One Detroit
Jan. 12, 2023
The Future of Downtown Detroit: Discussions from the 2023 Detroit Policy Conference
January 13, 2023
This Week on One Detroit:
One Detroit brings our viewers special coverage from on-location at the 2023 Detroit Policy Conference that explores what key Michigan government and business leaders think about the future of downtown Detroit.
Downtown Detroit Businesses Tackle Post-pandemic Foot Traffic, Talk Possible Solutions
Before the pandemic hit Detroit, the city’s streets were filled with workers and suburban commuters patronizing the local retailers and restaurants. Nearly three years later, that scene is mostly gone according to three Detroit entrepreneurs and business owners, who say foot traffic during the weekdays has slowed and the city’s residential density isn’t large enough to help that return.
Taking a look at the future of work for Detroit’s hospitality businesses, One Detroit Senior Producer Bill Kubota and Daily Detroit podcast host Jer Staes visits three Detroit business owners and entrepreneurs to talk about the post-pandemic challenges they face and what they see as possible solutions.
Staes talks with Dennis Archer, Jr., a managing partner at Central Kitchen, along with Coffee Down Under owner Tarun Kajeepeta and Throwbacks Home Owner Bo Shepherd, about how the city can work to have residents return to downtown and what changes they’re hoping to see for the future of downtown Detroit.
Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II on the Administration’s Investment in Downtown Detroit
As Michigan ushers in a Democratically controlled state government for the first time in 40 years, what could that mean for the state’s ongoing investments in Detroit? And what could Detroit’s resurgence mean for the rest of the region and state?
Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II sat down with One Detroit contributor and “American Black Journal” host Stephen Henderson on the Sound Board Stage at the 2023 Detroit Policy Conference, hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber, for a conversation about what’s happening in downtown Detroit and the administration’s economic plans for investing in the city’s future.
They talk about Lt. Gov. Gilchrist’s childhood growing up just east of downtown Detroit, in the Elmwood Park area, the evolution of Detroit over the years and the importance of having a vibrant downtown, and about the state’s partnerships that are investing in transportation infrastructure, a stronger technology ecosystem, and spaces for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.
What Do Workers Want From a Post-pandemic Workforce? Strategic Staffing Solutions Weighs In
For nearly three years, many employees have been working remotely because of the pandemic. Now, whether employers are choosing to stay fully remote, implement a hybrid model or make a full return to the office, several businesses are starting to make decisions about their post-pandemic workplace environments and requirements. But what do the employees want?
Strategic Staffing Solutions President and CEO Cindy Pasky sits down with One Detroit contributor Nolan Finley of the Detroit News at the 2023 Detroit Policy Conference to learn more about the disruption COVID-19 caused to Detroit’s workforce, as well as how employees and employers are navigating the post-pandemic landscape.
They talk about the increased number of people taking on gig economy and/or entrepreneurial ventures, employees’ shift in perspective, the organization’s efforts to find jobs for veterans and returning citizens, and the importance of those efforts to the organization. Plus, she gives her predictions for the future of Detroit’s job market and workforce development.
Millennials Make Up a Majority of the Global Workforce. Can Michigan Attract Them to Move Here?
Millennials are expected to make up nearly three-fourths of the global workforce in the next two years, and many are moving away from now-unaffordable and overpopulated cities like New York City and San Francisco to cities down South including Austin, Dallas, and Miami. As millennial workers consider where they want to plant their roots, and build a family and career, what can Michigan do to attract them to move here?
It could be Michigan’s affordability, especially housing affordability, and accessibility that motivates Millennials to move to Southeast Michigan, Detroit Regional Chamber Senior Director of Community Engagement and Learning Development Devon O’Reilly says. One Detroit Producer, and Future of Work host, Will Glover met with O’Reilly at the Chamber’s downtown Detroit offices to talk about strategies that could make Michigan more attractive to young professionals.