Much-maligned Detroit on the rebound

DETROIT (CNN) -- The city of Detroit, plagued by years of violence and urban neglect, is bustling again. Old, decaying buildings are being erased and replaced with sparkling new developments. Businesses are investing downtown. The unemployment rate is down. And the economy is booming.

Many residents credit first-term Mayor Dennis Archer for the long-awaited renaissance.

"What you'll see this summer as you drive around the city is evidence of our new bird in the city," the energetic newcomer told CNN. "It's called a crane -- not the kind that flies, the one that builds."

Looked like 'war-torn Bosnia'

Archer took over as mayor following the 20-year reign of the fiery and divisive Coleman Young. Archer inherited a city in shambles.

Tourism was nearly obsolete. Businesses were going bust. The 1990 census showed that residents were fleeing the crime-ridden city in droves, with the Motor City's population dropping below a million for the first time since the 1950s.

But since Archer became mayor, he says everything has changed, from economic development to urban planning.
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He even predicts that the next census -- 18 months away -- will show that the city again has an "excess of a million people."

Resident Mike Kovich has witnessed Detroit's revitalization first hand. When he moved to the city 10 years ago, he said it resembled "war-torn Bosnia." (149K/11 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

GM gives city a boost

Much of the city's progress has come with the establishment of economic empowerment zones -- federal dollars earmarked to jump-start businesses, including funds to rebuild decaying public housing.

General Motors, the biggest auto company in the world, is also given partial credit for the revival. The auto giant bought the Renaissance Center, a clutch of glass edifices in downtown that has not been used efficiently in the past.

GM plans to spend millions to redesign the complex and make it more accessible to the public with riverwalks, a soaring atrium, shops and cafes.

"We want the Renaissance Center to serve as a driving force in Detroit's long-awaited renaissance," said GM chairman Jack Smith.

Also, new homes are being built. In so-called Greektown, one of three casinos will be built. And football and baseball stadiums are to built side-by-side in the burgeoning Foxtown district.

Though many neighborhoods remain in ruins, Motown has found its heart and soul once again -- as resident Bernard Parker put it: "People are now coming back to Detroit."

Related sites:

• Motor City Web - Detroit
• Metro Detroit Area Guide
• Metro Online Detroit Michigan

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