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The 50th anniversary of the July 1967 has given Metro Detroit a time to collectively reflect on Detroit's history, on where the city has been and where it is going.
But the business community has mixed feelings about giving that milestone a lot of attention, reports John Gallagher of the Detroit Free Press.
Larry Alexander, president and CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, tells the Freep that industries like tourism, conventions and trade shows are highly sensitive to a city’s reputation. He thinks the riot and the image of a troubled city can chase away business.
“The progress has accelerated in the last five to seven years, and I would just hate to see that momentum diminished in any way,” Alexander says.
He's not saying the city should ignore one of the defining moments in the city's history, but "we also have to look at it with balance, and that’s what I’m concerned about.” He tells the Freep he's not so much worried about upcoming museum exhibits as he is about "Detroit," a film directed by Kathryn Bigelow about the riots that is scheduled for a summer release.
David DiRita, a developer whose work includes the David Whitney Building renovation, sees it differently.
"Was 1967 an unfortunate moment in our history? Absolutely," he tells the Freep. "But as I stand here on Woodward Avenue, lined with people and bustling with development, that's not necessarily telling a bad story. We're the sum of our history here. We were given up for dead 50 years ago, and we weren't (dead), as it turns out. That's a pretty good story to me."
