The people showed up in Detroit for the NFL Draft - 275,000 of them, setting a record for the event. Plus, the Lions made a key pick - and we know now more about how the NFC North might shape up for next year.

To break it all down, Fletcher Sharpe joined me at the Foundation Hotel for a very early morning recording sessions.

The Detroit podcast rundown:

01:00 - Record-setting attendance and the vibe downtown was great

03:15 - Brad Holmes got his man: CB Terrion Arnold selected by Lions

05:59 - Lions signings - Penei Sewell, Amon Ra St. Brown

09:23 - What are Lions looking for in later rounds? 10:49 - There's more than the draft zone - parties in parks, events, etc

12:22 - JJ McCarthy and the Vikings 14:56 - Bears make moves, how does it impact Lions?

16:35 - Green Bay pick thoughts

As always, you can find Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download your favorite podcasts. On Apple: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonapple

 On Spotify: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonspotify

 Thanks to our members on Patreon. Local coverage requires local support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Norris Howard is in, and we talk about a rash of racist billboards that recently popped up in town and how it shows there's more work to do around the topic.

Source news stories we talk about: Detroit News: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2024/04/23/american-islamic-group-leaders-condemn-hitler-racist-billboards-in-southeast-michigan/73426966007/

 Metro Times: https://www.metrotimes.com/news/racist-messages-splashed-across-billboards-in-metro-detroit-on-hitlers-birthday-36078810

 As always, you can find Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.

On Apple: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonapple

 On Spotify: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonspotify

 Thanks to our members on Patreon. Local coverage requires local support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Today in a new game, "Pick 3," we determine what are our favorite breakfast spots in greater Downtown Detroit ahead of the NFL Draft (to answer listener Laura's question).

Engineer Randy went to the newest dining ticket in Detroit, Vecino. He has thoughts in a first look at the modern Mexician cuisine spot.

And, we talk about our brand new website and newsletter platform to improve how we serve all of you.

Rundown:

01:24 - Randy checks out the newest restaruant in Midtown, Vecino. This isn't a full review but a "first look," with his thoughts from food to drinks to pricing.

09:39 - Our new game show, Pick 3! Where Jer and Randy draft their favorite three breakfast spots near the NFL Draft to help out listener Laura.

18:21 - We've got a brand new website and new newsletter platform. We've moved to Ghost to help be ready to grow the thing.

Thanks to our newest sponsor, your local Best Choice Roofing of Metro Detroit. They do quality work, you can hire them around the region (and in the city) and we thank them for their support. https://bestchoiceroofingdetroit.com/

As always, you can find Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download your favorite podcasts. On Apple: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonapple

 On Spotify: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonspotify

 Thanks to our members on Patreon. Local coverage requires local support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Today Fletcher Sharpe is in and we do a bit of a preview of the NFL Draft event situation. Plus, we discuss whether professional players should bet on sports at all, and the growing importance of gambling to the business of sports.

The Detroit Tigers may not be able to coast with a .500 record and win the American League Central as the Cleveland Guardians are showing to be a stronger team, so the Tigers will have to step up with their bats.

And Fletcher went to the Detroit City FC match against the Oakland Roots as city wins again in the USL Championship, 3-1.

Also, if you're interested in meeting up during the draft send us a note! As always, you can find Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.

On Apple: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonapple

 On Spotify: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonspotify

 Thanks to our members on Patreon. Local coverage requires local support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Today's podcast seems to be brought to you by the letter "B." Producer Shianne is in the co-host chair and we cover everything from a favorite old White Stripes show being available online to new supersized gas station speculation to a new spot in Berkley to a little love for the People Mover in light of the Draft street closures.

00:58 - White Stripes old show at the Magic Stick from 20+ years ago is available online

03:17 - Bucc-ee's speculation with a new billboard popping up in West Michigan. Jer's been, so he talks about it.

11:02 - Bombshell Treat Bar opens in Berkley. Jer went to the media preview, and has the tasty details.

14:16 - People Mover love in light of the closures and traffic - should we have more elevated rail?

Also, if you're interested in meeting up during the draft send us a note!

As always, you can find Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download your favorite podcasts. On Apple: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonapple

 On Spotify: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonspotify

 Thanks to our members on Patreon. Local coverage requires local support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Devon O'Reilly is in on a Friday and we're talking about what's new and notable around town, with a focus on the tasty.

02:02 - The Astro egg sandwich recipe has been released into the wild. A life-changing sandwich, you can get the recipe here. https://stilllifewithlemon.substack.com/p/astro-egg-sandwich

05:01 - Jer and Devon go to Gilly's and have their first impressions on Detroit's newest sports bar

13:18 - New boardwalk connecting to West Riverfront Park underway

14:58 - Edition Hotel coming to Detroit, Devon's RenCen take

Also, if you're interested in meeting up during the draft send us a note! 

As always, you can find Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download your favorite podcasts. On Apple: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonapple

 On Spotify: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonspotify

 Thanks to our members on Patreon. Local coverage requires local support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

On Wednesday, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan delivered his eleventh State of the City address. It was a rapid-fire list of wins, and areas where he wants to focus on the next year.

But what is the state of our city, from a different perspective? What if we take a minute, or an hour in this case, and unpack what's happening in Michigan's largest city with a different lens?

 Chase Cantrell - he heads up Building Community Value, lectures at the University of Michigan and is an active developer - brings that lens, and we work through different angles of the topics in the speech.

This is one of the most in-depth analysis you're going to find on the speech, and whether you agree or not we'd love to hear what you have to say.

For feedback, dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com or 313-789-3211.

Here's the topic rundown, and an automated show transcript is to come.

01:34 - Public Safety improvements, things that work and things that maybe should get even more money as a percentage of the overall budget.

05:32 - Trauma and black flight from the city. The causes, how to address it, and what's next.

11:06 - Construction costs have skyrocketed, impacting the rebuild of empty land

12:51 - A lack of family homes in Detroit - why? How to address that?

16:12 - Environment and sustainability conversation. Solar panels vs. addressing flooding.

20:43 - Advocating for participatory budgeting

24:55 - Discussing the Detroit Promise scholarship program, and encouraging more awareness of it

29:22 - Affordable housing. We need more! What do we need to get there? And addressing the wealth of the people of Detroit.

32:32 - The underlying challanges and opportunities of wrestling with buses and transit in Detroit.

43:50 - There's going to be a new focus on abandoned vehicles.

50:17 - More of a commitment to black history, including more monuments that reflect the majority community here as much of our civic art downtown looks like it's still the Jerome Cavanaugh administration

53:56 - $3 Billion in wealth for black homeowners. What does that mean? And the gaps to help people access or build that wealth as banks are hesitant to do smaller lending (under $100,000).

As always, you can find Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.

On Apple: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonapple

 On Spotify: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonspotify

 Thanks to our members on Patreon. Local coverage requires local support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Norris Howard is back in the co-host chair after a trip to New York City, and we get into some of things to talk about around Detroit.

02:02 - Norris's take on GM's move to Hudson's Detroit and what is going to happen with the Ren Cen.

06:43 - RIverfront by the Ren Cen could be utilized so much better if they got rid of all those surface parking lots.

13:32 - Education is neededon the history and context for certain things that have happened in the city, as well as our landmarks. There's so much more than just the RenCen, but between this and the sign it seems the connections are thin with so many people moving out.

15:00 - What Jer hopes he will hear from the State of the City event.

18:36 - Detroit Public Television has a new name - Detroit PBS - and will be moving their studio from Wixom to a new studio in Milwaulkee Junction. This will join what's becoming a new "Media Row" in Detroit near Grand Boulevard/Woodward etc.

23:03 - Norris's idea of the idea ofo moving the Lion's practice facility to Canton.

As always, you can find Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download your favorite podcasts. On Apple: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonapple

 On Spotify: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonspotify

 Thanks to our members on Patreon. Local coverage requires local support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

We have a jam-packed episode for you today! Our feature conversation is with Rich Miller, Jr.

 He's a NFL Draft prospect that went to Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Detroit. It's a fascinating conversation on his story.

And Fletcher Sharpe has even more for you.

Here's the rundown:

01:05 - The Pistons are looking for a new Head of Basketball Operations, but Troy Weaver is staying

03:00 - NFL Draft prospect Rich Miller Jr. joins us to talk about his time at MLK high School. Here are time stamps in the conversation portion: 

04:37 - What made him choose to go to Buffalo for college after high school?

06:34 - How has being from Detroit help mold him as a person and a football player?

10:45 - What is the perfect senerio for the Draft?

12:19 - How big of a deal is it for him that the draft is in Detroit?

13:16 - First stop once he gets home?

13:52 - Advice for younger people coming up

From Hamtramck:

16:43 - Detroit City FC wins 1-0 in an Open Cup match against the Michigan Stars. Is it now a rivalry? Fletcher has thoughts.

As always, you can find Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.

On Apple: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonapple

 On Spotify: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonspotify

 Thanks to our members on Patreon. Local coverage requires local support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

In a move that's got the whole Detroit region talking, General Motors is leaving the RenCen in 2025 to take up the upper floors of the office space at Hudson's Detroit. 

But that leaves one of Detroit's most iconic buildings without a clear path. Bedrock and GM are going to work over the next year to think about what it looks like going forward, but we take a first take at it, and talk about some of the amenities we'd like to see - and what the city might need. 

As always, feedback - dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com. Or 313-789-3211. 

The rundown:

01:46 - General Motors will be moving out of the Ren Cen and into Dan Gilbert's Hudson's Detroit in 2025

02:50 - Details we know are sparce, but could a shiny new building make people want to come to the office again? 

04:09 - Redeveloping the Ren Cen into residential, if possible, could be the best move to improve Downtown Detroit's population, the lowest by percentage (and in some cases, raw numbers) among like regions in the country.

08:29 - RenCen speculation, what is going to happen to this iconic building? What would we like to see? Also offering something that suburbs can't - density and types of city-focused living. Greater Downtown Detroit has room for 50,000+ more people for it even compare to other major downtowns as far as residential, and also boost the city's population numbers; but there'd need to be real density and the RenCen could help with that. 

11:47 - Gilbert had this idea to pitch this move to GM years ago when he first talked to Mayor Duggan about his plans to build Hudson's Detroit. It's been in the works a long time, and a reminder these leaders are always talking.

If you want to read more on Urbanize, check out this post: https://detroit.urbanize.city/post/gm-announces-move-rencen-new-hudsons-detroit

As always, you can find Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download your favorite podcasts. 

On Apple: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonapple

On Spotify: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonspotify

Thanks to our members on Patreon. Local coverage requires local support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

The spirit of entrepreneurship is strong in Detroit, but also - it takes resources to really get going.

That's where, since 2011, the Hatch Detroit contest has come in. One of these 10 businesses we talk to today will walk away with $100,000 in cash from Comerica Bank to make their dreams happen in Detroit, Highland Park or Hamtramck.

Today, I talk to all of them in elevator pitch format. And then you get to decide by going to https://www.hatchdetroit.com/vote and picking up to four you think are worthy, each day through noon on April 18.

Here's the rundown:

01:34 - Amarra Products

05:03 - Estella’s Vegan Dessert Boutique

07:06 - Harry Rich Clothier

09:21 - Khana

11:13 - Nada Dry Bar

13:39 - Natural Living By Design II

16:51 - Pique Earth

19:37 - The Gentleman’s Oasis

21:04 - Unity Community Barbershop

23:11 - Roller Skate Detroit

Remember to vote: https://hatchdetroit.com/vote/

As always, you can find Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download your favorite podcasts. On Apple: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonapple

 On Spotify: https://lnk.to/dailydetroitonspotify

 Thanks to our members on Patreon. Local coverage requires local support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit