Daily Detroit News Byte

It's the weekend in summer! So we thought with the heat and sun we'd do a rundown of what's hot, what's not, what's new and what's closing around Detroit's bar and restaurant scene. Joining Sven Gustafson is our regular man about town, Devon O'Reilly. Also in studio is Randy Walker and of course Jer.  We cover: Tasting the new Momo Cha in the Detroit Shipping Company Capper and Capper pops up in the David Whitney Pao opens in Grand Circus Park Delmar, the new rooftop bar coming to the roof of an old bakery called Delmar in Greektown Is Greektown de-Greekified? Fort Street Galley Stumbles, and what it really takes to make it in downtown Detroit The inappropriate use of the letter "Z" in marketing Izakaya Katsu closing after just six months. Was Detroit ready?  The excellence that is Frame in Hazel Park Thanks for listening! If you love what we're doing on Daily Detroit, be sure to become a member at Patreon.com/DailyDetroit.

Aquavit is a caraway-flavored spirit long popular in Scandinavia, where it originated (aquavit literally translates to "water of life"). Yet it's never exactly been a liquor of choice here in the states. But here comes Norden Aquavit, a nearly year-old brand distilled right here in Detroit by longtime bartender and Berkeley, California native Robyn Cleveland. I met Cleveland last weekend at a midsommar Swedish dinner at Frame in Hazel Park put on by chef Jill Vedaa, of Salt in Cleveland, no less. It featured four different cocktails made with Norden Aquavit. Today, Cleveland dropped by the studio with a bottle of Norden to sample and to discuss the company and his work launching a startup aquavit brand from Detroit. Norden Aquavit drinks like a very smooth, non-juniper-y gin, with notes of caraway, of course, but also the sweetness of dill and a licorice/anise finish. We drank it neat — traditionally it's enjoyed slightly chilled — but it was subtle and not hot. And yes, we discuss recipes.

We all want the roads in Michigan fixed. But the price? And paying more for it? That's been a topic of hot debate among politicians and online commenters since Governor Gretchen Whitmer unveiled her plan to raise the gas tax by 45 cents a gallon to raise about $2.5 billion for the roads. But actually "Fixing the Damn Roads" is harder than a catchphrase. There's a real problem on the ground, with large populations, high traffic volumes and aging infrastructure. The bill is adding up, and getting bigger the longer we don't do anything. So to dive in on a very local level – specifically Wayne County, Michigan's most populous county – we're joined by Deputy Wayne County Executive Khalil Rahal and Director of Public Services Beverly Watts. We talk about previous road funding "fixes," where technology really is at to fix roads, where Michigan really stands per capita on funding our roads and some of the restraints Michigan law puts on local cities and counties for raising money for their roads. It's an interesting

What does it take to make a startup work in Detroit? Our conversation today is with Andrew Landau. His Detroit-based e-commerce company, Jewel, was recently purchased by banking giant Capital One. They're going to stay, grow and hire in Detroit, even after the acquisition. We also talk about why he's choosing the Motor City, and what tips he has for other entrepreneurs. Oh, and they're hiring. Also on the show: A wealthy suburban school district votes to close two schools amid racial tension. There's new life for the site of the old Hazel Park Race Track. The cold truth is that Cold Truth, a popular soft-serve joint in Eastern Market, is temporarily closing. Also, The Villages Biergarten may be no more. However, one of Detroit's notorious dive bars, with a history they say is connected to the infamous Purple Gang, may be reopening this fall.  Love the show? Be sure to tell a friend and subscribe in Apple Podcasts or wherever you download your favorite shows.

Over the weekend, an interesting thing happened. Detroit's Rosa Parks Transit Center got swarmed by bees. A very alert Twitter user shared the story. https://twitter.com/Imutahr/status/1142518278402846725 This set in motion a rescue of the bees from Detroit Hives. The Detroit-based nonprofit not only advocates and takes of bees in the area, but educates people on the benefits of bees. Whether it's health benefits, or like in the food desert that is parts of the city, that natural honey can be one of many benefits of bees. Our guests for the show are Timothy Paule Jackson and Nicole Lindsay who stop by to talk about what happened at the Transit Center, how bees can benefit Detroit and how you can support bees. Also: Muralist and graffiti artist Sheefy McFly was arrested by Detroit Police last week for vandalism while working on a mural commissioned by the city of Detroit. The Palace of Auburn Hills is meeting the wrecking ball. And Ferndale is installing a new rainbow sidewalk. Thanks for listening to the Dail

Over the last fifteen years, Michael Matthews rode along with officers of the Detroit Police Department. He had unrestricted access to the day to day life of the Motor City's men in blue. His new book, "American Ruin: Life And Death On The Streets Of Detroit – America's Deadliest City" dives into what's happening in a variety of neighborhoods, with first-hand accounts from his own eyes and on-the-job Detroit cops. In that time, Matthews – a former London cop and Scotland Yard officer himself – has come to see two Detroits. One that's shiny, new and resurgent. New buildings. new residents. One of promise and progress. And another where children are literally huddled in a house with no water, no heat, no furniture — and a pair of guns. The truth is that in Detroit, both stories exist. Side by side. Sometimes just one block from each other. Today's episode of the Daily Detroit podcast is a conversation between our Sven Gustafson and Michael Matthews. You'll find that below. We also have a short excerpt of the bo

Ford — as part of the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) negotiated as part of the $740 million Michigan Central Station/Corktown project — launched a City:One in Detroit. It's a competition for ideas to make it easier for Detroiters to get around. Sven went to Corktown to get all the details and we talk about what's happening on the show.  If you want to enter, go here. Also – Billionaire investor and Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert has moved from Beaumont Hospital to an inpatient rehabilitation facility. And the Detroit Zoo is temporarily closing the recently built Polk Penguin Conservation Center from September through June of 2020 to fix waterproofing issues that they're saying are due to the contractor. The $31 million building only opened in April of 2016.

On today's episode, we check in with soccer journalist and The Outer Drive podcast co-host Fletcher Sharpe, who covers Detroit City FC. With five games remaining in the NPSL regular season, Le Rouge are now unbeaten in seven games and have held opponents scoreless in each of those matches. But City has also notched scoreless draws during that stretch with their top divisional rivals in the NPSL Great Lakes Conference — AFC Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids FC. Le Rouge will have rematches with both teams during their final five games, and as Sharpe says, not all three teams are likely to make the NPSL playoffs. What else do we cover on the show, you ask? Federal officials are reviewing the Motor City Match program, which is meant to encourage small business entrepreneurship in the city, over its record-keeping and spending. [Detroit News] Jer talks to us about Ford's new information and community center as part of Michigan Center, the company's new name for its big investment in Corktown. Buddy's Pizza is giving ou

On today's show for June 18, 2019: - The City of Detroit is one of 10 American cities to join a new national program to figure out how to help residents make more money and improve their economic status.  - You've heard of Hell, Michigan, right? it's an unincorporated town near Pinckney in Livingston County. It's famous for its road signs, a tavern and stores selling souvenirs branded with the community's name. Now, a California YouTuber has purchased the whole five-acre commercial property and officially renamed it "Gay Hell" in protest of the Trump Administration. - The Conservatory on Belle Isle is opening nearly a month ahead of schedule. - A 2,500 Square Foot Premier Pet Supply is coming to the City Club Apartments near Grand Circus Park. And yes, it'll have a DIY dog wash station. We discuss. - A Grand Opening date has been set for the new Brooks Brewing in Ferndale. It'll be June 26th, and we talk about their unique approach to pricing their brews. - And finally, there's the 6th Annual Art of the Cockt

Cleveland. It's a city that is often compared to Detroit, and not always for their positive attributes. And nothing against our Rust Belt cousin, but it turns out it's one of the prime destinations for renters around metro Detroit who are looking to get out of town. And apparently there are a lot of people in that category. A new "Renter Migration Report" from Apartment List says the Detroit area is No. 2 among the 25 largest metro areas for the share of renters who are searching for apartments in other regions, at 49.6%. Conversely, just 21.9% of searches for rental units in the Detroit area come from outside the region, good for dead last. In addition to Cleveland, the top cities where Detroit-area renters are looking for rentals are Cincinnati and Grand Rapids. "Detroit has suffered from a decades-long population loss, and although this loss has slowed in recent years, the area has yet to cement a full revival," the report concludes. You can read it here. Remember, this is the whole region — there are hot

Bridge Magazine has a fascinating new story out that finds that while mortgage activity in Detroit is steadily increasing after bottoming out during the Great Recession, the recovery isn't mirroring Detroit's population demographics. What's more, there are still vast tracts of the city where mortgage activity is virtually nonexistent. Despite making up just 10% of the city's overall population, white people got almost half of all mortgages in Detroit in 2017, while black people, who comprise 80% of all Detroit residents, got 48% of all home loans. By comparison, black homeowners got three-quarters of all mortgages in the city in 2007. Interestingly, the data show that black people are getting mortgages, just not in the city. They're increasingly moving to suburbs like Southfield, Farmington, Warren and Eastpointe. On today's show, we speak with Mike Wilkinson, the Bridge Magazine reporter who wrote the story. We go deep on what the data tells us about what's driving the trend, how some black people appear to

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel wants to build a new jail, because the current one is a squalid death trap. On June 19, he plans to ask a special meeting of the county board of commissioners' Records and Public Safety panel for approval of the $375 million project, plus the OK of ballot language for a tax to pay for the bonds that would pay for it. It's not clear how much the tax millage would be or whether this would constitute a tax increase for residents. But for a generally tax-averse county, this one could get problematic, fast. Oh, and there's a new attempt to thwart the new Gordie Howe International Bridge, this time via an addition to a state budget bill that would prohibit the state from spending any money to finance its half of construction. You know, even though Canada is reimbursing us 100% of the costs. Will wonders never cease? Elsewhere, we run down: Security guards in downtown Detroit began a strike today, though it's unclear how widespread it actually is. The city has broken ground on th

The Motor City is synonymous with the car. It's called, after all, the Motor City. But will the next chapter of Detroit be so car-focused? And how will those changes happen? Today's episode of Daily Detroit is a conversation with Kevin Bopp, the Vice President of Parking and Mobility for Bedrock. That's the real estate arm of Dan Gilbert's family of companies. Each day, they need to get many thousands of people in and out of their properties, whether they're employees, tenants, visitors or residents. Topics include the parking woes of downtown Detroit, public transit, scooters, the new ride sharing program Scoop, and there's a bold call that the Detroit People Mover will see a renaissance. One more thing to know before you go. Marygrove College has announced that it will be closing due to declines in enrollment and large debts. The fall 2019 semester will be the final semester for the 92 year old Catholic college. Thanks for listening to the Daily Detroit podcast!

Over on Belle Isle today, boosters broke ground on the Piet Oudolf garden, the unofficial name for the landscape installation planned for 2.5 acres at the Nancy Brown Peace Carillon. Oudolf is a legendary Dutch garden designer and author who's perhaps best known for his work on New York City's High Line, a linear park on a former elevated rail track, and the Lurie Garden in Chicago's Millennium Park. You can watch a PBS NewsHour segment with him below; in it, he talks specifically about the project in Detroit and the city itself. On today's episode, we speak with two members of the volunteer organization Oudolf Garden Detroit — Maura and Duncan Campbell. They tell us all about how Oudolf was persuaded to do a commission in Detroit, what's involved and how backers hope it might lead to some transformational changes to Belle Isle — and the city as a whole. Installation — that is to say, the planting of the 18,000 plants — kicks off in September, and the organization is still raising money toward its $4.2 millio

Midtown Detroit, Inc. and the Detroit Institute of Arts have announced the winner of its DIA Plaza | Midtown Cultural Connections international design competition, first launched in 2017. Detroit Square is a proposal from an international consortium led by Paris-based Agence Ter and including Detroit-based Akoaki, rootoftwo, and Harley Etienne. The proposal reimagines the 83-acre Cultural Center in Midtown and its 12 educational and cultural institutions, highlighted by the DIA, the Detroit Public Library, the Detroit Historical Museum, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Michigan Science Center and several others. It includes major new green spaces, a winding greenway connecting the 12 institutions, cafes, art installations, performance spaces and two plaza areas that could serve as public event spaces and warrant the temporary closure of Woodward to vehicles. There's also a big focus on adding public Wi-Fi and 5G cellular connections throughout the site. In addition to talking about

Oak Park is a diverse inner-ring suburb of more than 29,000 people nestled between Ferndale, Detroit, Berkley and Southfield. It's in a great location, minutes from a variety of job centers. It's seeing a lot more action as nearby cities like Ferndale grow (yes, there are lofts going for $5,000 a month in downtown Ferndale now and housing prices are racing up). And the added cost of living in nearby Detroit is burdensome for many families. Recent changes — including allowing restaurants to serve alcohol — are making Oak Park more of a draw. Sure, MoGo bike sharing is coming to the community this summer. But the last few years there has been a greater focus on walkable spaces and a city manager that clearly believes that a well-designed and thoughtful built environment, mixed with solid city services, can make for a better life for residents. In short, Oak Park could be the next urbanist suburb you need to watch. To talk about it, we had City Manager Erik Tungate in the studio. The conversation with Sven Gusta

Welcome to a bonus Friday edition of your Daily Detroit. Today, we discuss the sad news that Axle Brewing will shutter its Livernois Taproom June 30th, barely two years after it first opened. Dave Phillips, one-half of Podcast Detroit and the IT in the D podcast, and himself a former partner in a failed craft brewery, joins us to discuss how difficult it is to succeed in an uber-competitive sector, where even established brands have to fight for shelf space, and drinkers like me fret about overabundance. Axle President Dan Riley told the Freep the brand doesn't have the scale or cost structure to see a "clear path" to turning a profit. Elsewhere: Detroit may be dealing with a serial killer after three women believed to be prostitutes were found dead in abandoned homes on the city's east side. Tipsters are asked to call (313) 596-2260. [Detroit News] There's an update on Dan Gilbert, nearly two weeks after the billionaire real estate developer suffered a stroke. Detroit's Public Lighting Authority is starting

Welcome to a very Motor City-centric edition of your Daily Detroit. Today, we're running down a pair of big stories from the auto industry, speaking with Kristin Dziczek, vice president of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor. First up: Fiat Chrysler has withdrawn its $35 billion proposal to merge with French automaker Renault just 10 days after FCA first announced the proposal. It comes after the Renault board on Wednesday failed to reach a decision on the proposal, citing the French government's request to postpone a vote. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Nissan's two representatives on the Renault board also objected.  Renault owns a stake in Nissan as part of a long-running alliance with the Japanese automaker, while the French government owns a 15% stake in Renault. Fiat Chrysler's board met Wednesday evening and voted to withdraw its proposal with immediate effect, saying that although it remains convinced of the compelling rationale for the merger, "it has become clear that the pol

Are tax incentives as a tool to lure large-scale corporate investment and jobs here to stay? That's the question at the heart of this interview today with Kevin Johnson, the president and CEO of the Detroit Economic Development Corp. It's particularly timely in the midst of Chrysler's planned $2.5 billion investment to create nearly 5,000 new jobs on Detroit's east side, where workers will build the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee and an all-new three-row full-size Jeep SUV. The deal has won some $291 million in assorted incentives. The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation – or DEGC for short – has been instrumental in development projects in the city since the late 1970s. Johnson took over as head of the organization about a year ago. He spent a few years doing economic development in Atlanta, as well as stints at organizations in Arizona, Florida and North Carolina. He spoke with Jer at the Mackinac Policy Conference last week on Mackinac Island. Here's that conversation. Thanks for listening to Daily De

Welcome to an al fresco edition of your Daily Detroit, recorded au natural in a park near downtown Royal Oak. We were there to cover a press event to discuss some of the things in store for Arts, Beats & Eats, which returns for its 22nd edition with a new sponsor Aug. 30-Sept. 2. We also cover the details of the newest historic building rehab in Detroit. It's called the Assembly, a mixed-use office and retail building in Corktown with 32 apartments from Dan Gilbert's Bedrock real estate empire. Last but not least, we check in with our friend and soccer journalist Fletcher Sharpe to see how Detroit City FC is doing now five games into their NPSL regular season. Le Rouge appear to be shaking off a slow start to the season following three consecutive clean sheets and two straight lopsided wins. Thanks for listening to Daily Detroit. If you like what you're hearing, tell a friend about us, leave us a review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or support us by becoming a Patreon member.