To some, Detroit has become a barren hellscape of ruin and despair. Ruined by decades of incompetence, neglect and emigration, a once half-decent city has fallen into a quarter-decent city.
This might be changing, though. An article from The Detroit News said the “decades-long dream of transforming Detroit’s downtown riverfront into an urban destination is getting closer to reality, boosters say, but challenges remain to build private developments in the remaining gaps.”
That would be an understatement. Still, it’s nice to see someone trying to rebuild the city.
When people think of Michigan, they probably think of Detroit as well. Of course, Michigan’s problems go deeper than one crumbling city and it will take more than waterfront property being renovated to address those issues, but rebuilding Detroit will help better the state’s image.
According to the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget, the state’s unemployment rate is around 10 percent. So, there’s that to deal with, too.
Rebuilding Detroit will create jobs, naturally, as will any new riverfront investment or new development in general. More than that, though, it will help make Detroit — and by extension, Michigan — a better place.
Rebuilding Detroit might not seem like a major issue, especially for those of us who avoid it for various reasons, but it must be rebuilt. It is one of the most prominent cities historically, and one of the oldest permanently settled areas of the state.
To rebuild Detroit is in a very real way to rebuild the state. With a new, remodeled Detroit, shining like a beacon of perseverance to the world, people will see a new Michigan — a better Michigan. A Michigan that saw Detroit rebuild and said to itself, “Hey, let’s do that to whole state!”
Trying to separate Michigan’s image from Detroit’s is apparently a futile gesture. Therefore, we Michiganders must strive to better our state’s major cities, because like it or not, those cities reflect Michigan. Shouldn’t we make sure what is reflected is hope and rebuilding, not despair and ruin?
