Hastings Street, Black Bottom, I 375, & Reparative Development

Hastings Street and Black Bottom comprised a thriving district in Downtown Detroit, destroyed beginning in 1949 to create a freeway in the name of urban renewal. Sixty years later, the state is reconstructing I-375 to move it to grade level, presenting an opportunity for 31 acres of new development where Black Bottom once stood. Who will benefit from the new development, can we repair past harm, and who decides? How do we achieve equitable and reparative development?
Panelists include Jamon Jordan (City of Detroit Official Historian), Adena Hill (Kresge Foundation’s Detroit Program), Eric Larson (CEO, Downtown Detroit Partnership), and John Sivills (City of Detroit). Moderated by New Detroit COO Jodee Fishman Raines. May 16, 2024