The state of Michigan is making $1,000,000 per day on the casinos currently which we all know they desperately need. It is helping turn the city around financially, it is creating jobs, and it is taking up real estate in Detroit. Would you like to see Detroit become the Midwest Las Vegas?
Stuey
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Good question.
I would like to see a "casino district" rather than more casinos, I guess. Im not sure more randomly placed casinos would help the city. I do like where youre going with the idea though.
I want the industry that the casinos "should" bring. Shopping (Macy's,JC Penny, high-end Dept stores) , night life (martini bars, comedy clubs, lounges, small pubs),Hotels. (not just casino hotels) restaurants, (J Alexanders, McDonald's, Denny's) Yes, McDonald's and Denny's! LOL. These places are staples in communities and need to be staples in Down Town Detroit, too. Making a localized community in down town will help us improve the image. Everything should be in walking distance. Greek town is probably the closest thing we have to that as of right now. I would also like to see all the store fronts that are on Woodward filled up.
Anonymous
Funny you should mention this becuase I wrote a blog on another websites a couple of weeks ago, i've posted it below. Anyway I think that more casinos would be a good thing.
Its been said that one of the big reasons for Detroit being....well Detroit is because the city is dependent on only one industry, the auto industry. Thus, when Ford and GM are performing poorly then the city will also perform poorly.
For years now we have been hearing the cry to diversify jobs in the state as well as the city. Well, we just might be on our way to a second giant industry in our city.
MGM just opened its permanent casino (not to mention all the clubs, restaurants, and the hotel) Greektown and Motor City are in the works and there are now talks to renovate Cobo (WITH PRIVATE MONEY!) and add a casino and hotel to it. This would be four city casinos plus Windsors would make five. Could/Should Detroit transform itself from a hard working, gritty, rustbelt town into a glitzy tourist attraction full of lights and casinos? According to the American Gaming Association Detroit is already number 5 on the list of Americas top casino markets. The two markets just above Detroit are Connecticut (who would of thought) and Chicagoland/ Ind. ill. These two markets are withing reach of catching and passing. This would but Detroit number 3 on the list behind Atlantic City and Las Vegas. Could this work? Vegas in the west, Atlantic City In the East and Detroit in the middle.
New establishments mean more jobs. According to careerbuilder.com the average salary for a casino dealer is about $11.00/hour. While this amount isn't anything to brag about. when you take a state with a high unemployment rate and give out thousands of jobs and pay them $4.00 over minimum wage the city/state is a lot better off then it was before hand.
Well, I can point out the positives without mentioning a negative. What are the effects creating a huge casino market in one of the country's poorest cities? Are these companies encouraging the already poor city population to come in and lose what little money they do have?
Marc X
Yep, back in the 70's, a big hotel, kind of like the Bonaventure in Los Angeles, would help revitalize Detroit.
So a few years ago, GM bought it for 10¢ on the dollar and it STILL hasn't done a thing for the city. Now, with 3 casinos, the state is ready to shut down for lack of revenue. Doesn't sound like the casinos are doing much.
People fly in and out daily for Las Vegas. The same can't be said for Detroit. WHERE have you ever heard someone say, "Wow, I can't wait to get to Detroit and do some gambling, take in a Wayne Newton show, you know the lights and glitter is just so fabulous along Woodward Avenue at night..."
Anonymous
It's like sticking gum in place to stop a leaky crack. The Casinos will help bring tourist Downtown. However, overall they won't help anything. Detroit still has a poor economy and a bad reputation. First, we need Mass Transit. It will be a start so those yuppie corporate people can work in the city and live in the suburbs without driving a car everyday. Then we need to fix the neighborhoods. The neighborhoods continue to turn into Iraq while the City Center flourishes. It doesn't really help the city overall because a city just doesn't consist with a Downtown alone. Not to mention that we must overcome the poor schools and law enforcement. So yes, the Casinos are a small Improvement, but nothing drastic and I wouldn't bet on them helping out Detroit by themselves.
Mr. Knowledgeable VI
I am neutral on the issues of casino in Detroit and here is why;
Reasons I am For Casinos in Detroit;
1. Casinos brings visitors to Detroit.
2. Casinos brings entertainment to Detroit
3. Casinos helps bring jobs to Detroiters.
Reasons I am Against Casinos in Detroit;
1. Casinos do not help Detroit. When the citizens voted for Casinos in 1996, it was said that 55% of revenue would help Detroit and 45% would help the State of Michigan. If this revenue is to help Detroit and Michigan, why is Michigan in so much debt?
2. People who do not have money go to the Casions in Detroit. Detroit has a lot of homeless citizens and they spend what little money they have at the Casinos which should be saved for something else.
3. Gambling does not help Detroit like it does in Las Vegas. In Las Vegas, Gambling is a major industry and people from all over the world go to Las Vegas just to gamble.
4. Other Major Cities in the United States do not have casinos. Cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York City do not have casions and these cities are major international world class cities.