Detroit's Core is Booming

[egrguy]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../610110357/1001

A study states that the downtown core can handle an extra 1700 units for the next five years. I would think that would be great news for many of the rehab projects on the books.

[Michi]

I participated in that survey and a classmate of mine helped Bebe conduct it. I'm one of the percentages that make jack squat.

But on the other hand, I probably get the most out of my experience than many of the other participants.

[RustTown]

Only 400 new residents since 2000?! Really? Downtown has improved leaps and bounds, but if it's only added 400 person since 2000 I'd hardly call that 'booming' and that's an understatement. Man, that really threw me for a loop.

[Jasoncw]

Yeah, I thought the number was really low too.

I mean, how many individual units have been made, and there's at least one person living in each unit. It's hard to believe that so few more people were added.

But maybe there's less people living in the older apartment buildings, and that made the increase smaller or something, idk.

But 1700 new units (and at least that many people) for the next 5 years is pretty cool. I don't think that many will be made, but it's nice that the study people think they could be supported. Hopefully the study will encourage more stuff.

Does anyone know who paid for the study?

[Michi]

You have to take into account how many units were available before 2000 and how many were added and are available now. It's mostly rental units that are of concern here because those are the ones that are (for obvious reasons) the most transient. You may have people who are new to the area choose to live downtown their first year or two and then venture out to rent or purchase elsewhere, but still have a huge committment to downtown. Point being, more and more people are adopting downtown as part of their lifestyle.

[hudkina]

The fact that "only" 400 people moved to the area shouldn't be looked at as being "bad", especially when you consider nearly 30 people on average leave the city every day. Also, you don't need a huge population explosion for an area to prosper. Downtown is coming along at its own pace, and until we start seeing huge mega-condo towers we won't see huge jumps in population.

[gecko10225]

400 is the net gain. Not "only 400 people moved downtown."

"Downtown" as defined in the study is not necessarily the "downtown" people speak of here. For the purpose of the analysis and the numbers presented, it also included portions of midtown & portions along the river. Several people that have lived in those sections of the city for years, perhaps even all their lives, have left the area or left the city all together. Therefore, despite the fact that far more than 400 people moved downtown, there are still those that are leaving. It is those two groups combined that resulted in a 400 person gain.

[hudkina]

I know what the numbers mean... I was referring to the fact that the population increased by 400. Which wasn't even my point...