excerpted from a story published 6.21.07 in the Detroit Free Press:
THE PLAYERS: Groups, people helping downtown rebound
Dozens of groups and thousands of people are playing roles in revitalizing Detroit. Here are some major players: ...
...General Motors: Since it bought the Renaissance Center for its new world headquarters, GM has played a major role in spurring redevelopment of the city's riverfront. Matt Cullen, GM's head of economic development, cochairs [with Derrick Miller] the Riverfront Conservancy, which oversees the new RiverWalk. Other private corporations playing big roles include Compuware and Ilitch Holdings. [Cullen's wife Karen Cullen is VP of corporate communications at Ilitch Holdings, Inc.],
...Detroit Riverfront Conservancy: Created in 2002, the conservancy runs the $250-million effort to build, operate and maintain the RiverWalk. Now about half complete, the RiverWalk one day should encompass the entire 5.5-mile length of the riverfront from the Ambassador Bridge to Gabriel Richard Park near the MacArthur Bridge to Belle Isle. Faye Alexander Nelson, a former Wayne State University official, serves as the conservancy's president and CEO...
...Ilitch Holdings: Now headed by President and CEO Christopher Ilitch, son of founders Mike and Marian Ilitch, this pizza and entertainment conglomerate owns the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings, the Fox Theatre, Hockeytown Café, Motor City Casino and lots of vacant real estate on the northern edge of downtown [Foxtown] that may or may not one day become home to a new hockey arena. ... (Complete Story)
Missing from this story are the names of those who manuever behind the scenes (attempting to stay "under the radar") on behalf of the entities and individuals highlighted; people like Michael J. Malik, R. Thomas Vigliotti, Timothy A. Stoepker, Herb Strather and others who recognize and are pros at exploiting leverage. These people are often at the heart of "brokering" deals, and "facilitating" process in a highly charged political environment.
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