Opportunity Detroit

April 28, 2025 ~ Red Arrow Lofts is the final phase of the larger Perennial Corktown development, a full adaptive reuse of the iconic Red Arrow Soda Factory—a late-19th-century structure once home to the bottling of Orange Crush and other local favorites—into 28 modern loft apartments. Seth Herkowitz, partner and COO of Hunter Pasteur, the developers of Perennial Corktown, joins the show to discuss the project.

April 27, 2025 ~ There’s a great new restaurant in town called Vecin, which was named “2025 Restaurant of the Year” by the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers. Vecino is a Mexico City-inspired restaurant in Midtown that opened one year ago and has quickly gained recognition for its unique menu. Co-owners Adriana Jimenez and Luke Wietrzynski join the show to talk about their restaurant.

Opportunity Detroit ~ Full Episode ~ April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025 ~ MiSide Community Impact Network recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Campbell Street Apartments, a new $18 million affordable housing development in Southwest Detroit’s East Chadsey-Condon neighborhood. MI Side CEO Sean de Four joins the show to talk about this.

April 20, 2025 ~ Loyola High School recently expanded its campus, the first all-new Catholic place of worship in the city of Detroit in over 60 years. An all-new Welcome Center and Student Courtyard is also part of the campus expansion, and Loyola High School President Deborale Richardson Phillips joins the show to talk about it.

April 20, 2025 ~ MyFlight Tours, a Michigan helicopter tour company, is breaking ground on its new 12,000+ square foot facility at the Coleman A Young International Airport. This marks the first commercial construction project at the airport in over 60 years! Cassandra Troiani, owner of MyFlight Tours, joins the show to discuss the project.

April 13, 2025 ~ Recently, community leaders in Detroit gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of a multi-million dollar streetscape project in Greektown. Athina Papas, board chair and president of the Greektown Neighborhood Partnership, joins the show to talk about this project.

Opportunity Detroit ~ Full Episode ~ April 13, 2025

April 13, 2025 ~ David Merrit is the co-founder and board chair of Merit Park at Give Merit joins the show to talk about what the organization does for the community.

April 13, 2025 ~ The Detroit Free Press Marathon has been named Best Marathon in the United States by USA TODAY as part of the 2025 USA TODAY 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards. The recognition highlights Detroit’s unique foot race experience as a go-to destination for runners worldwide, as well as the impact the race has had on the local community through sustainability efforts and youth programming. This is the first time since the USA TODAY 10 Best Marathons began that this race has been awarded first place by readers. Here to talk about it is Aaron Velthoven, vice president and executive race director.

Opportunity Detroit ~ Full Episode ~ April 6, 2025

April 6, 2025 ~ After a six-year renovation spearheaded by the Ford Motor Company, Michigan Central Station reopened to the public on June 6, 2024. Almost a year later, Michigan Central has now been named to Fast Company’s 2025 list of the world’s most innovative companies. Clarinda Barnett-Harrison, Skills Director at Michigan Central, joins the show!

April 6, 2025 ~ In 2017, the Rocket Community Fund, United Community Housing Coalition and the City of Detroit announced the “Make it Home” program, to help Detroiters at risk of displacement become homeowners by purchasing tax-foreclosed properties before the annual Wayne County foreclosure auction. This program is now in its eighth year and it’s a big success. Here to talk about it is Laura Grannemann, Rocket Community Fund executive director.

April 6, 2025 ~ The Anchor at Mariner’s Inn, a multi-million-dollar residential substance use disorder treatment facility located right in the heart of Detroit, is now open. Mariner’s Inn CEO David Sampson joins the show to talk about the new facility.

Opportunity Detroit ~ Full Episode ~ Dec. 22, 2024

Dec. 22, 2024 ~ Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch, joins host Ann Thomas to talk about the lighting of the Menorah in the D at 5 p.m. on Dec. 25 in Campus Martius.

Dec. 22, 2024 ~ Laura Grannemann, the Rockey Community Fund executive director, joins host Ann Thomas about the Rocket Mortgage Classic receiving two awards from the PGA: the Fair Way Award and the Best Volunteer Program Award.

Dec. 22, 2024 ~ Former Warren Consolidated School Superintendent and host of School Talks on WJR Robert Livernois talks to host Ann Thomas about his family's roots in Livernois Avenue.

Dec. 22, 2024 ~ Former Warren Consolidated School Superintendent and host of School Talks on WJR Robert Livernois talks to host Ann Thomas about his family's roots in Livernois Avenue.

Opportunity Detroit ~ Full Episode ~ Dec. 15, 2024