Daily Detroit

Three timely stories to talk about today:

• The University of Michigan and head football coach Sherrone Moore abruptly part ways after an internal investigation into an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, plus a separate assault probe in Washtenaw County.​

• Jer and Fletcher dig into how this goes far beyond wins and losses: the impact on recruits, assistants, and a program still reeling from recent scandals.​

• They also explore how boosters, fans, and parents might see Moore differently after this, and what it means for Michigan's near-term future on and off the field.​

• Detroit's historic Leland House goes dark after a fire marshal–ordered evacuation, with DTE and ownership pointing fingers over damaged equipment and unpaid bills. ​​

• The conversation widens to what happens when iconic Detroit buildings fall into limbo—and how quickly "troubled" can turn into "too far gone."​

• Some good news: Kronk Gym is back inside Detroit city limits at a new home on Wilkins, not far from where legends once trained.​

• The revived gym blends big-name boxing alumni with youth programming, fitness classes and a renewed community mission.​

• Fletcher shares personal memories of the old Kronk and why hearing "hailing from Detroit, Michigan, out of Kronk Gym" still hits different for the city.​

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Detroit's stories in today's show are on the riverfront, in Corktown, in our startup labs, and even inside a nearly century-old neighborhood theater. From a $71 million defense-tech hub on the water and a plant-based diner bringing new life to Michigan Avenue, to a controversial new cannabis tax, brain-drain at U-M startups, and the Senate Theater's call for help, this episode breaks down some of the forces reshaping Detroit in 2025.

The rundown:

01:07 - Where we've been: Saksey's

03:55 - Where we've been: City Bird and Nest

06:47 - State Grants Money For New Riverfront Defense HQ

09:17 - Street Beet opening in Corktown this Thursday

12:33 - Mocha and Company coffee shop opening downtown

15:01 - Marshall M Fredricks Museum opening a studio on the eastside

17:52 - Michigan judge allowing wholesale tax on canabis to start January 1st

20:29 - Report says that the state has a hardtime keeping U of M startups

27:05 - Senate Theater raising money for building repairs

29:00 - Mailbag: Pile of junk update

30:10 - Norris RoboCop statue thoughts

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We got a ton of feedback on the Packard Plant project announcement last week, so we sort through it with our thoughts.

Plus, Norris keeps it a buck on people who want Detroit to win and what it'll take to keep families in the city.

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Today's episode is a fun one in two parts:

1) What are YOUR favorite podcasts, books, and music? We got our Spotify Wrapped and since Devon's a parent and his music selection has been completely skewed by his family, we thought we'd walk through ours and also ask if YOU want to share your favorite stuff! What did the data analytics miss?

2) We have an update on the proposed demolition date of the RenCen, 2027. But should we do something fun with it in between?

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Detroit has a RoboCop statue. I watched it go in myself on Wednesday. It's a real thing.

An amazingly detailed, 10-foot tall, 2.5 ton bronze behemoth will be greeting future generations coming to Eastern Market.

For more of the story, I sat down with three of the key people who refused to let this long-running project die:

• Filmmaker and original organizer Brandon Walley
• Producer and Free Age co-owner Jim Toscano
• Omni Consumer Products' "defictionalizer-in-chief" Pete Hottelet

Together, we unpack how a jokey tweet comparing Detroit to Philadelphia's Rocky statue turned into a nearly decade and a half odyssey that pulled in Hollywood effects legends, local foundry artisans, a major studio, and countless twists and turns.

Brandon explains how the idea leapt from a viral Facebook page into a real public art commission through the old Imagination Station, and why the team was adamant that the statue be made in Detroit.

He walks through the early missteps, the learning curve on how you actually build a 10-foot bronze figure, and the multi-year collaboration with Venus Bronze Works, the shop behind many of Detroit's landmark sculptures.​

Pete gets into the legal and technical hurdles: getting MGM on board, putting up his own money to show good faith, and insisting on screen-accurate detail by restoring Peter Weller's original armor from a warehouse in Houston with artist Mark Dubois and the legendary Tippett Studio.

One of the most interesting points for me, from a community perspective, is that he talks about "defictionalizing" Robocop's Directive One — serve the public trust — by turning the statue's plaque itself into a QR code that can connect visitors to community causes, donating straight from their phones.​

Jim shares how Free Age became Robocop's eventual "roommate" after other locations, including the Science Center, fell through during the pandemic.

He and Walley talk about the symbolism of placing Robocop on the edge of Eastern Market as a welcoming figure, arm extended, and how they're bracing — in a good way — for fans who donated years ago, people honoring loved ones, and visitors from around the world to show up on their Russell Street patio.​

Throughout, the group reflects on the grind of seeing a wild idea through nearly 15 years, the friendships and collaboration that kept it alive, and what it means for Detroit to finally have a pop-culture monument that is both deeply nerdy and deeply rooted in the city's perseverance and generosity.

You're not going to want to miss this conversation, or your chance to see a bit of movie history right here in the Motor City.

More on Eastern Market's website: https://easternmarket.org/robo-cop-statue/

More on Omni Consumer Products: https://www.omniconsumerproductscorporation.com/

Free Age: https://www.instagram.com/thefreeage/?hl=en

Brandon Walley: https://www.instagram.com/brandonwalley/?hl=en

Cover art photo by Ryan Southen.

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On this episode of Daily Detroit, host Jer Staes is joined by barchaeologist and writer Mickey Lyons to explore the newest and best places to grab a drink around the city. They dig into Mickey's latest guide for Eater Detroit, "The Best New Bars in Detroit Right Now," which highlights standout spots for cocktails, beer, and wine across the region. From intimate neighborhood joints to polished hotel bars and creative cocktail dens, the conversation covers what makes each place worth a visit, how they fit into Detroit's evolving bar scene, and why thoughtful hospitality still matters as much as a good drink.​

Jer and Mickey talk about how Detroit's bar culture has matured over the past decade, what trends are emerging behind the stick, and how new openings are spreading beyond the traditional downtown and Midtown cores.

They also share practical tips on what to order, when to go, and how to pick the right spot for your next night out, date, or low‑key hang with friends.​

If you're plotting your next bar crawl or just want a fresh place to become a regular, this episode is a handy starting point.

Check out Mickey's full list on Eater Detroit here: https://detroit.eater.com/maps/detroit-best-new-bars-cocktails-wine-beer

Feedback as always - dailydetroit -at- gmail -dot- com or leave a voicemail 313-789-3211.

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Detroit's Packard Plant finally has a realistic reuse plan — and downtown's historic Leland is abruptly shutting its doors. On today's Daily Detroit, Jer Staes is joined by producer Shianne Nocerini and reporter Luciano Marcon to unpack two very different development stories that say a lot about where the city is headed.

Packard Plant reboot

Jer and Shianne break down the newly announced 28‑acre redevelopment of the southern half of the Packard Plant site along East Grand Boulevard, after going to the announcement on the city's east side.

The plan, led by Packard Development Partners in a public‑private‑philanthropic partnership with the city and groups including the Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation, calls for a new 393,000‑square‑foot Class A industrial building and an estimated 300 permanent manufacturing jobs

They outline what's envisioned for the historic Albert Kahn building: 42 affordable live‑make units, a skate park, the Museum of Detroit Electronic Music (MODEM) and more than two acres of indoor‑outdoor public and recreation space, with completion targeted for 2029.

The team talks about why keeping the 1903‑era frontage on East Grand matters to the neighborhood and the city's psyche, and why this feels like a grounded, "doable" project instead of yet another Packard pipe dream.

They also speculate, based on the more than 50 loading docks and rail/freeway access, that the site is more likely headed toward logistics or shipping than a data center.

Leland House shutdown

In the second half, Luciano joins Jer and Shianne after a very cold visit to the Leland House, the nearly century‑old former Leland Hotel downtown that's now telling remaining residents they must leave with less than a week's notice.

Management letters delivered over the holiday weekend say the building will close by Wednesday, December 3, amid bankruptcy complications and stalled redevelopment efforts following the death of owner Michael Higgins.

Luciano describes what he saw inside:

• Residents relying on space heaters
• Visible water damage
• Tarps tacked to ceilings and years of deferred maintenance

The crew talks about the scramble by the city to help people relocate, the potential loss of jobs tied to longtime nightlife fixture City Club and the scale of money it would take to save the property.

Feedback as always - dailydetroit -at- gmail -dot- com or leave a voicemail 313-789-3211. Follow Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-detroit/id1220563942

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On this pre-Thanksgiving episode of Daily Detroit, Norris Howard and I come to you in our Sunday sport-coated best fresh from a heavyweight fireside chat with Detroit's outgoing Mayor Mike Duggan and Rocket's Dan Gilbert.

We react to a conversation that's a look into the future of Detroit and Michigan from two people shaping where we're headed next.

We break down the biggest takeaways from the discussion, including why housing affordability tops Duggan's agenda as he runs for governor (as an independent) and why zoning reform and building more duplexes, triplexes, and other smaller-scale multi-family housing are absolutely crucial for Detroit.

We get into the realities of market demand, population shifts, and why transit is still the other half of Detroit's comeback equation. Because whether it's chicken or egg, you need both people and transit to revitalize a city.

Beyond the political stage, Norris and I swap thoughts on how local development impacts long-standing communities, and why the land value tax push in Lansing was such a key piece of the mayor's agenda.

Then, we switch gears for a rapid-fire rundown of where to shop, eat, and support local business for Small Business Saturday across Southeast Michigan, from Merry in Midtown to the Rust Belt in Ferndale.

Plus, some of our holiday traditions, why you shouldn't ring the bell at the Two Way Inn unless you're feeling extra generous, and why supporting our local spots matters more than ever.

Feedback as always - dailydetroit -at- gmail -dot- com or leave a voicemail 313-789-3211. Follow Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-detroit/id1220563942

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On your Daily Detroit, we're diving into a crisis that affects not just our classrooms, but the future of our entire region: Michigan's unraveling education and talent pipeline.

I'm joined by Greg Handel, chief education and talent officer at the Detroit Regional Chamber. We're going to unpack a new report that doesn't pull punches…. Michigan has tumbled to 40th in per capita income nationwide, a far cry from the place we held just a generation ago.

The full report: https://www.detroitchamber.com/just-released-2025-state-of-education-talent-report/

We're going beyond the headlines. On this Tuesday, November 25 we get into:

What happened to our advantages? How did our state fall behind, and what's being done to reverse the slide?

In a world where place and talent attract each other, we'll explore the hard truths and real opportunities for a region at a crossroads.

Feedback as always - dailydetroit -at- gmail -dot- com or leave a voicemail 313-789-3211.

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On today's show:

• At what temperature do you stop wearing shorts?

02:31 – Detroit Lions narrowly defeat Giants, and the season is on the line

• The "Cardiac Cats" deliver another stressful win: the Lions barely get by the Giants.

• Jer and Fletcher break down the wild ride that is the Jameis Winston experience ("more fun when it's not your team on the line!"), and how Jamir Gibbs stepped up in historic fashion.

• Deep dive into what's working and what isn't—especially a candid convo about Jared Goff, the offensive coordinator, and whether the Lions are too predictable.

• The hosts highlight what must improve for Detroit with national eyes on them for Thanksgiving against the Packers—a critical NFC North matchup.

• Both agree: If the Lions want a real shot at the playoffs, they basically need to win out.

11:12 – Detroit Pistons: 12-Game Win Streak and Rising Hopes

• The Pistons are HOT: 14-2 with a 12-game win streak, taking down Milwaukee on the road (even if Giannis was out).

• "Are the Pistons for real?" Discussion weighs schedule quality, team growth, the impact of new players, and how Detroit is earning national respect.

• Local pride watch: Shoutout to Ryan Rollins (Macomb Dakota) leading Milwaukee in the absence of their stars.

• Being able to expect the Pistons to win games, not just "play hard"—Detroit fans everywhere can relate how good this feels!

• Call to listeners for vintage Pistons gear for the studio.

18:11 – Red Wings: "Wings in Flight" and Atlantic Division Leaders

• Quick coverage of the Red Wings' strong season—they're leading the Atlantic and scoring with flash.

• Props to Dylan Larkin, DeBrincat, and Lucas Raymond, plus some talk about the Yzerplan paying off.

19:35 – Stephen Carroll retires as DCFC Captain for Front Office Role

• Longtime Detroit City FC captain Stephen Carroll announces retirement from the pitch but stays with the club in a (yet-to-be-named) front office role.

Feedback as always - dailydetroit -at- gmail -dot- com or leave a voicemail 313-789-3211.

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