DETROIT (WXYZ) — “We make salads in-house, we make all of our dressings,” said Russell Bronson.
RELATED: District Detroit plans $1.5B investment for 10 buildings while some from 2017 sit unfinished
It’s fresh, it’s new and it’s survived the pandemic. Now ZZ Market and Grill owner Russell Bronson says the true lifeline will come when District Detroit pumps off the projects. The market's been waiting for a while and is very hopeful.
“We are hopeful. Very hopeful. Obviously, we have our family business here and we are ready for the neighborhood to catch up and grow,” said Bronson.
ZZ Market sits right on the corner of Cass and Henry, right in the heart of the District Detroit area where mixed-income residential is anticipated to be, along with the hotel, and not far from the newly completed Eddystone building.
“Anyone who would sit down with me, we have had a conversation, to really talk about how this project and the next wave of development can positively impact the lives of Detroiters,” said Rian Barnhill, Vice President of Olympia of Little Caesar’s Arena Govt. and Community Development.
With community input, being the cement behind each phase of the project Ilitch companies', partners and Olympia development, and the city of Detroit announcing they will once again start a dialogue on plans for affordable housing, office retail, public spaces, across 10 properties here.
WXYZ’s Glenda Lewis asked, “For those who may be impatient or feel like it should have been further along, what do you say to that?”
“Development takes time. It’s not something that happens overnight, and you know the pandemic has happened and we’re climbing out of that, but also, we have a great partner in related companies. We have the right folks in the right seat this time around and we’re excited about the partnership that is there and how we can move this forward,” said Barnhill.
“We have seen a real foot-dragging, I think, in terms in this District Detroit and it’s in terms of not putting money into these projects in a meaningful way,” said
Detroit resident neighborhood advisory committee pass chair Francis Grunow has been part of that community input base since district Detroit was announced in 2014 and says he's been watching it inch forward ever since.
“This will be good. I think to get the public able to ask questions. It’s a project that has unfortunately resolved with a big question mark so far to me, even as things get done, we are still far short of that initial vision,” added Grunow.
Residents who live in the district Detroit area will have a chance to make their voices heard on November 29 at 6 PM at Cass Tech High School.
