Archive of Features

Land of the Lost

Frustrated by delays in acquiring key property in Detroit, private companies and individuals are brazenly taking city-owned land for their own gain.

By Norm Sinclair

Down on the Farm

Michigan's booming agricultural sector, especially urban framing, offers the best hope of revitalizing Detroit.

By David Littmann and R.J. King

Engineering a Comeback

By Paul Eisenstein

All Politics Aside

The run-up to the presidential election will likely be the nastiest race in history, both in the battle for the White House and for Michigan's Congressional seats.

By David Shepardson

Magic Time

Can Magic Johnson and Dozens of other venture capitalists seed and mentor enough entrepreneurs to fill downtown Detroit?

By R.J. King

Fixing The Foreclosure Crisis

Although residential mortgage foreclosures have wreaked havoc on many communities in metro Detroit and Michigan, efforts to stem the damage and boost property values are under way. But do the relief programs go far enough?

By Bill Dow

Delay, Deny, Defend

Do automobile insurance firms operating in Michigan put profits ahead of policyholders by aggressively challenging no-fault accident claims in court or offering low settlement offers, thereby saving millions of dollars in potential payouts? Yes, say accident victims, lawyers, and insurance advocacy experts.

By Dan Calabrese and R.J. King

30 In Their Thirties 2011

We asked our readers to nominate regional business professionals in their 30s who are advancing their companies, industries, and communities. From savvy entrepreneurs to enterprising executives, these overachievers believe opportunity and growth are not only achievable, but expected given the success of multiple generations of business leaders in the region and state.

By R.J. King, John S. Schultz, Tom Beaman and Tim Keenan; Photographs by Cybelle Codish

Modern Ruin

Bloomfield Park promised to be the next Birmingham, but the $2 billion project was abandoned in mid-construction due to the 2008 global economic meltdown — at least that’s the popular version of what transpired. Here, for the first time, is the untold story of how municipal arrogance jeopardized millions of dollars in future tax revenue and left taxpayers to pick up the tab for a controversial legal showdown.

By Norm Sinclair

State of the Unions

Negotiations on a new, four-year labor agreement between the Big Three and the United Auto Workers are set against the backdrop of a slow economic recovery and growing public wariness of rich union contracts.

By Paul A. Eisenstein