The Red Grape Lounge Replaces the 5 & 10 Bar

Out with the 5 & 10 Bar, which was inside the Kresge Building, in with the Red Grape Lounge.

Defacing the Schwankovsky Temple of Music

According to Detroit Moxie a "Pop-Up" performance space has opened up inside the Schwankovsky Temple of Music called vitaminwater uncapped LIVE: Detroit. One of the "Features" of this performance space is a showcase for art. This showcase consists of graffiti painted on the interior of the 120 year old building.

According to Moxie "The juxtaposition between the old architecture and the new graffiti and street art is compelling." Really?  Defacing the interior of a beautiful, viable building is compelling?  It's not even remotely acceptable!  Will vitaminwater, which is underwriting this atrocity, pay to have the interior restored when their event disappears June 18?  I don't think it is very likely.

The Beginning of the End for Ford Auditorium

*More Demolition Coverage*

Nothing Special at Capitol Park

The reconstruction of Capitol Park is complete and I will have to agree with the majority opinion, it is nothing special.  I was underwhelmed by the design when I walked through it last week.  The one thing that it did have going for it was the lack a homeless people milling about.  If the new park is to become a catalyst for the regeneration of that section of downtown, as intended, that is an important first step.

Cass Tech Destruction

Demolition work continues on the annex of Old Cass Tech. The demolition of the remainder of the school will begin in June, once the current school year has been completed.

Nothing Growing at Compuware Gardens

Back in March of this year, Compuware's art and community program manager announced Compuware's urban gardening project. Community gardens will be established on the former sites of the Lafayette and Hudson buildings. Compuware employees will plant and tend these gardens with the produce harvested from the space going to local non-profits, such as Gleaners. Thus far, there are no visible signs of any development on either of these sites which are set to open in July.

Port Authority Terminal Almost Ready to Weigh Anchor

The Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority Public Dock and Passenger Terminal will debut next month. Final preparations are underway and the first cruise ship is set to dock in July.

More Funding Coming to Detroit Green Spaces

Governor Rick Snyder signed a bill this week approving $102 million in grants to the Natural Resources Trust Fund.  Close to $35 million from that grant will go to William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor, Detroit Riverwalk and the Dequindre Cut.  The following acquisition projects were recommended for funding:

•  $20 million would be used to acquire three to six large private inholding parcels and trail easements along the Detroit Riverfront as additions to the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor.

•  $9 million would be used by the DNRE to acquire 48,000 square feet of built-out space in the
  Globe Building for the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor Adventure and Discovery
  Center in downtown Detroit.

• $5 million would be used by the DNRE to acquire public use easements and land acquisitions along the
  Detroit River from the Ambassador Bridge to the MacArthur Bridge as part of a 5-mile-long
  public greenway.

• $375,000 would be used to acquire a 0.7-mile section of abandoned rail corridor in downtown Detroit that continues the Dequindre Cut north, connecting the Detroit Riverfront to the historic Eastern Market. 

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*UPDATE* Seldom Blues Space to Host New Restaurant

An announcement is expected to be made next week regarding the vacant space in the GM Renaissance Center that was formerly occupied by the Seldom Blues restaurant. A new restaurant will take over the space and it is rumored to be linked to the Joe Muer's name as well as Andiamo.

*Joe Muer’s Seafood is slated to open inside the Renaissance Center in early September. The former Seldom Blues location won out over sites at the Compuware Building and Asian Village. Muer's will be run by Andiamo Restaurant Group. The company purchased all the original Joe Muer licensing agreements, recipes and trademarks.*

Detroit 2.0: Hudson, Lafayette Building sites to be Community Gardens

Compuware employees will tend community gardens on the sites of the Hudson building (Premier Garage) and the Lafayette Building. What a great use for an underground parking structure that was constructed to support a 15 story structure above it.  There is dumb and then there is Detroit dumb!