Here are a few of the stories we're reading this week:

New senior housing in Cass Corridor

Plans for a new four-story, 49 apartment building for seniors is on the table for Cass Corridor. It would be on vacant land on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, by the King's Arm Hotel. Cass Corridor Neighborhood Development Corp. recently presented plans to the city; the development has been in discussion for years. The new development would be for people aging out of the many apartments they own around the neighborhood. This development is still awaiting approvals from various city boards. Detroit Free Press

375 opposition

Officials have planned for years to redo I-375, the short freeway from around Eastern Market to the Riverfront. While MDOT has a plan ready, many residents and business owners are not happy with it. The ReThink I-375 Coalition recently submitted a letter to various state officials.

“We are united in believing the plan proposed by MDOT would actively disconnect our community and threaten decades of our neighborhood’s stability,” the letter reads. “We are opposed to the current project as presented by MDOT and the city of Detroit. We urge you to insist that MDOT’s work immediately halt so that a more legitimate process can be developed.”

About 500 local residents signed the letter. The plan for 375 have changed through the years, and will continue to change. Instead of a freeway, it will be a boulevard with six lanes (down from nine). One of the criticisms is that with all these lanes, it will not be pedestrian-friendly. One of the major reasons behind this project is to connect the neighborhoods to the east easier to downtown. Also, the project was supposed to have an aspect of restorative justice, which remains largely unclear. Detroit News Bridge Detroit

New transit center opens

Earlier this month, a new transit center opened at the former State Fairgrounds. The Jason Hargrove Transit Center is named after a DDOT employee who lost his life to COVID in April 2020. The center sits in the Hertel Coliseum, off 8 Mile near Woodward (next to the Meijer). The center is for both DDOT routes and SMART routes, and includes indoor seating for riders. Detroit News