Hey friends, Jer here. We made it through Monday! I, personally, am all about this slightly cooler weather… it’s going to stick around a bit, so gonna hang out in the yard and write this note to you.
Let’s get into it. My thoughts are in italics.
⛹🏽♀️ Sports fans in Detroit should soon have a dedicated space to cheer on women's athletics with the upcoming Bar IX, the first-ever establishment focused on women's sports in Michigan.
Bar IX (said Bar Nine) aims to be more than just a sports bar. Organizers envision a community hub where fans can regularly watch women's games without the struggle of convincing traditional sports bars to change the channel.
"It's still hard to get an average sports bar to turn on the women's game," says Alissa Graff in the most recent episode of the Daily Detroit podcast. "We want to build that space where people know where to go to watch the big women's games, even the small women's games."
The project recently received a Motor City Match planning award and is developing fundraising plans. Bar IX hopes to secure a location and open within the next year.
In the meantime, they're building community through pop-up watch parties.
Their next event features USA vs. Samoa Women's Rugby World Cup on September 6 at 11a at The Congregation.
Want to learn more? Tune in to today's Daily Detroit podcast episode for our full interview with Alissa Graff about Bar IX's vision, challenges, and how this space looks to help lift up women's sports in our community. [Apple Podcasts] [Bar IX Instagram]
🛣️ Turns out the business community was against the plan to turn I-375 into a boulevard all along, according to a well-reported piece by [Crain’s Detroit Business]
A high-up rep at the Hollywood Casino at Greektown told Crain's “We would have literally gone out of business,” and the piece also quotes powerful businessman Dennis Archer Jr:
“Not once did I run into someone who was excited about it” in Lafayette Park because of its impact on the tranquil nature of the neighborhood, Archer said. “I also found no small business on the other side of the freeway” in support of it.
I'll add some context... Let’s remember that the city of Detroit gets more revenue from taxes on gaming than property taxes. Very different than the suburbs.
Now, I personally know a lot of people excited about the potential of the project. I think urban freeways are dumb (for a number of reasons), and I agree with another pundit that the city missed an opportunity — even though it seems to me that MDOT mangled the design and the execution of the community engagement over the years.
No offense to casinos, but we need to move to a local economy less dependent on them.
When I first reported on this I-375 stuff for PBS Detroit, the whole thing was supposed to be done by 2024!
🚧 Meanwhile, 100+ of Michigan’s overpasses are heading toward closure because we can’t get a road funding package together. [WXYZ].
Don’t even get me started on transit funding…
🚔 An independent investigation found that Hamtramck's Police Chief gave a loaded gun to someone who wasn't a police officer and another officer lied about working overtime hours — both, the report says, committed misconduct worthy of firing. [Detroit News]
🧘 Alo Yoga in Downtown Detroit opened over the weekend on Woodward.
The premium athleisure brand is taking one of the new retail spaces created by the new Hudson’s Detroit development.
If you’ve not heard of Alo (I didn’t before I heard they were coming to the city — I'm more of a "yogurt on my gyro" than "yoga on a mat" kind of guy) they’re based in Beverly Hills, California. They call their more than 50 stores “sanctuaries.”
So, now Downtown Detroit has its choice of lululemon or Alo. And a number of places to practice, like Citizen Yoga.
This corner of downtown is quickly becoming a high-end shopping district (as is typical to have in major cities). Brands like Gucci have opened down the street and many are waiting for when the new Apple store on the next block will swing open their doors.
👀 Eye Spy: The 70,000 square foot COSM immersive reality entertainment complex is rising on Monroe in Campus Martius.
When complete, there will be an 87-foot diameter LED dome with capacity for 700 people for watching sports and more.
🍽️ News Bites:
🥪 The Detroit Sandwich Party at Eastern Market's Shed 5 is this Sunday! This one-day festival celebrates Detroit's best sandwich makers with small-format sandwiches (both sweet and savory) available. There will be beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages and the chance to hang out with fellow sandwich enthusiasts. Carlos Parisi joined me on the show recently to talk about the delectable day ahead. [Apple Podcasts] [Spotify] [Sandwich Party website]
🍦 JJs Custard is now open in Grosse Pointe Park.
🍗 Slow’s BBQ is opening a third location in the old Blue Tractor spot in Ann Arbor.
🇧🇮 Waka, a project of Baobab Fare, is moving along with the buildout of their Eastern Market location.
🥟 Rose’s Fine Food on the city’s east side says they’re just about ready to re-open, just waiting for a license approval. Promised are Polish-inspired delicacies and a full bar.
That’s it for today. Feedback as always, dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com.
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Remember that you are somebody,
-Jer
