For many longtime residents, downtown’s success is a mirage and post-bankruptcy is a test of patience.
"We’re waiting for it to trickle down to us," said Vanessa Standifer, 61, a retired pharmacy technician who lives in northeast Detroit. "Mayors try to make a showplace of their downtowns so people will come and spend money, but they’ve got to realize there are everyday people in the neighborhoods."
"The vast part of the city is still in the doldrums, and I don’t see much chance of it coming out," said Peter Eisinger, a retired professor of public policy and urban affairs who has written extensively about Detroit.
Eisinger, who retired from the New School of Social Research in New York and formerly taught at Detroit’s Wayne State University, said Detroit relies too much on financial support from investors and foundations.
"Private money coming into public functions is not sustainable, it’s not predictable," Eisinger said. "The city remains insecure."
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