(WXYZ) — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan had a message of promise Tuesday night for Detroiters during his 10th State of the City Address.
The mayor, using Michigan Central Station as a backdrop, focused on how far the city has come in the 10 years since declaring bankruptcy. He also addressed several plans for the city including affordable housing, revitalizing neighborhoods, and bringing down violent crime.
“We’re going to get a chance to talk about where we have been and where we are going,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said. "Bill Ford could have gone to Silicon Valley. He could've gone to Ann Arbor, but he came here to the city of Detroit."
Michigan Central Station is being renovated by the Ford Motor Company and will include an innovation center for local start-ups, a street that will wirelessly charge electric cars, and America’s first autonomous vehicle lane that will extend from Michigan Avenue to Ann Arbor. The Corktown neighborhood is also getting a facelift.
"We are doubling the number of section 8 housing in the community. There's not another city in America that does that," Duggan said.
Duggan also discussed a low-income apartment building that's being replaced at no rent increase, a fact our partners at Outlier Media say is somewhat true because the units will still be tied to a person's income.
Duggan also claims the city rehabbed more houses than it demolished in 2022, a fact our Outlier Media partners, say is true.
“The landbank owned 47,000 vacant houses when I got here. Today they own 7,000," Duggan said.
The mayor also defended tax incentives given to major projects like the District Detroit because of job creation. He ended his speech with a nod back to the revitalized train station.
"This July, this site is going to be the center of one of the most exciting cities in all of America. God bless you Detroit and good evening," Duggan said during his speech.
Crime is still an issue in the city of Detroit. Mayor Duggan says a pilot program investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into community groups to prevent crime will be created.
RELATED: Duggan to announce funding opportunity for community organizations fighting crime
