Monday, August 28, 2006

Eminem: shoes for a cause

Best known for his hotly-debated, chart-topping tracks and the ability to turn raw talent into gold, Detroit's-Eminem recently added a new skill-set to his multi-faceted resume: shoe-designer.

Earlier this year, the record-breaking rapper teamed up with Nike to design eight pairs of limited-edition shoes from Nike's Air Max series, including the original Air Max 1 (also known as the Air Max '87), the Air Max '90, -'93 (aka 270), -'95, -'97, 2003, the 180 and the new Air Max 360 (aka Max 2006).

After the shoes are created, Eminem will number and sign eight pairs of each.

All 64 pairs will then be auctioned off to benefit the Marshall Mathers Foundation, a non-profit created to assist charities working with troubled youth in Southeastern Michigan, and ninemillion.org, a global organization which seeks to educate and provide sports-related activities to the more than 8 million youth rufugees around the world.

The signed shoes will be available at Nike stores in London, Berlin and Paris starting with Nike Londontown Thursday, August 31.

They will also be available on eBay for four weeks beginning September 12.

Scheduled dates and specific auction items are as follows:

Aug. 31: NikeTown London:
Shoes to be auctioned: Air Max '87 - 1 pair; Air Max '90 - 1 pair

Sept.12: eBay:
Shoes to be auctioned: Air Max '87 - 7 pairs; Air Max '90 - 7 pairs

Sept. 16: NikeTown Berlin:
Shoes to be auctioned: Air Max 180 - 1 pair; Air Max '93 - 1 pair

Sept. 19: eBay:
Shoes to be auctioned: Air Max 180 - 7 pairs; Air Max '93 - 7 pairs

Sept. 22: Nike Store, Paris:
Shoes to be auctioned: Air Max '95 - 1 pair; Air Max '97 - 1 pair

Sept. 26: eBay:
Shoes to be auctioned: Air Max '95 - 7 pairs; Air Max '97 - 7 pairs

Sept. 28: NikeTown London:
Shoes to be auctioned: Air Max 2003 - 1 pair; Air Max 360 - 1 pair

Oct. 03: eBay:
Shoes to be auctioned: Air Max 2003 - 7 pairs; Air Max 360 - 7 pairs

For more information, please visit Eminem's website.

Have a question or comment on this post?
I'd love to hear from you!
E-mail me at girl.in.the.d@gmail.com

Posted by Girl in the D at 10:23 PM

Labels: , , , ,

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Two Detroit redevelopment projects get tax credits

Two proposed development projects in downtown Detroit have moved a step closer to becoming a reality.

Last Tuesday, MEGA - the Michigan Economic Growth Authority - approved a $6.8 million brownfield Single Business Tax credit (SBT) that will be used to renovate the Fort Shelby Hotel at 525 West Lafayette in Detroit.

MCP Development LLC plans to turn the historic, 1918-building into a 204-room Doubletree Guest Suites Hotel with 63 luxury apartments. A 38,000-square-foot conference center is also part of the project plan, which will roll out in two phases.

The Albert Kahn-designed building, which has stood vacant for nearly three decades, is set to receive a $68.9 million makeover. An estimated 374 new jobs will result.


Broderick Tower

MEGA also awarded a $3.9 million brownfield SBT to Motown Construction Partners LP for its plans to redevelop the nearly-vacant Broderick Tower in Detroit's Grand Circus Park area.

Formerly known as the Eaton Building, the Broderick Tower will contain first-floor dining and retail, three floors of commercial space and 29 floors of apartments. The project has more than $38 million in private investment behind it and is expected to create 95 new jobs.

Created in 1995 to promote economic growth and job creation, MEGA tax credits have generated more than $11.5 billion in private investment and created nearly 120,000 jobs in Michigan.

Have a question or comment on this post?
I'd love to hear from you!
E-mail me at girl.in.the.d@gmail.com

Posted by Girl in the D at 12:44 AM

Sunday, August 20, 2006

It's Pub-Crawl Time in Detroit

Celebrate one of Detroit’s most legendary figures and experience some of Midtown Detroit’s best bars and restaurants this Saturday at Detroit Synergy’s Pub Crawl VII.


Hazen Pingree statue in Grand Circus Park

Scheduled to coincide with what would be the 166th birthday of Hazen Pingree – a successful shoe manufacturer that served as Mayor of Detroit from 1890 to 1897 and Governor of Michigan from 1897 to 1901 – Pub Crawl VII is a great way to meet new people, network and get acquainted with five of the Cass Corridor's most popular watering holes: the Bronx Bar, the Traffic Jam and Snug, Motor City Brewing Works and Winery, the Old Miami and Cass Café.


The Traffic Jam and Snug

Tickets – which include cover, drink specials and a commemorative t-shirt – are available online before the crawl for $15. You can also get 'em at the door the day of for $20.

Attendees of Pub Crawl VII: Hazen Pingree's Birthday should meet at the Bronx Bar at 5 pm on Saturday, August 26. The Bronx Bar is located at 4476 2nd Avenue in the Cass Corridor.

The event is rain or shine and is only open to those 21 and over. Don't forget to bring your ID.


Outside the Old Miami

For more information, please visit Detroit Synergy.

Have a question or comment on this post?
I'd love to hear from you!
E-mail me at girl.in.the.d@gmail.com

Posted by Girl in the D at 3:59 PM

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Cruisin' in Detroit

Want to get involved with Woodward Dream Cruise activities but don’t care to be among the throngs of people and all the traffic congestion?

Join Detroit Synergy (DSG) this Thursday and Saturday in Detroit for two Cruise-inspired events that promise to give you an eyeful of great classic cars without any of the usual headaches.



DSG kicks things off right at Campus Martius Park this Thursday with Cars & Guitars, an evening featuring cool cars – including the antique collection of Compuware Chairman and CEO-Peter Karmanos – live music by Greenstreet and Benny & the Jets, and a racing-gear fashion show by Camillo Pardo, the mastermind behind the Ford GT design.

Want to show off your classic or vintage car at the event? You're in luck: there’s still time to register your hot rod for Cars & Guitars, which runs from 5 – 11 pm on August 17.

Registration, which includes a dashboard plaque, a parking space to show off your ride and automatic-entry into the Hard Rock Café’s “Ambassador of Rock” contest, is $15 and can be completed online.


Campus Martius Park

Have a blast at Cars & Guitars and head on back to the D on Saturday for the main event: Cruise in Detroit.

In its first year, Cruise in Detroit is a free event designed for auto enthusiasts, classic-car aficionados and anyone interested in learning more about Detroit’s automotive history and its historic neighborhoods.

Slated from 9 am – 2 pm on August 19, Cruise in Detroit’s First Annual Road Tour & Car Show begins in the beautiful Palmer Park neighborhood and follows a designated route through seven historic areas along Woodward Avenue, including Boston Edison, New Center and more.

It concludes at the Model T Automotive Heritage Complex Inc. (nicknamed the T-Plex), a National Historic Landmark and the birthplace of Henry Ford’s Model T.



The car-show portion of Cruise in Detroit takes place at the T-Plex, where attendees have the opportunity to tour the historic facility for a $10 donation (free tours for those under 16). All tour participants will be entered into a raffle for Detroit-themed prizes.

For maps, flyers, and other information on Cars & Guitars or Cruise in Detroit's First Annual Road Tour & Car Show, please visit Detroit Synergy. Ride on, Detroit!

Have a question or comment on this post?
I'd love to hear from you!
E-mail me at girl.in.the.d@gmail.com

Posted by Girl in the D at 2:10 AM

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Detroit's Greektown Casino: expansion plans approved

On Tuesday, the Michigan Gaming Control Board unanimously approved Greektown Casino's plans for a permanent home.

Yesterday's decision gives Greektown Casino - which has operated in the downtown Detroit-neighborhood known as Greektown since November 2000 - the go-ahead to move forward with plans for a $200 million permanent home.

The permanent plans call for 25,000 additional square-feet of gaming space, a 400-room hotel and a 3100-space parking structure.

A city-owned parking structure at St. Antoine and Monroe was demolished last week to make way for Greektown's new parking structure.

Greektown Casino is the first 100-percent Michigan-owned casino to open in Detroit and is the first tribal-owned casino in the United States to open on non-tribal land.

The casino, located at 555 East Lafayette, currently has 2400 slot machines and more than 80 gaming tables.

Greektown's permanent casino complex is set to open in September 2008.

Have a question or comment on this post?
I'd love to hear from you!
E-mail me at girl.in.the.d@gmail.com

Posted by Girl in the D at 11:57 PM

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Brownfield credit awarded for restoration of vacant Victorian homes

On August 4, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) awarded a $175,231 brownfield SBT credit for the restoration of two historic buildings in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood.

The developer - Charlotte Holiday Townhouses, LLC - will use the tax credit and $1.8 million in private investment to restore the vacant Victorian-style buildings - located west of Woodward between the Detroit Medical Center and Ford Field - to create 10 new rental apartments.

Have a question or comment on this post?
I'd love to hear from you!
E-mail me at girl.in.the.d@gmail.com

Posted by Girl in the D at 9:35 PM

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

August in the D

Summer is quickly coming to a close, so now's the time to get in all those fun activities and events you've been thinking about since June.

Lucky for you, there's no shortage of things to do in the D this August. Here's a short list of some of the best:

Butch Walker and the Let’s Go Out Tonight’s: August 1 at St. Andrew's Hall

Pianist Joe Sample and guitarist Tim Bowman: August 2 at Chene Park


Dodge Fountain at Hart Plaza

The Editors: August 3 at the Magic Stick

Big City Rock: August 4 at The Shelter

The Flaming Lips: August 4 at the State Theater

Nashville Liberation Summer Tour: August 4 at CCNDC

Shop Your Block: August 4 on Vernor in Southwest Detroit

Ribs 'n' Soul Festival: August 4 – 6 at Hart Plaza


Comerica Park

Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Indians: August 4 – 6, Comerica Park

Detroit Urban Craft Fair: August 5 at The Majestic

Detroit Lions Black and Blue Scrimmage: August 5

Gnarls Barkley: August 7 at the State Theatre

Detroit Tigers versus Minnesota Twins: August 7 - 9 at Comerica Park

Fiona Apple with David Garza: August 8 at the State Theatre

Detroit Lions versus Denver Broncos: August 11 at Ford Field

Caribbean Festival: August 11 - 13 at Hart Plaza



Detroit Red Wings Youth Hockey Camp: August 11 – 13 at Joe Louis Arena

Woodbridge Summer Fest: August 12

Melissa Ethridge: August 13 at the Masonic Temple

Cruise in Detroit: various areas of Woodward Avenue south of 8 Mile

Detroit Tigers versus Texas Rangers: August 17 - 20 at Comerica Park

African World Festival: August 18 – 20, Hart Plaza

Detroit Tigers versus Chicago White Sox: August 21 – 24 at Comerica Park

Michigan State Fair: August 23 – September 4 at the State Fair Grounds


Campus Martius Park

Festival of India: August 25 – 27, Hart Plaza

Fourth Fridays with Ford: August 25 at Campus Martius Park

Thirty-sixth Annual Fash Bash: August 26 on the rooftop of the Beaubien Place parking structure

Detroit Lions versus Buffalo Bills: August 31 at Ford Field

Have a question or comment on this post?
I'd love to hear from you!
E-mail me at girl.in.the.d@gmail.com


Technorati Tags:



Posted by Girl in the D at 12:05 AM

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)