Crain's Detroit Business

06/13/2025

If you’re going to work in the Fisher Building, Chase Tower or One Campus Martius this week, pay attention to your elevators.

You won’t see the number 13 on them. Obviously, that's not because they don't have a 13th floor. It's just that they choose not to label it.

That’s because building owners, past and present, have been superstitious of the number, a condition called triskaidekaphobia.

Whether that fear stems from Judas being the 13th guest at the Last Supper and betraying Christ, or Norse god Loki being the 13th guest at a Valhalla feast in which he duped the blind Hodr into killing his brother Baldr with a mistletoe spear, or one of myriad other reasons entirely, it has snaked its way thousands of years into commercial real estate we interact with every day.

Read more here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/which-detroit-buildings-dont-have-13th-floor?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own

06/12/2025

General Motors Co.’s de-electrification of the Orion Assembly plant in Oakland County will make for a costly retooling reversal, but the automaker had little choice under the weight of poor EV sales and Trump’s tariffs.

GM announced Tuesday a $4 billion plan to shift production from Mexico to boost output at three U.S. plants for some of its most profitable vehicles. Roughly half of the investment will go into the assembly plant in Orion Township, with the rest going to plants in Kansas and Tennessee, according to people familiar with the plan.

That means, all in, GM will have plowed a whopping $6 billion into Orion Assembly, where it has already spent $4 billion for a retooling from gas-powered vehicles to EVs and expansion, the sources said. Much of the tooling in the plant now will be repurposed for the gas vehicles.

While costly, the pivot appears to solve a lot of problems — and GM is evidently confident about its return on investment.

Read more here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/automotive/gms-ev-reversal-orion-assembly-came-cost-heres-why?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own

06/11/2025

A rare thing took place last week: Detroit learned it is getting a new Hilton hotel.

Yet Hilton’s chief rival, Marriott, has a nearly five-to-one advantage in terms of hotel and other lodging keys available or under construction in the city, putting the Hilton at a sizable disadvantage — at least for now — in the race to build more accommodations for downtown travelers.

The June 2 announcement that Michigan Central Station is expected to become home to one of the few luxury NoMad brand hotels in the world — so far — brings McLean, Va.-based Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. to two flags announced in the last decade in and around downtown.

In all, Hilton has a little over 800 rooms existing or announced in and around downtown, while Marriott has more than 3,880.

That discrepancy favors Hilton for new product in the coming years, said Greg Denton, director of the real estate minor in the School of Hospitality Business within the Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business.

Read more here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/detroit-marriott-town-will-it-stay-way?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own

06/10/2025

Bobcat Bonnie’s is no more.

The restaurant's last open location at 637 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing closed Sunday. Owner Matt Buskard confirmed the closure Tuesday in a text message to Crain’s.

The closure comes amid a trail of financial problems for the struggling gastropub chain Buskard founded in 2015 in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood.

Records show the Michigan Liquor Control Commission suspended the Lansing location's liquor license on Monday because Buskard did not pay three violation fines totaling $450 and two outstanding "dishonored payment" invoices for alcohol purchased in December by a June 3 deadline.

Buskard also owes more than $1.3 million on four tax liens to the state of Michigan for unpaid state sales tax and withholding, according to the Oakland County Register of Deeds. Two of the liens date back to Dec. 19, 2023, and are for $512,184.24 and $361,131.99. Another was filed on Feb. 23, 2024, for $191,026.57. The fourth, for $265,425.27, was filed on June 4, 2024.

Read more here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/restaurants/bobcat-bonnies-closes-last-location-1m-liens-pile?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-ow

06/09/2025

Ann Arbor’s popularity as a place to live, work, play and attend college has some downsides: a shortage of housing and a reputation as being unaffordable for many people.

And some developers say red tape and high costs hinder projects in the city.

City officials are working on addressing some concerns over growth issues with a proposed comprehensive land use plan, which is meant to guide Ann Arbor's development in the coming decades.

The Comprehensive Plan aims to alleviate the housing issue by simplifying the city’s zoning, increasing density and eventually lowering housing costs by increasing supply while allowing more mixed uses in certain areas.

Read more here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/ann-arbor-developers-residents-debate-plan-manage-growth?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own

06/06/2025

In his resignation letter to the University of Michigan’s board chair, former President Santa Ono said he could no longer work with the university’s board — or specifically, a “subset” of it.

What Ono did not see coming was that politics would follow him as he lobbied to become the next president of the University of Florida.

In a May 4 email to Katherine White, chair of the UM board of regents, Ono noted that after “deep reflection and with a very heavy heart” he planned to step down as president of the Ann Arbor-based university this summer.

“As you know, Wendy and I love this university deeply, and this is not a decision I make lightly,” Ono said in the email obtained by Crain’s through a Freedom of Information Act request.

“However, I’ve come to believe that the current dynamics within the board — and with a subset of the regents and myself — make it difficult for me to continue leading as effectively as I would hope and as the university deserves."

Read the full letter here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/public-policy/ono-resignation-letter-im-leaving-because-i-cant-work-um-board?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own

06/06/2025

Organizers of New York City's flagship Pride celebration recently sounded the alarm on a $750,000 budget shortfall threatening their ability to fund crucial event services. They asked for small-dollar donations from individuals to offset lagging support from corporate sponsors.

The country's largest Pride event isn't alone. Parade organizers from San Francisco to St. Louis say they're facing similar struggles, and a narrative has emerged that seemingly every Pride parade is strapped for cash.

But not all Pride events are struggling to find sponsors. Parade organizers in two of the country's largest cities, Los Angeles and Chicago, say corporate interest has remained steady year over year. The same goes for this weekend's Motor City Pride event in Hart Plaza in Detroit, where organizers report business as usual with 2025 sponsorships.

"Our sponsors came in well this year," said Dave Wait, chair of Detroit's event. Only one company backed out because of a change in funding priorities, and new sponsors stepped up to fill the spot.

What's driving the challenge in some cities while others are relatively unaffected? Read more here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/media-marketing/motor-city-pride-rakes-sponsors-other-parades-struggle?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own

06/06/2025

The Detroit City FC soccer organization is looking to raise another $15 million as its final bucket of equity for a new stadium in southwest Detroit.

The $15 million raise, revealed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing Tuesday, would bring the team to $50 million in equity after it secured $10 million in a March equity raise and had previously privately secured an undisclosed $25 million in equity.

The $15 million tranche seeks investors willing to commit a minimum of $250,000, according to the filing. The previous $10 million raise sought a minimum of $500,000 from investors.

Sean Mann, co-owner, co-founder and CEO of Detroit City FC, said Thursday that the $15 million raise is expected to be the final tranche.

Read more here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/detroit-city-fc-looks-raise-15m-more-new-stadium?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own

06/05/2025

A Detroit-based architectural and design firm is leading the way on an $800 million renovation of one of the most prestigious tennis facilities in the world.

Rossetti Inc. and the United States Tennis Association are partnering on a multiyear project at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. — the site of the annual U.S. Open Grand Slam tennis tournament.

The multiphase project will begin this year and be completed in time for the 2027 U.S. Open. The project is not expected to interrupt play or fan access at the 2025 and 2026 tournaments, which start in late August each year.

Read more here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/sports-recreation/rossetti-leads-800m-update-us-open-tennis-facilities?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own

Rossetti will have about 30 employees work on various projects at the New York tennis center.

06/04/2025

A large historic home in Charlevoix that was built for a wealthy titan of commerce in 1913 and used over the past several decades as a summer home and hub for family gatherings is ready for its next owner.

Brothers Matt Crane and Johnny Crane, Realtors with The Crane Group of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Michigan in Traverse City, listed the stately 7,600-square-foot Greek Revival home on the Lake Michigan shoreline just north of downtown Charlevoix for $4.2 million on June 3.

The 10-bedroom, eight-bathroom home with finished space on four levels belongs to a family originally from Southeast Michigan but initially was built for in for Col. Moses Schoenberg in 1913. It sits on just shy of 1 acre and has 125 feet of private Lake Michigan frontage.

The family has owned the property for almost 40 years. In that time, it’s been a summer residence and hub for family gatherings, including weddings, reunions and other events.

Read more here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/historic-charlevoix-mansion-lake-michigan-hits-market?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own

06/03/2025

The beloved Art’s Tavern on Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula has changed hands for the fourth time in its 91-year history, and its new owners plan to maintain its throwback atmosphere, including cash-only payment.

In a deal that closed Monday, Traverse City-based restaurateurs Paul and Barbara Olson have taken over the small Glen Arbor bar along M-22 from former owners Tim Barr and Bonnie Nescott.

The Olsons bring deep restaurant management experience to their new roles.
Paul Olson is vice president of culinary development and managing partner at Traverse City events venue Mission Table and partner in Grand Rapids-based Mission Restaurant Group, which operates a stable of 17 restaurants, including brands such as North Peak Brewing Co., Grizzly Peak Brewing Co., Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales and Mission Table.

Read more here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/restaurants/arts-tavern-sells-traverse-city-restaurateurs?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own

06/02/2025

A Grand Rapids distillery is taking Michigan’s asparagus season to another level, debuting a new gin that gives the crop a starring role.

The first week of June, Long Road Distillers’ limited batch of 82-proof Asparagin will be distributed throughout Michigan at locations where Long Road spirits are sold.

Long Road executives say the product may be polarizing for consumers, but that they might be tapping into a leading Michigan agricultural product to generate “raving fans” along the way, said co-owner Jon O’Connor.

“We like to push the envelope on flavor,” O’Connor said. “(We make) things that maybe people don’t expect, but also, when presented, they have this ‘aha’ moment of like, ‘Oh, that’s really interesting and cool.’”

Read more here: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/food-drink/michigan-distillery-creates-asparagus-gin?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own