Cass Tech Changing...again

New Cass Tech high school

In yesterday's post, I gave some information about Cass Tech high school, a fantastic establishment that has been around Detroit for over 140 years. Today, I wanted to let you in on another secret about Cass Tech: it will soon have a new building!

Funded from a 2001 taxpayer bond, the new Cass Tech - pictured above - is a modern urban masterpiece. From looking at the building in progress, you can just tell that it is going to be spectacular. The large amount of windows alone give it a huge advantage over the old brown building. In addition to this feature, however, one of the most amazing things about the school is the fact that it lies on just 18 acres of property - tiny in comparison to the national average of 55. How did developers and architects deal with this major obstacle in designing the school? Since they were limited in space horizontally, they decided to build up! Although the building is still a work in progress, I have read in the local newspapers that it is forecasted to be 5 stories tall and that students will eat lunch on the roof. From their new "cafeteria", they will enjoy beautiful views of the Masonic Temple and Cass Park, as well as downtown Detroit's skyline.

The new building is slated to be completed sometime during the 2005-2006 school year. No definitive plans have been made as to what will become of the old building, although I am told that many alumni would like the building to remain and possibly be used in conjunction with the new facility.

Don't know much about...Cass Tech High School?

Current Cass Tech high school

It has been home to thousands of students - including some famous ones, like actress Lily Tomlin and singer, Diana Ross - since first opening its doors in 1917. What is this brown building, you ask? It's Cass Tech High School, the well-known college-prep school located at the cusp of Downtown Detroit on Woodward.

Originally named Cass Union School, the establishment shown in the picture above was created from a land grant given to the city of Detroit by former Michigan Governor and Secretary of State, Lewis Cass. The building above, however, was not the first place that Cass resided; in fact, the school has been around Detroit in one form or another since 1861.

Although it was first created to teach woodworking and trades in metal, Cass Tech's curriculum has grown to offer 20 programs today, including such disciplines as fashion illustration and design; automotive; and, robotic engineering.

A school that prides itself on offering its students diverse learning experiences and the opportunity to participate in a variety of extra-curricular activities, Cass Tech truly is one of the best college preparatory schools in Detroit - its website boasts that 95% of its graduates attend college.

Noel Night at DPL

The Main Branch of the Detroit Public Library will be continuing its yearly tradition of crafts and songs at the library's 32nd annual Noel Night on December 4, 2004.

The program - which runs from 5:00 - 9:00 pm next Saturday - features a variety of live music, as well as different crafts that are sure to entertain the entire family. In addition, for just $3, your child (or adult!) can have a picture taken with Santa.

Visit the Detroit Public Library's website for more information.

Detroit No Longer America's Most Dangerous City

According to a new study out by Morgan Quitno Press, Detroit has been surpassed by Camden, NJ, as America's most dangerous city. The study - which looked at 354 cities across the U.S. with populations greater than 75,000 - based its rankings upon 2003 crime rates in six different areas: murder, aggravated assault, rape, robbery, burglary and auto theft. Crime data came exclusively from city filings with the FBI.

Camden and Detroit fell into the first and second most-dangerous slots, respectively. They were followed in descending order by Atlanta, St. Louis, Gary, IN, Washington, DC, and Hartford, CT.

Morgan Quitno Press is an independent, private research firm based out of Kansas. It began publishing reference books which looked at comparison results amongst cities and states in 1990. Its reference books can be found at most public libraries across the nation.

Downtown YMCA

Detroit's New YMCA
One of the many projects currently under construction in the downtown Detroit area is a new YMCA. Located on the corners of Broadway, Grand River, John R., and Farmer, the new Downtown YMCA broke ground in October 2003 and is set to be completed at an unspecified date in 2005.

Located in central downtown to provide club access to a larger population of Detroit's citizens and workforce, the YMCA is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide children, teens and adults with a community center that offers a broad range of activities related to health, sports, personal growth, and the arts at a price affordable to people at all income levels.

For more information on the construction of Detroit's new YMCA or its current facility and programs, visit http://www.ymcametrodetroit.org/factsata.asp.