On March 31, Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield faced an enormous task under an even larger spotlight. It was her first State of the City address, and she delivered it in her own style with substance and confidence.
Her presentation was inclusive, creative, and heartwarming as she mixed real-world stories with bold ideas, quick wins, and a clear set of priorities. She recognized each City Council member and the leaders of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties who were in attendance. These leaders know that what happens in Detroit can impact the entire region, and I applaud them for being on hand.
The mayor began with her strong focus on kids, families, and seniors, and on the city’s neighborhoods. She later acknowledged the important role Downtown plays in the city at large, as well as the incredible vitality people witness when they come to the city, whether from city neighborhoods, around the region, or around the world. Detroit is on a mission, and the mayor understands the importance of having a vibrant, welcoming, attractive, and engaging center city.
The Downtown Detroit Partnership, with the support of its public, private and philanthropic partners, has built a national model in neighborhood safety, strategic placemaking, public space maintenance, and event activations. We have created an environment in Downtown Detroit that will attract businesses and residents, and we’ve shared our knowledge and expertise with community leaders in Corktown, Midtown, Live6, and Rivertown, among others here and around the country. We welcome the opportunity to extend these initiatives outward throughout Detroit.
The DDP also welcomes the opportunity to work with the mayor’s newly appointed experts on addressing homelessness, attracting retail, and enhancing the operating efficiency of the city.
But what received the most attention following the State of the City and a press conference the next day, is the MoveDetroit initiative. The DDP is proud and excited to be a partner. The program is designed to encourage homeownership through financial incentives and relocation bonuses to combat population loss and encourage population gain, with an initial goal of benefiting 313 current and future residents.
That’s a great number, and the DDP is all in. But we also think we can and must do more.
This week, the DDP is sharing the results of a study we commissioned with Zimmerman/Volk Associates to understand he depth and breadth of the potential market for new market-rate and affordable housing units in the Downtown area and within the 7.2-square-mile Greater Downtown area (Corktown, Rivertown, Lafayette Park, Eastern Market, Midtown [including Cass Park, Brush Park, North Cass, Detroit Medical Center, Wayne State University, and Art Center], Woodbridge, TechTown, and New Center).
Today, we enjoy the benefits of a dynamic, thriving Downtown neighborhood with an enviable mix of sports and entertainment and a diverse landscape of small and large businesses, including world headquarters. However, to achieve a shared vision of a 24/7/365 thriving city center, it is imperative that we increase the number of residents in the Downtown and Greater Downtown areas.
A larger number of residents, in addition to a steady stream of weekday employees and weekend visitors, is necessary to support the city’s expanding number of restaurant and retail businesses, especially outside of peek business hours. There needs to be a threshold of people nearby who can reliably shop and dine at these establishments.
A rule of thumb in the retail and economic growth professions is 10,000 people per square mile to support brick-and-mortar establishments. Additionally, strong cities have 4% of their regional population within the Downtown, but Downtown Detroit has less than 1% of the regional population.
According to the DDP and ZVA’s 2026 Downtown Detroit Residential Market Potential Study, Downtown is estimated to be able to absorb between 1,395 and 1,810 new market-rate units annually for the next five years, and Greater Downtown is estimated to be able to absorb between 729 and 966 units annually.
Additionally, Downtown can absorb 318 to 406 affordable housing units, and Greater Downtown has the potential for 592 to 753 affordable housing units annually through 2031.
Lucky for us, affordability is a stronghold. A recent piece in Travel & Leisure magazine puts Detroit at No. 9 in the country in attractive destinations for Gen Xers (born between 1965 and 1980). Citing music and a close-knit community, the article goes on to state, “The lower cost of living may also be a major deciding factor for Gen X. According to Zillow, the average home value in Detroit is around $75,000—significantly lower than what you’ll find in many other cities around the U.S.”
Still, the distance between “can” absorb and “will” absorb can be great. It requires changes in policies, zoning, and taxes, as well as the willingness of developers to invest in Detroit. It will require reviewing land opportunities, including new parcels resulting from the I-375 project, creative financing, and trusts. All of this fits directly in Detroit’s wheelhouse. We have seen what’s possible when we work together.
Downtown currently has a population of 6,831 residents. The DDP is confident that with the public and private sectors involved in programs like MoveDetroit, we can reach 10,000 Downtown Detroit residents by the close of 2031.
It’s hard to say if we build it, they will come, but according to our research, the market potential is there. We just need to capitalize on it.