DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan gave his final State of the City address Tuesday night.
You can watch Duggan's speech below:
Duggan started off with a look back at Detroit’s history, then focused on the comeback. He first zeroed in on Detroit’s bankruptcy and countless businesses giving up on the city.
He layed out numerous examples of renewed prosperity and manufacturing jobs coming back with help from city council.
“Manufacturing said woah, they’ve got a city where the mayor and council are working together to improve things fast. They’ve got the land, the permits are moving, it’s closing to supply chain and they got the workers,” Duggan said.
Here's what people are saying about Duggan's tenure as mayor:
Duggan has announced he will not seek another term as mayor of Detroit, instead choosing to run for governor as an independent, so this speech marked the end of an era for the city.
Interview: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan talks about running for Michigan Governor
The address also marked the beginning of a new era for Detroit as Duggan gave his speech inside the new Hudson's Detroit development, which recently announced they had installed the final window, completing that part of the outside of the skyscraper.
“For 40 years since Hudson’s closed, this block has been a huge dead spot in the heart of downtown and a reminder of all that had left the city. Next week, most Detroiters will be able to get their first look inside and when it opens later this year, they will be able to once again feel a sense of wonder and pride being on the Hudson’s block,” Mayor Duggan said in a news release announcing the speech.
Related Video: Crews install final glass panels on Hudson's Detroit tower
The mayor touched on historic investment in sites like Michigan Central Station, which is now occupied by Ford Motor Co., providing space for new startups and serving as a symbol of moving past blight. The new Hudson’s building was also talked about.
“They’re still doing the work to move General Motors in later this year. The building is still under construction,” Duggan said.
More affordable housing, population growth and public safety were other key focuses of his speech.
The mayor referenced better pay for first responders and better response times. He said it’s part of the strategy he says comes from community partnerships in the neighborhoods.
Related video: Detroit leaders participate in roundtable for Duggans' final State of the City address
The mayor also highlighted thousands of vacant homes being demolished or renovated, leading to home values rising along with improved city services such as lighting and trash pickup.
“The state fairgrounds have been closed and abandoned since 2011. In 5 years, we’ve built a major business park anchored by Amazon employing 2,400 people,” Duggan said.
In addition, the mayor acknowledging that the NFL Draft in Detroit stepped up bus service, improved parks and had an infrastructure investment.
The mayor also referred to new resources for the homeless community after deaths of children living in a car parked at a casino garage.
“We are going to make sure outreach workers don’t leave any stone unturned, so the city never again has to suffer a tragedy like we did earlier this year,” Duggan said.
The mayor provided an update to plans on the Renaissance Center with a world-class entertainment venue.
The race in 2026 for Detroit mayor is already heating up and it's going to be a unique one.
Candidates include former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Council President Mary Sheffield, Councilman Fred Durhal III, Pastor Solomon Kinloch, attorney Todd Perkins, businessman Koel Haashiim, former CEO of THAW and Councilmember Saunteel Jenkins, businessman Jonathan Barlow and activist Rogelio Landin.
Related Story: Detroit mayoral race gets more crowded
Duggan has been Detroit's mayor since 2014, succeeding Dave Bing after winning the 2013 election as a write-in candidate, beating Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon. He was reelected in 2017 and 2021.
Prior to running for mayor, Duggan was the CEO of the Detroit Medical Center, a job he assumed in 2004 after serving three years as Wayne County Prosecutor. Duggan also served as an attorney for Wayne County, after which, he spent 14 years as Deputy Wayne County Executive under Wayne County Executive Ed McNamara.
“The city of Detroit, east and west, is in a good position right now, a good place compared to when we was bankrupt,” Detroit resident James Broughton said.
However, some feel that neighborhoods have not gotten the same attention as downtown.
“The neighborhoods have not been left out. I know for a fact, my neighborhood hasn’t,” Detroit Deputy Mayor Melia Howard said.
Related video: What Detroiters want to hear in Mayor Mike Duggan's final State of the City address
More of downtown’s transformation during Duggan’s time in office include the addition of the QLINE, Little Caesars Arena and the new apartments at the old Joe Louis Arena site.
“It’s not just downtown, it’s not just Corktown or Midtown, but a lot is happening in the neighborhoods. And if you go up and down the corridors, you can see the revitalization that has come,” Howard said.
She says other parts of the city have received the same attention.
“When the mayor started in 2014, we had 47,000 abandoned houses, we had a lot of blight in the neighborhoods, we had a high crime rate, we had residents leaving in droves. And as he’s brought his programs and plans into place, we have across the city 180 new small businesses that have come up along the corridors. We’ve gotten our blight situation under control to the point where we’ve turned from blight to beauty,” Howard said.
She says nearly 12,000 vacant lots have been turned into beautification projects, 30,000 vacant lots have been sold as side lots through the Land Bank and over 200 parks have been renovated.
Detroiter Nya Marshall, who owns IVY Kitchen + Cocktails on East Jefferson Avenue, says more can be done. The real estate developer says the investment in downtown compared to neighborhoods hasn't been equitable.
Marshall says she doesn't discount what's happened during the Duggan administration. She just wants what's best for the city as a whole.
After 11 years as the city’s leader, the mayor says Detroit is now ready for more success under the leadership of its next mayor.
Duggan also said the riverfront will continue to be symbols of success with the new plans in the works.
