In a report on what it headlines as "Detroit's precarious recovery," a leading London newspaper poses a question also asked here: "Can downtown Detroit help save the city?" 

Dominic Rushe, a U.S. correspondent for The Guardian, interviews Dan Gilbert and describes the Opportunity Detroit development plan he introduced March 28.


Rendering shows upcoming Papa Joe's gourmet market on Woodward.
The sweep of Gilbert's influence is dizzying. . . .

Gilbert is Donald Trump, Andrew Carnegie and Robert Moses rolled into one and could well prove just as controversial. Much of the city remains a bombed out, burned up mess. While something, anything, is better than nothing for many, not everyone is happy that Gilbert and Mike Ilitch, billionaire founder of Little Caesars pizza and owner of the Detroit Tigers, have been snatching up buildings like they are playing real life Monopoly.

The British journalist also speaks with one of Gilbert's associates in Detroit Venture Partners, Josh Linkner.

"A hundred years ago Detroit was the Silicon Valley of the U.S., this is where technology was made. We need to get back to our entrepreneurial roots," says Linkner.

Rushe's take on what's going on here is summarized in British-style prose:

Huge sections of Detroit are dead, and it's too early to say whether downtown's lights will shine for those living outside their golden circle.

Read more: The Guardian