Mike Duggan highlights development in final State of the City speech
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Mayor Mike Duggan gave his State of the City speech at Hudson's. Photo: Courtesy of the city of Detroit via Flickr
Mayor Mike Duggan used his 12th and final State of the City speech Tuesday to spotlight Detroit's resurgence and pitch continued riverfront development as essential to the city's future.
Why it matters: With the race to replace him as mayor underway, Duggan looked back at the city's evolution during his tenure — highlighted by development, financial recovery, the emergence of Detroit's riverfront parks, and community violence intervention strategies that led to lower gun violence.
Driving the news: Promoting his development track record as he exits office, Duggan spoke from inside Hudson's, the prominent $1.4 billion, two-building site downtown that will offer hotels, condos, retail, GM's new headquarters and more.
- "We have enough construction and projects to carry this city for the next five years," he said. "That's because all of these people have been working together. It hasn't been one person."
Flashback: Duggan, who became mayor in early 2014, touted conservative spending practices used to rebuild the city's decimated finances after its 2013-14 bankruptcy.
- The city climbed back up from junk bond status to investment grade last year, meaning Detroit's bonds went from highly risky to a safe bet.
- The city is getting $150 million more a year in income taxes than projected during the bankruptcy and leaving $550 million in rainy day funds and other reserves for the next mayor.
Zoom in: Duggan is prioritizing solidifying the future of the outdated Renaissance Center. Its owner, GM, and developer Bedrock want public funding assistance to redevelop it, though some state legislators pushed back last year on subsidizing the project.
- Duggan said Tuesday that using public funding to repurpose old urban sites has been a success across the state and could help create a riverfront legacy in Detroit for future generations.
- Along with Wilson Centennial Park and a plan to add public space and entertainment uses around the RenCen, the contaminated former tire-making site next to Belle Isle could get a new developer after the city recently got back control of the property.
- The Uniroyal site, Duggan said, is targeted by a group including the Pistons' owner to become an outdoor sports complex and youth sports center.
The intrigue: While Duggan didn't mention his 2026 run for governor in the speech, there's no doubt his mayoral legacy will lead his pitch. The longtime Democrat, who's running as an independent, positions himself as a uniter who does away with the "two Detroits" or "us vs. them" politics — a dynamic he's applying to both the city and Lansing.
- He said Tuesday night that Detroit is the opposite of the national "toxic political debate."
What we're watching: While many 2025 mayoral candidates shout out the foundation Duggan has laid for the city's future, some also acknowledge the criticisms that downtown has seen the bulk of investments, and that many Detroiters continue to face harsh realities while the central business district shines.
- Many of them say they want to put more resources toward neighborhood growth.