Downtown Pontiac has seen a lot of ups and downs over the decades.
There was the early 1980s, in the depths of what was really a depression here in Michigan, and a lot of the stores were boarded up. Some were briefly opened in 1982 when the Super Bowl came to the Silverdome.
Later, it seemed as if the downtown was making a big comeback. Then before you know it, the city had an emergency manager trying to dig out from under some serious debt.
The question is: Is the latest sign of investment in downtown an indication of a real comeback?
Mike Martindale of the Detroit News writes:
This city has seen better days, but even Pontiac's harshest critics acknowledge brighter days are on the horizon.
After more than four years of scratching out of a financial emergency overseen by state-appointed managers, Pontiac cut its annual budget nearly in half, shed millions in outstanding debt, trimmed hundreds of city workers and privatized public services. It also got rid of everything from parking meters to costly city-owned properties such as the Silverdome, the home of the Detroit Lions before they moved to Ford Field in downtown Detroit.
Helping to make the recovery a reality is nearly $300 million in new investment, including major efforts within the downtown business district that developers hope will bring in young professionals interested in spending time downtown in new apartments or condos, restaurants or shops.
Martindale writes that downtown Pontiac, much like Grand Rapids and Detroit, for instance, has seen a resurgence in old building rehabs, construction and an influx of young workers who want to live in the city.
-- Allan Lengel
