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News
Reported news with a Detroit connection.
Detroit showed up: a thousand fans pack Campus Martius for USA's World Cup opener
Roughly a thousand Detroit soccer fans filled Campus Martius on Friday night to watch the United States open the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 4-1 win over Paraguay at a watch party hosted by Detroit City FC, with more watch parties still to come this summer.
Detroit ranked No. 1 in America for downtown stickiness
Gensler's City Pulse 2026 names Detroit the stickiest downtown in America, a measure of how often people visit and how long they stay, ranking it first among the 34 U.S. cities studied inside a global survey of 75 cities.
Thirty-Seven Detroit organizations just pooled $27 million for neighborhoods. This is the largest round yet.
Enterprise Community Partners has launched the third and largest phase of its Community Development Organization Fund, bringing 37 Detroit neighborhood groups together under a $27 million, three-year initiative.
Twenty people rescued after seven sailboats capsize near Belle Isle
Thunderstorms swept through southeast Michigan on Wednesday evening and capsized seven sailboats near Belle Isle, sending 20 people into the Detroit River in one of the larger water rescues of the season.
Pine Hall opens Thursday on the 12th floor of Hudson's Detroit
Union Square Hospitality Group opens Pine Hall Thursday at Hudson's Detroit, a rooftop bar named after the J.L. Hudson department store's beloved Pine Room.
Detroit dresses Spirit of Detroit in orange to open a month of action against gun violence
With homicides at a 60-year low, Detroit opens Gun Violence Awareness Month with the Spirit of Detroit in orange and a 19-year community march.
What does it mean when your parish stops holding Mass? Inside Detroit's historic Catholic church restructuring
At least 58 parishes may soon stop hosting weekend Mass, but that's not the same as closing a church. Here's what Detroit's historic restructuring actually means.
Detroit's free lawyer program for renters runs out of money in early 2027
Detroit's program providing free lawyers to tenants in eviction court has saved the city an estimated $48.5 million over three years, but its funding runs dry in February 2027 with no successor commitments in place.
Detroit assessor to host June 10 summit to help nonprofits avoid tax foreclosure
The city's assessor office is hosting a free summit on June 10 after discovering that many Detroit nonprofits and churches were accumulating unpaid property taxes, wrongly assuming they were automatically exempt.
Detroit residents get a final say this week on Cooley High's demolition
DPSCD reversed its pledge to preserve part of the 1928 landmark to meet a state grant deadline. A community meeting Wednesday, June 10, is residents' last chance to weigh in before summer demolition.
Olympic gold medalist Hilary Knight, Team USA's captain at Milan Cortina, is headed to PWHL Detroit
Hilary Knight, who captained Team USA to gold at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and scored the goal that sent the final to overtime, is coming to PWHL Detroit via sign-and-trade.
Detroit's city airport opens its first new facility in 60 years
Avflight's new FBO complex at Coleman A. Young International Airport, the first facility built there in six decades, opened June 3 as part of a broader revitalization of Detroit's historic municipal airport.
Heat index near 100 expected midweek as Detroit opens cooling centers across the city
An extreme heat watch is in effect for southeast Michigan with heat index values near 100 degrees expected midweek; Detroit has opened cooling centers at recreation facilities across the city.
Detroit's first new bridge to Canada in nearly a century gets its ribbon cutting on June 12
The Gordie Howe International Bridge, Detroit's new cable-stayed crossing to Canada, is set for its ribbon cutting on Friday, June 12, after eight years of construction.
A beloved Detroit River fishing spot in Delray waits on talks between the state and DTE
The state and DTE Energy are negotiating the future of Delray Park, a little-known Detroit River fishing spot on DTE-owned land that locals say needs investment to reach its potential.
KPMG is bringing 420 workers to Michigan Central Station
KPMG is moving 420 employees into Michigan Central Station next year, the latest major office tenant to take root in the restored Corktown train station.
Walk a Mile Wednesday returns with nine summer walks across Detroit's precincts
Lace up for the June 10 kickoff at the new Helen Moore Community Center on Dexter. Walk a Mile Wednesday is back, with biweekly walks through September 23 across nine of Detroit's police precincts.
Dutch Girl Donuts opens the door to its second shop on National Donut Day
Dutch Girl Donuts opens its second shop to the public for a sneak peek this Friday from 8 to 10 a.m. on East Grand Boulevard, with two free donuts per visitor and a boxed dozen for $20.
DPSCD confirms full demolition of Cooley High School this summer
Detroit Public Schools Community District will demolish the 1928 building in full this summer, scrapping earlier plans to preserve part of the historic structure. A $25 million sports complex will be built on the site.
Baker's Keyboard Lounge closes for renovations, plans June return under new management
The world's oldest operating jazz club is getting new bathrooms, a refreshed stage, and a new management team before reopening on Livernois.
The Voice' producer comes home to open coffee shop and listening bar in Eastern Market this summer
Lamont Leak, who produced NBC's The Voice, is opening Rent Free Coffee and Community in Eastern Market this summer, a combined coffee shop and listening bar.
Waymo's driverless cars are coming to Detroit in 2026, and the city is figuring out the rules in real time
Waymo plans a fully driverless ride-hail launch in Detroit later this year, making it the sixth U.S. city on the service — and the first real stress test of Michigan's decade-old AV laws.
Mid-century Detroit, one lunch break at a time: Norman Zadoorian's photos now at Detroit Historical Museum
Forty photographs from Norman Zadoorian's mid-century Detroit street photography archive are on view at the Detroit Historical Museum through May 2027, on loan from the State of Michigan Library.
A more walkable Greektown is set to open in mid-June
The 500 block of Monroe Street is set to open in mid-June, the first finished stretch of a streetscape project.
CCS's 101st student exhibition is open through May 29
The College for Creative Studies has turned its campus into a gallery of 4,800-plus pieces for the 101st time. The show is free, it's open through Thursday, and the work is worth seeing.
Millender Center's retail businesses are being cleared out by August
Crain's reported that retail tenants at the downtown Detroit complex have been told to leave by end of August. What happens to the space next hasn't been reported yet.
Detroit is hiring someone whose whole job is recruiting national retailers
The city is creating a senior director of retail attraction position aimed at drawing more regional and national brands to Detroit, Crain's Detroit Business reported Monday.
Detroit school board previews $1.1 billion budget with pay boosts and a warning about next year
The Detroit Public Schools Community District's proposed $1.1 billion budget for 2026-27 prioritizes employee pay increases, an expanded bus pilot, and seven more high school counselors. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti presented the plan while warning of serious financial uncertainty in the years that follow.
Movement 2026 opens at Hart Plaza with rain, techno, and tens of thousands
The annual Memorial Day weekend techno festival kicked off Saturday at Hart Plaza with Dom Dolla, Carl Cox, and Sara Landry headlining. Rain was present. The crowds were not deterred.
The Fred and Barbara Erb Discovery Trails open at the Detroit Zoo
The Detroit Zoo's largest project in its history opens seven acres of interactive trails, stingray encounters, and family-oriented play space along its southwest footprint.
Detroit violence intervention groups launch free flag football league for teens
Team Pursuit and FORCE Detroit ran a free flag football league this spring. The sport was the draw. The curriculum was something else.
Spirit Plaza reopens on Woodward, hours before Movement starts
The city reopens Spirit Plaza on Saturday morning, a few hours and a block away from Movement's opening gates at Hart Plaza.
Detroit's skyline runs blue and green all month for NF Awareness
May is National Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month, and the Gilbert family's NFX campaign has lit up landmarks across downtown in the disorder's signature colors.
Colorado startup Alquist 3D is bringing a concrete-printing robot to Detroit, with state help
The Michigan Strategic Fund approved a $1.6 million grant to Alquist 3D, which plans to open a robotics and workforce training facility at Newlab in Corktown.
Weston Hall opens in Virginia Park with 47 affordable units and a workforce record built into the renovation
Detroit Landmark Development Corporation restored a 1924 building vacant for decades and routed construction wages and credentials to city residents along the way.
Detroit's bankruptcy case is officially closed
More than 13 years after the largest municipal Chapter 9 filing in U.S. history, a federal judge signed a final decree closing Detroit's bankruptcy case.
Gilbert Family Foundation puts $6.4 million more into Venture 313
A new $6.4 million commitment extends the citywide startup initiative that routes capital and coaching to Detroit founders at nearly every stage.
Belle Isle is getting a new cycle track and a road reversal before Memorial Day
The DNR is rolling out road markings, a redesigned cycle track, and a direction flip on Central Avenue — all before the holiday weekend.
Mike Duggan exits the governor's race
The former Detroit mayor ended his independent run for Michigan governor Thursday, citing a hardened national mood and a fundraising gap he couldn't close.
Detroit approves $52K to fix contaminated soil at one demo site as hundreds await testing
Detroit City Council approved a $52,000 contract to remediate a single contaminated demolition lot on the east side, raising alarm about the scale of costs facing the city as it tests hundreds of additional sites.
Detroit Techno Week is official, timed to Movement's return to Hart Plaza
Mayor Mary Sheffield signed a proclamation designating the Memorial Day stretch as Detroit Techno Week, honoring Paxahau's two decades producing Movement.
Wayne County is cutting foreclosure checks smaller than claimants expected, with no explanation
Former homeowners who lost properties in Wayne County tax foreclosures say checks from the county are arriving below expected amounts, and the treasurer's office won't say how it's calculating the deductions.
Decades of regional water policy left Detroit holding the bill
Starting July 2026, Detroit water and sewer rates rise again. A piece in Bridge Detroit traces why city bills have climbed 400% since the late 1990s and why Detroit ratepayers cover costs for 76 suburban communities.
'Big Jim' O'Brien departs WCSX, stays in Detroit
Jim O'Brien, known as Big Jim on Detroit classic rock station 94.7 WCSX, announced his departure Thursday. He told the Free Press he is not leaving Detroit and has no intention of slowing down.
Free buses, still stranded: Detroit high schoolers wait while schedules lag
Detroit made bus rides free for high schoolers in April. At Southeastern High School, that free pass gets you to a thirty-minute wait while the 3:27 bus runs before the bell.
Dearborn animal shelter renames fundraiser after Coachella legal threat, gets flooded with donations
Lawyers for Coachella sent a cease-and-desist over the name Pawchella. Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit changed the name to Pawfest, printed nothing twice, and got swamped with out-of-state donations.
Detroit's population grows for third straight year, adding over 5,000 residents
New census estimates show Detroit added more than 5,000 residents over the past year, the third consecutive year of population growth for a city that spent most of the past half-century losing people.
Residents sue to block Wayne County transit millage from August ballot
Not Smart Wayne filed suit in Wayne County Circuit Court on May 8, alleging transit officials withheld information about a March meeting and wrote ballot language designed to confuse voters ahead of an August vote on a countywide SMART millage.
Heidelberg Project names new executive director, moves toward arts hub model
The Heidelberg Project announced a new executive director and plans to renovate its Number House as flexible space for Detroit artists and small creative businesses, a shift toward earned revenue the nonprofit has been building toward for years.
Detroit lands a PWHL franchise
Detroit enters the PWHL as the ninth team for the 2026-27 season, backed by more than 4,500 season-ticket deposits and years of neutral-site momentum.
Hamilton closes at the Fisher Theatre, Broadway in Detroit loads an all-new season
Hamilton wraps May 17 at the Fisher Theatre, and Broadway in Detroit has already lined up six Detroit-premiere productions for 2026-27.
Walk a Mile Wednesday returned with the police chief and city leaders on the route
Walk a Mile Wednesday returned this week with the Detroit police chief and city leaders walking a neighborhood route with residents.
Pat Caputo, longtime Detroit sports radio voice, dies at 67 of pancreatic cancer
Pat Caputo, the longtime Detroit sports radio host and Oakland Press columnist, died this week at 67 from pancreatic cancer.
Little Liberia plants Michigan's first Liberian restaurant on East Warren
Chef Ameneh Marhaba's Little Liberia, billed as Michigan's first Liberian restaurant, holds its grand opening at 16530 E. Warren Ave. on May 15.
Gayanga Co. shuts down, sues Detroit Inspector General over contaminated-dirt allegations
Gayanga Co. announced it is shutting down and filed a defamation suit against Detroit's Office of Inspector General over contaminated-dirt allegations and an active FBI probe.
DPSCD parent sues state over per-pupil funding gap and legacy debt
A DPSCD parent filed suit in Michigan state court against Gov. Whitmer and the state board of education, seeking equitable funding and the elimination of district debt from the state-control years.
Gleaners is running short on food with a large single-day food drive around the corner
Gleaners Community Food Bank is entering the National Association of Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive under strain from falling donations and tightened federal food assistance.
Pistons' second round sends Detroit bars into playoff mode
Detroit eliminated Orlando in Game 7 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2008 — and the bars on Woodward didn't wait for a formal announcement.
Yellow-bus pilot at Henry Ford High cut chronic absenteeism for riders by 8.5 points
DPSCD's $600,000 yellow-bus pilot at Henry Ford High and East English Village cut chronic absenteeism by 8.5 points among the most frequent riders.
Eastern Market Brewing Co. moves to statewide distribution this summer
Eastern Market Brewing Co. is moving from limited self-distribution to a statewide footprint this summer, with a new production partner picking up the volume.
Metro Detroit logged 17 restaurant openings in April, plus two closings
The Detroit News tracked 17 bar, restaurant, and cafe openings across Metro Detroit in April 2026 alongside two closings, with Middle Eastern bowl concepts and bookstore-cafes making parallel debuts in Detroit and Ferndale.
People Mover agency takes lead on Michigan Central transit hub
The Detroit Transportation Corporation, which runs the People Mover, is now leading the planning for a new multimodal transit hub at Michigan Central, with a request for proposals for engineering studies due this summer and roughly $40 million identified in funding.
The DSO brings a concert of Detroit composers to Music Hall this season
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra programs fifteen works by living composers this season, with a dedicated concert at Music Hall rooted in the city's own musical voices.
Workers rallied at Roosevelt Park for May Day with a familiar list of demands
Detroit workers rallied at Roosevelt Park on Friday, May 1, for May Day, marking International Workers' Day on the lawn in front of Michigan Central Station.
Starex Smith opens Smith & Williams on Gratiot, a soul-food room in an Art Deco shell
Starex Smith, the food influencer known as The Hungry Black Man, opened Smith & Williams at 1428 Gratiot Ave. with co-owner Devante Williams on May 1, 2026.
Shed work at Eastern Market is holding back new vendors this spring
Deferred maintenance on Sheds 2 and 3 is creating a bottleneck for vendors hoping to expand or land new stalls ahead of the 2026 peak Saturday season.
Crossing the Lines: Highland Park resident wants to save the Highland Appliance sign
A Highland Park resident is working to preserve the vintage Highland Appliance sign, a neighborhood landmark that has sat unused for decades.
Plans for 600-room Detroit hotel would require demolishing a 16-story building
Developers unveiled plans Wednesday for a 600-room hotel connected to Huntington Place, but building it means demolishing at least two downtown buildings including a 16-story tower. Construction would start in early 2027.
Project Clean Slate clears 20,000 criminal records in its tenth year
Detroit's Project Clean Slate marked ten years and 20,000 criminal records cleared this week. The free expungement program is run out of the city's Law Department.
Pig & Whiskey moves from Ferndale to Corktown for its 2026 edition
Pig & Whiskey announced Thursday that the 2026 edition of the music-and-barbecue festival is moving from downtown Ferndale to Corktown, July 31 to August 2.
DPSCD data shows hundreds of special education evaluations running past the legal 30-day deadline
Of 1,680 special education evaluation referrals DPSCD received from the start of the 2025-26 school year through March, 72 were completed past the legal deadline and 728 are still in process. The figures were presented to the school board last week.
Spiedo, Brad Greenhill's Mediterranean concept, takes the old Jolly Pumpkin on Canfield
Brad Greenhill, the chef-owner behind Takoi, is bringing Spiedo to 441 W. Canfield, taking over the old Jolly Pumpkin space for a summer 2026 opening.
El Trombone takes Mutiny's Vernor space, opens early May as Detroit's newest gay bar
Mutiny Tiki Bar closed after almost ten years at 4654 Vernor Hwy. The Detroit Optimist Society is opening El Trombone in the same room in early May.
We started a journal
I started writing about Detroit in 2024. So did several other people, in their own places: Substacks, group chats, pieces published in places that don't exist anymore.
MOCAD reopens, renamed, rewindowed
MOCAD reopens Saturday after eight months of renovation. The 4454 Woodward building, a former auto dealership designed by Albert Kahn, has been the museum's home for the entirety of its 20 years.
Bar Chenin became Michigan's only James Beard award finalist on March 31
The James Beard Foundation announced its 2026 finalists on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Jeff Mills announced another album before the last one was cold
Jeff Mills and Jean-Phi Dary announced a new Tomorrow Comes The Harvest album in February 2026. It is called Forbidden Planet.
DJ Minx signed to Rekids
DJ Minx signed to Rekids in early 2026 and released the Energy EP in February. The title track features Kendra Foster.
Tec-Troit is moving to June
Tec-Troit announced in early 2026 that the festival is moving from August to June for the 2026 edition.
Antidote opens at the Detroit edge of Grosse Pointe Park
Nya Marshall opened her first restaurant, Ivy Kitchen + Cocktails, in East Village in December 2019. She bought the building a decade ago when there was effectively nothing on that block.
GM moves global HQ to Hudson's Detroit
General Motors began moving its global headquarters into Hudson's Detroit on January 12, 2026, ending a roughly three-decade run inside the Renaissance Center.
Jeff Mills put out the Liquid Room record again for its 30th anniversary
Jeff Mills released i9 (2025 Version) on July 18, 2025, marking 30 years since his Live at Liquid Room Tokyo session.
Kyle Hall dropped four albums in nine months
Kyle Hall released four full-length records between May 2025 and January 2026, all on his label Forget The Clock.
An $80 million Brush Park development will bring 211 affordable units, including the Sanctuary
The City of Detroit broke ground on a $80 million Brush Park development on Friday, November 14, 2025.
Castalia announced its closing on October 27 and called the timing a chance to go out on top
On Monday, October 27, 2025, Castalia posted on social media that it would close on New Year's Eve.
Joe Louis Greenway adds two miles and a statue
A new two-mile section of the Joe Louis Greenway opened on October 7, 2025, between Joy Road and Intervale Street on Detroit's west side.
Detroit's first contemporary art fair lands at Michigan Central
Detroit got its first contemporary art fair this weekend.
Apple finally opens a store in downtown Detroit
Apple opened its first downtown Detroit store at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 19, with Tim Cook in attendance. He greeted the line, then unlocked the doors.
Ladder 4 became the first Detroit restaurant ever recognized by 50 Best
On September 9, 2025, the World's 50 Best announced Ladder 4 Wine Bar as the inaugural recipient of the Resy One To Watch Award for North America.
Planet E put out the Carl Craig documentary soundtrack
Planet E released the soundtrack to Desire: The Carl Craig Story in summer 2025. The compilation tracks the documentary's chronology.
Kevin Saunderson put his son on the first e-dancer album in 25 years
Kevin Saunderson released a new e-Dancer album on May 21, 2025, the first under that alias in more than two decades. His son Dantiez produced it with him.
Jeff Mills and his jazz band released a new album in March
Jeff Mills released a new Spiral Deluxe album on March 14, 2025. It is called The Love Pretender.
A 909, a Saturday night, and Jeff Mills walking back into Detroit
Carl Cox pulled out of Movement three months before the festival. Jeff Mills is taking his slot.
Yellow Light coffee makes Michigan Central its second home
The first food and drink tenant inside Michigan Central Station since 1988 is a coffee and donut shop from the east side.
Hamilton's anchors the Godfrey hotel in Corktown
The Godfrey Hotel opened on Michigan Avenue in summer 2023, but its full-service ground-floor restaurant came later.
Supino pizzeria reopens in Eastern Market after fire
Supino Pizzeria reopened its dining room in Eastern Market on July 9, 2024, fourteen months after a two-alarm fire in the residential loft above the restaurant.
Hudson's tower tops out at 681 feet
The final steel beam was set on Hudson's Tower on April 10, 2024, fixing the building at 681 feet and forty-nine stories.
Sexy steak reopens the GAR building's castle
The Grand Army of the Republic Building has been waiting on a tenant since the pandemic.
