’s free, it’s fun, and a great way to connect with other readers, listeners of the show, and neighbors. [Eventbrite]

💰 The City of Detroit ended the fiscal year with a $60.2m surplus. This marks the city's 11th consecutive surplus since emerging from bankruptcy.

In an announcement, Mayor Mike Duggan credited department heads for watching every dollar, with most departments coming in under budget despite flat revenues. The city's financial management has earned Detroit its 11th credit rating upgrade during Duggan's administration.

With economic uncertainty on the horizon, the Mayor is proposing a new $42 million Corporate Income Tax Reserve Fund to protect against potential revenue losses from manufacturing slowdowns and federal tax law changes.

This new fund would be in addition to the $502 million already set aside in various reserve funds, including $150 million in the Rainy Day Fund. The goal is to make sure the next administration starts with a surplus, not a deficit.

🧱 Detroit developers are warning of a potential rental market collapse. Rising costs (doubled insurance premiums, high interest rates, increased construction expenses), slower eviction processes, and tenant payment issues are squeezing landlords' already thin margins. With only 1,100 housing units built this year—far below the needed 2,700—and just 44 being unsubsidized, developers say the market is already in decline. [Outlier Media]

As the excellent Aaron Mondry reports, this could mean drops in housing quality, instability for tenants and the loss of thousands of market-rate units.

🍎 The new Apple Store in Downtown Detroit is opening this Friday at 5p. We’ll have coverage — not just at the store, but other ways Apple is investing in Detroit with their Academy program. [Daily Detroit Instagram]

News bites

🇷🇴 Chefs Gabriel and Gabriela Botezan are opening Bar Gabi, a modern Romanian concept, in Hazel Park's former Framebar space as soon as next month. The restaurant will feature Romanian cuisine with a modern twist, including dishes like octopus, pork belly, Romanian schnitzel, and rotating pasta options. [Detroit News]

🍗 Michigan is getting another Raising Cane's. The latest just opened in Ann Arbor. This is the third location in Michigan, the first being in East Lansing and the second one in Canton.

Dog lovers will appreciate the statue of the nationwide chain's namesake Cane III. Founder Todd Graves named the business after his pet Labrador Retriever.

Although a chain, every location includes local flair. This one, of course, focused on the University of Michigan.

You can find it at the corner of East University and South University in downtown A2.

🍻 There’s a history and hops tour this weekend. You’ll find some of the biggest names in Detroit beverage history at Elmwood Cemetery, from Bernhard Stroh and August Goebel to Hiram Walker, whose Canadian-made “club whiskey” became an international sensation. Hear their stories and more at History & Hops, a beverage history tour and beer tasting at Elmwood.

Join friend of the show, Historian and James Beard Award-nominated writer Mickey Lyons as she leads a walking tour of the cemetery’s beer, wine and spirits history, then have beer and snacks afterward from Brewery Faisan and Grandeur Cru, included in the price of the ticket. They’re going fast. [Eventbrite]

🌉 One of the most important stories over the last few years has been the Ambassador Bridge, the land around it, and the owners of it. Journalist Andrew Lapin recently produced an excellent piece for the podcast 99 Percent Invisible, and we had him into the studio to talk about his work and vantage as a reporter based right here in the area. [Daily Detroit] [Apple Podcasts]

🗓️ Eastern Market After Dark is this Thursday. It's one of the most fun nights of the year, as the whole area lights up with the energy of design, food, retail and more. The fun runs from 6p-11p. [EMAD]

And that’s it for today.

Four quick things before I go:

• If this is your first time here, be sure to sign up for future free notes to stay in touch.
• Reminder that our livestream is this afternoon our YouTube channel.
• That local media needs local support, so join us as a member on Patreon.
• And we have a get-together Saturday morning. I’d love to see you to talk Detroit stuff.

Remember that you are somebody,

-Jer