{"id":13055,"date":"2015-08-14T20:22:16","date_gmt":"2015-08-14T20:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/challengedetroit.org\/blog\/jenniferehrhardt\/?p=120"},"modified":"2015-08-14T20:22:16","modified_gmt":"2015-08-14T20:22:16","slug":"thats-a-wrap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/thats-a-wrap\/","title":{"rendered":"That’s A Wrap"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve been putting off writing this post because I\u2019m not ready for this year to be over and somehow finishing this blog is acknowledging that my time, not only in this program but also in Detroit, has come to an end.\u00a0 Due to an amazing career opportunity my husband has been offered, we are off to Cleveland.\u00a0 A year ago, I would never have guessed how hard this move for me would be.<\/p>\n

My prior post<\/a> reflected on how this program has change me so I thought I\u2019d finish on how this program has impacted Detroit.\u00a0 I\u2019m fortunate to have a 5 minute walk to work through the neighborhood of Brush Park. Up until a few weeks ago, I used to pass 1 or 2 people per week along the way. Now the vacant fields of wild flowers have been mowed down and replaced with construction trailers as work begins on Dan Gilbert\u2019s $70M development project and HGTV remodels the historic Ransom Gills House.\u00a0 The view from my living room window also changes daily (see photos below.) When I moved in the view was of an abandoned garage and a couple other buildings. \u00a0A few weeks later, the buildings were knocked down and the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Red Wings Arena took place. A couple of weeks ago, the Park Avenue Hotel was imploded.<\/p>\n

\"View<\/a><\/p>\n

As I finance and economics major, this development should make me elated but instead it gives me a pit in my stomach.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get me wrong, it\u2019s extremely important for Detroit\u2019s revitalization to have this type of growth, but it\u2019s also criterial that we don\u2019t allow it to blind us to the reality that native Detroiters are not being included. \u00a0Here are just a few staggering statistics:<\/p>\n