Category: Detroit, Michigan Local News

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All eyes are on Tuesday’s special primary election in Michigan’s 35th. With Democrats barely holding a majority in the state Senate, the person who fills this seat will have the power to shape what Gov. Gretchen Whitmer can achieve in her final months in office. 

New reporting has revealed that fundraising committees tied to powerful Michigan Senate Democrats have poured nearly $70,000 into the race — not to oppose a Republican candidate, but to undermine a Democrat. Notably, a progressive Black Democrat running a skillful campaign. Dr. Pamela Pugh has the most community endorsements in the race, and has raised the most money. And still, powerful Dems have collaborated to back a more moderate candidate of their choosing to run against her. 

This is part of a pattern. We’re just over a month into 2026, and two promising Democratic candidates for statewide office have already left the race. Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II ended his gubernatorial campaign to run for Secretary of State, and Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie exited the race for Secretary of State soon after.

Both candidates were highly qualified. Both candidates were progressive leaders with a credible path to victory. And both candidates were Black. 

That’s a critical detail in a state where Black voters make up 14% of the electorate, yet only four Black people have ever held statewide office. 

For many candidates, terminating a campaign is a normal part of the political process that is often driven by poor polling or a clear path to defeat during the primaries. But that is not what happened here. In this case, both candidates exited before the campaign truly began, without testing their message, their support, or their path to victory.

These races were not a foregone conclusion. Gilchrist had already raised well over a million dollars by the end of 2025. Edevbie had secured over 70 endorsements. Party leadership could have ensured that these viable, progressive candidates had the material and structural support necessary to continue their campaigns — especially for Gilchrist, who served alongside Michigan’s beloved Whitmer, helping usher our state into its most progressive era. They chose not to. That decision deserves an explanation. 

Is there a ceiling on what progressive Black candidates can hope to achieve in this state? It pains me to say that there might be. 

Michigan Democratic Party leadership has consistently demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice Black representation in higher office for political expediency. They seem to believe that their pattern of undermining Black leadership will help them win — and that it will go unnoticed. They’re wrong on both fronts. 

As a longtime political strategist whose organization’s GOTV efforts reached thousands of Detroit voters last year, believe me when I say: Black voters notice. 

We noticed in 2021, when Democrats backed a redistricting plan that left Black voters statewide with diminished representation. We noticed in 2022, when fewer Black State Senators won their races. We noticed when Republicans, that same year, ran five Black candidates for higher office. We noticed in 2024 when the Dem Trifecta, made possible by the 2021 redistricting plan, failed to deliver for working class families and ended their lame duck session in chaos. 

The consequences extend further, with the electorate now facing fragmentation as former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan advances an “independent” campaign, bankrolled by corporate interests such as DTE and other corporations that have consistently harmed Michigan’s working people. 

By clearing the gubernatorial field before voters ever had a chance to weigh in — and ultimately bestowing the nomination on a party favorite — leaders have left Black voters, and really all voters, without the opportunity to choose their preferred candidate in the primary. The result is a splintered vote that threatens to undermine hard-won Democratic gains and erase the progress made by the very people who delivered those victories.

When our sitting Deputy Secretary of State calls on us to reject “the cynical assumption that the people of Michigan are too racist to elect someone with a unique name to higher office,” we know what that means. It means that someone, or multiple people, with power, made that cynical — and frankly, foolish — assumption. Now, Democratic voters across the state have fewer qualified candidates to choose from.

Here’s our message to the Democratic Party: The less puppeteering you do, the better. 

In 2020, Black voters delivered the margin of victory needed to put Biden and Harris in office. Still, the Democratic party too often acts as if the Black vote only matters on Election Day, rather than a day-to-day priority. This is not how we build power. If Democrats want to win in Michigan in 2026, 2028, and beyond, they need to do better by Black candidates and voters. 

James Johnson is political director at Detroit Action.

The post Opinion: Does the Democratic Party want Michigan’s Black progressives to win? appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

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James Johnson

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A federal bankruptcy judge on Thursday stopped a fast-tracked auction of the historic Leland House in downtown Detroit, rejecting the building owner’s proposed sale and delivering a temporary win for displaced tenants who said the proposed sale would strip them of their rights without due process.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Maria Oxholm denied a motion by Leland House Limited Partnership to sell the 22-story apartment building at 400 Bagley St. and an adjacent parking lot, after objections from the U.S. Trustee, secured creditors, neighboring property owners, and tenants represented by the Detroit Tenants Union and the Leland House Tenants Union.

The ruling immediately halts the planned auction, which was set to begin on March 9, and forces the owner to reconsider its bankruptcy strategy after months of emergency filings, tenant displacement, and an unexplained pivot from stabilizing the building to liquidating it.

It is the second time in less than two months that Oxholm has intervened in the case. In early December, Oxholm barred DTE Energy from disconnecting power without court approval and allowed the owner to get a $1.2 million loan to handle some of its debts, including a deposit of more than $57,000 to keep the power on. 

Despite what was at stake, DTE Energy wanted to shut off power to the 99-year-old building sooner. Residents and housing advocates question why the city hasn’t advocated for the tenants. Then-Mayor Mike Duggan, who has received tens of thousands of dollars in political donations from DTE Energy executives, never spoke out in favor of residents. So far, Mayor Mary Sheffield, who took office on Jan. 1, is not taking a different approach, raising concerns among residents and advocates that DTE is trying to gobble up the property on a block where the utility already owns most of the land and buildings. 

But on Thursday, DTE spokesperson Amanda Passage told Metro Times that the energy giant has no intention of trying to buy the Leland.

“We have no plans to pursue the purchase of Leland House,” she says. 

On Dec. 10, after a power outage, the Detroit Fire Marshal ordered an emergency evacuation of the building, forcing residents to leave on short notice. The city is preventing the tenants from picking up the rest of their belongings, arguing the building is unsafe. 

Tenants are asking the bankruptcy judge to intervene in hopes of preserving their leases and preventing their belongings from being removed without their consent. 

In January, court filings suggest that the owner is moving away from helping residents by failing to make adequate repairs and stabilize the building. Instead, money intended for that purpose has been redirected to tenant removal, storage, and property security. A financial advisor was also appointed to assist with a sale. 

Soon after, the owner asked the court to approve bidding procedures for a rapid auction under federal bankruptcy law, including approval of a $3.5 million stalking-horse bid and a $200,000 breakup fee if that bidder were outbid. A stalking-horse bidder sets a floor price for an asset being sold through bankruptcy 

The proposed sale also attempted to include an adjacent parking lot that is not owned by the debtor.

The U.S. Trustee, a federal watchdog in bankruptcy cases, objected to the stalking-horse fee, saying it is excessive and could chill bidding. Secured creditors argued the opening price was too low. Owners of the neighboring lot said the debtor had no authority to sell their property. And tenants argued that their unexpired leases could not be wiped out through a sale “free and clear” of their rights.

At the hearing Thursday, the court questioned the debtor’s authority to sell non-estate property and raised concerns about valuation, structure, and the proposed bidder protections. 

Metro Times is awaiting a response from Luis Ramirez, who represents the Michael Higgins Trust and the Leland House ownership. He has declined to comment on the case in the past. 

Tenant advocates called the ruling an important pause.

“This decision gives tenants breathing room and ensures that any future sale of the Leland House cannot happen behind closed doors or at the expense of the people who lived there,” the Detroit Tenants Union said in a statement after the hearing.

The court left open the possibility that the owner could return with a revised sale proposal.

The post Judge halts rushed Leland House auction, intervening again in fight over Detroit’s historic building appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

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Steve Neavling

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When Michigan voters overwhelmingly approved marijuana for medical use in 2008, the ballot measure was seen as a turning point after decades of prohibition, signaling that patients should be able to access cannabis without fear. 

But that’s not what happened. 

What followed, according to a new memoir by Detroit-area entrepreneur Ryan Richmond, was something very different.

In Capone of Cannabis, which was released this week, Richmond recounts how law enforcement agencies and prosecutors across Southeast Michigan responded to legalization. Instead of adapting to the will of voters, they aggressively resisted it, using raids, asset seizures, selective prosecutions, and intimidation to shut down early cannabis businesses and punish the people behind them.

Richmond found out the hard way. An early pioneer in the medical cannabis industry, Richmond was harassed, repeatedly raided and charged, and ultimately sent to federal prison in West Virginia for having the nerve to follow the will of voters. 

“We were legal on paper,” Richmond writes in the book. “But legitimacy didn’t stand a chance against a badge and a grudge.”

Richmond’s book blends memoir and investigative reporting, drawing on court records, media coverage, and his own experience as a co-founder of Clinical Relief, one of Michigan’s first medical marijuana dispensaries. The result is a detailed account of the chaotic years before the state created a formal regulatory system. 

It was a period when cannabis businesses operated in legal gray areas while law enforcement continued to treat them as criminals.

‘Too many guns and too many raids’

Richmond entered the cannabis industry almost accidentally. At the time Michigan passed its medical marijuana law, he was working in commercial real estate. In late 2009, he received a call from entrepreneurs looking to open a dispensary.

“I was just another bored real estate guy who got involved,” Richmond tells Metro Times in an interview.

Clinical Relief opened in Ferndale in 2010, describing itself as a professional, patient-focused operation. There was no stoner imagery or neon pot leaves. Richmond writes that the goal was to show that cannabis could operate like any other legitimate business.

Instead, the dispensary became a target.

Less than three months after opening, Clinical Relief was raided in a heavily militarized operation involving armored vehicles, assault rifles, and masked officers. Richmond describes patients being thrown to the ground and staff treated as violent criminals.

In the book, Richmond describes elderly patients and people with serious medical conditions being detained at gunpoint while attempting to legally obtain their medicine. They included a breast cancer survivor who was tackled to the floor and a military veteran with PTSD who was held at gunpoint, both of whom were getting relief from medical cannabis. 

“This wasn’t about public safety,” Richmond writes. “This was about sending a message.”

The raids, he writes, resembled tactical operations typically reserved for violent crime, not inspections of voter-approved medical businesses operating openly with local approval.

The raid was only the beginning. Over the next several years, Richmond says he and his partners experienced relentless enforcement pressure.

One of the raids, Richmond writes, was followed by a personal tragedy for his business partner’s family. Just days after officers stormed the dispensary and raided the homes of employees and relatives, his partner’s father, Sal Agro, who had worked part-time at the shop and helped run the front desk, suffered a massive heart attack and died. Richmond says the death came in the immediate aftermath of the raids on the family’s homes, where armed officers confronted his wife, children, and grandchildren. 

“We had a raid every 26 days for four years,” Richmond says. “I think I was charged 10 times.”

In the book, Richmond describes how raids often occurred on Friday evenings, when dispensaries were most likely to have cash on hand, and how seizures were frequently followed by dropped or reduced charges.

Richmond also describes officers pointing guns at employees, rifling through patient records, and seizing cash and property even when no marijuana was found, actions that he says were meant to intimidate, rather than enforce the law.

“There were too many guns and too many raids,” Richmond says. “It was a lot.”

In August 2014, six Detroit cops were suspended following accusations that they stole evidence from a medical marijuana dispensary operating out of a house on the west side. Other dispensary owners said Detroit police did the same thing to them. 

After the initial burst of media attention, Richmond says he largely stopped speaking publicly about cannabis.

“I probably made zero comments for the next five years,” he says. “My wife was really supportive, but she saw the bullshit. I became a father, and I couldn’t do this anymore.”

His book reveals what the media didn’t know at the time, and the details are shocking. 

Asset forfeiture as a weapon

One of the book’s central allegations is that asset forfeiture, which is the practice of seizing cash and property suspected of being connected to crime, became a routine enforcement tactic against cannabis businesses. 

“I think a lot of the main theme is police power,” Richmond says of the book. “They took asset forfeiture and then started calling it 280E of the tax code.”

Section 280E of the federal tax code bars businesses that traffic in illegal drugs from deducting ordinary business expenses. While marijuana remained illegal at the federal level, Richmond argues that prosecutors and tax authorities weaponized 280E to punish legal cannabis operators in Michigan, even as enforcement priorities shifted nationally.

In Capone of Cannabis, Richmond writes that asset seizures often occurred without judicial oversight, leaving businesses financially crippled long before any case was resolved.

“Justice gets priced out,” he writes. “Pay to play, or get shut down.”

Richmond says he ultimately challenged his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear it.

Richmond’s attorney believes he may be the only American sent to prison over the application of 280E to a cannabis business.

“I was innocent,” Richmond says. “And I still believe that.”

Selective enforcement and ‘optics’

Throughout the book, Richmond raises questions about selective prosecution, alleging that prosecutors and law enforcement focused on optics, not evidence, when deciding who to charge.

In one passage, he writes that some individuals connected to dispensary operations avoided charges altogether, while others were aggressively prosecuted.

“Optics matter,” Richmond writes. “Charging the wrong person doesn’t serve the narrative.”

While Richmond doesn’t claim to know the motivations behind every charging decision, he argues the pattern had a chilling effect on the industry, driving many early operators out of cannabis entirely.

“The goal was to scare people,” he says. “And it worked.”

The cost of regulatory failure

Michigan did not create a comprehensive licensing system for medical marijuana businesses until years after legalization. In the meantime, patients, caregivers, and dispensary operators were left dealing with contradictory court rulings, local moratoriums, and hostile enforcement.

Richmond argues that the state’s failure to regulate created the conditions for abuse.

“Voters passed the law,” he says. “But the system never caught up.”

That gap, he says, exposed people to criminal liability despite clear voter intent, which is a common theme throughout the book.

“I started out thinking this was just about state enforcement,” Richmond says. “But there were much bigger forces and power at play.”

From cannabis to prison 

Richmond was ultimately sentenced to two years and served time in federal prison.

“They put me in a cage in West Virginia,” he says.

After his release, he left the state’s medical cannabis industry. He later founded Hempwell, a hemp-based pet wellness company that now sells products through major retailers.

But the story never left him.

Richmond says he wrote Capone of Cannabis primarily for his children, who are now 11 and 9.

“I wrote the book so my kids could understand the story someday,” he says. “The goal was getting the story out.”

While the book is deeply personal, Richmond says its message extends far beyond Detroit or Michigan.

“It’s definitely a Detroit story,” he says. “But it’s really an American story. It could have happened anywhere.”

A reckoning with legalization’s early years

Today, Michigan has one of the largest cannabis markets in the country. Dispensaries operate openly, taxes go to state and local governments, and marijuana enforcement has largely faded into the background.

In November 2018, Michigan voters approved the legalization of cannabis for adult use, allowing thousands of new businesses to legally open. Last year, recreational dispensaries rang up $3.17 billion in sales in 2025, down from $3.27 billion in 2024, a decline of about $100 million, or 3.1%. The industry employs more than 41,200 workers. 

Richmond argues that progress came at a cost that was paid by early operators who were crushed before the industry was fully regulated.

“We were the test cases,” he writes. “And once they were done with us, the state moved on.”

The post New book recounts how Michigan’s early cannabis entrepreneurs were crushed by raids, seizures, and legal limbo appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

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Steve Neavling

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A number of Detroit-area small businesses closed on Friday as part of a National Shutdown Day general strike in solidarity with the protests over the Trump administration’s deadly U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown in Minnesota. 

“Every day, ICE, Border Patrol and other enforcers of Trump’s racist agenda are going into our communities to kidnap our neighbors and sow fear,” the National Shutdown website reads. “It is time for us to all stand up together in a nationwide shutdown and say enough is enough!”

Thousands of people in Minnesota have been peacefully demonstrating in the bitter Midwestern cold to protest the ICE crackdown in their state and the deaths of fellow protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by ICE agents in recent weeks.

A number of businesses wrote in Instagram posts that they would close on Friday, including Library Street Collective, Drifter Coffee, City Bird, the Grand Porter, 27th Letter Books, Reware Vintage, and Witch House Tattoo.

Other businesses said they would remain open but posted messages of solidarity with the protesters. 

“After careful consideration, we will remain open Friday, January 30,” an Instagram post by Corktown cafe and market Folk reads. “We stand in solidarity with all those impacted by what’s occurring with ICE. We will continue showing up to care for our neighbors, our team, and to provide a safe space for our community where all are welcome to commune and connect.”

It continues, “We care deeply about honoring each individual and the cultures that keep Detroit vibrant.”

Moondog Cafe, a cafe and music venue on the city’s west side, wrote on Instagram that it would remain open on Friday but said “we would like to voice our solidarity with the National Shutdown Movement & our vehement resistance to the racist terrorist organization called ICE.”

It recommended guests pay with cash and pledged to “donate a portion of sales to Detroit mutual aid orgs.”

It continued, “WE ARE TOGETHER.” 

Downtown cafe and music venue Trinsophes said its planned concert Friday evening will resume, but all revenues from concession sales will be donated to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota.

Other messages were less measured.

“We want to be clear: we abhor this administration’s anti-immigration policies,” reads an Instagram post shared by downtown’s Bad Luck Bar and other businesses. “They contradict the values we hold as a business and as a community.”

It continues, “As a small business, we need to keep our doors open tomorrow. Our priority is the livelihood and safety of our teammates — many of whom are directly threatened by these policies. We will not abandon them.”

It concluded: “FUCK ICE.”

The post Detroit-area small businesses close for national general strike in protest of ICE appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

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Lee DeVito

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Abstract art is some of my favorite because it makes me feel everything and nothing all at once. 

An upcoming exhibition titled untitled, unknown by local multifacets Mat Larimer and Sandi Bache takes that feeling to a new level. Featuring over 200 collaborative pieces installed in a massive white space, the show feels almost meditative, like stepping out of time for a moment. 

The pair of artists have been working on the pieces for this show since August, sort of by accident. What started as Larimer placing small blue dots on postal stickers around Hamtramck turned into something unexpected. One day, Bache spotted one of the blue dots in the wild, now layered with graffiti. She took a photo of it and sent it to Larimer, telling him it looked really cool. The next time she was at his apartment, they decided to mark on more of them together and see what would happen.

That moment turned into months of passing work back and forth, each artist responding to what the other had left behind.

“To me it felt like a conversation that was going back and forth between us,” Bache says. “I would receive these paintings with all these marks, and I feel like my paint would just start talking to the paint on the page already. And it just felt like a really long ongoing conversation to me, which is really fun.” 

She adds that she had never collaborated on visual art this way before, especially not with the freedom to hand something off and let the other person do anything they wanted with it. Larimer connects the process to how he makes music with other people. You need something to start with, he says. Without that, the possibilities are so infinite that nothing happens. 

The work grew through response, back and forth, one mark leading to another —  ultimately growing into something that feels like a reflection on “transformation as a shared, often unknowable process.” 

Stylistically, the two artists come from different but overlapping places. Bache, who is an owner of metro Detroit coffee shop chain Red Hook, says her creative work leans toward abstract expressionism. Larimer’s approach is more minimal and process-based, with an interest in repetition, systems, and how multiple works connect to each other in a broader search for meaning. Alongside his visual work, he is also a music producer, audio engineer, and sound designer, often merging his work across disciplines. 

Over time, the artists’ approaches begin to blur. 

The pieces themselves use a wide range of materials, including pastels, cyanotype, acrylic paint, pencil, graphite, and crayons. Somewhere along the way, Larimer also began making his own ink from beets, rust, turmeric, and coffee. It is one of the quieter details of the show, something you might miss if you are not looking closely, but it adds another layer to the sense of experimentation.

For a long time, there was no intention other than making the pieces for fun. 

After a while, there was enough for a show, and the vision didn’t fully come to life until the pair started setting up in the space, which helped guide the layout of the exhibition. 

“I feel like, in a very positive way, this feels like what I would imagine a version of purgatory to be,” Larimer says. “You come from downstairs, where there’s lots of businesses and people, and then you come up here, and it’s very quiet. It’s very different.”

Seeing all of the work together made the relationships between the pieces clearer. Now grouped into loose collections, the marks begin to speak to each other across the room too. 

Most of the works are white with soft splashes of color, which made the few pieces that resist blending into the whole stand out to me even more. A row of darker, dreamier works were some of my favorites. These contrasting pieces felt almost nocturnal, like a starry night tucked into the gallery. 

Another odd one out sat low in a bottom corner of the room: a display of near-perfect squares. While still abstract, with marks pushing beyond the edges of the shapes, this piece introduced a sense of order in the chaos. 

Both of these instances made the title untitled, unknown click for me in a deeper way, and I love that it leaves room for viewers to interpret not only the work, but the reasoning behind the title itself. This theme feels central to the show.

“The thing I like about abstract art and ambient music is that it’s not prescriptive,” Larimer says. “It doesn’t say ‘this is the meaning.’ It puts ownership on the viewer to engage with it and find their own meaning.”

“I feel like prescribing a title to something, you’re automatically telling someone how to think about that piece,” Bache adds. “I would rather people just look at it and summarize it themselves.”

The exhibition risks visual sameness at times, and to some, its abstraction may be too much to process or know what to make of. To me, its power lies in the moments that interrupt it. Those deviations anchor the experience, giving the viewer something to return to as they move through the room.

untitled, unknown is less about individual works and more about what happens not just within the collection of pieces, but between creatives who work together to make something beautiful yet uncertain, not only for themselves, but for others.

An opening reception for the show will be held on Feb. 7 from 12-5 p.m. Gallery hours after that will be Fridays from 1-5 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sundays from 12-4 p.m. 

This article was published in conjunction with Midbrow.

The post Everything and nothing all at once appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

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Layla McMurtrie

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If you work remotely in Detroit, you’ve probably noticed how many unexpected places have become offices. A few years ago, they were empty buildings; now they’re shared workspaces filled with freelancers, founders, and small teams figuring things out side by side. 

For the modern professional, the choice of where to work isn’t only about a desk and Wi-Fi. It’s about community, culture, and—let’s be honest—finding a spot with reliable parking and great coffee.

Whether you’re a traveling executive, a freelance artist, or a scaling tech team, there is a desk in Detroit with your name on it.

Detroit’s Top Workspaces at a Glance

If you’re in a hurry, here is the high-level breakdown of the city’s heavy hitters:

• Bamboo Detroit: The community powerhouse for networking and startups.
• Hunt Street Station: A historic, soul-filled space for creatives.
• Green Garage: The quiet, eco-conscious sanctuary in Midtown.
• SpaceLab Detroit: The polished choice for urban professionals and designers.
• Venture X: High-end, “boutique hotel” style offices in the heart of the city.

Space	Neighborhood	Best For	Day Pass	Parking
Bamboo	Downtown/Midtown	Startups	$25	Paid (Z-Lot)
Hunt Street	Eastern Market	Creatives	$25	Free Gated
Green Garage	Midtown	Deep Work	N/A (Monthly)	Street/Lot
SpaceLab	Financial Dist.	Professionals	$20	Paid Garage
Venture X	Financial Dist.	Luxury/Teams	$50	Paid Garage
TechTown	New Center	Tech Founders	$20	Free Lot
Chroma	Milwaukee Jct.	Design/Arts	$25	Paid/Street
Grand River	NW Detroit	Small Biz	$20	Free Lot

1. Bamboo Detroit: The Startup Engine

Neighborhood: Downtown & Midtown (New for 2026!) 

Vibe: Energetic, diverse, and high-growth.

Bamboo remains the gold standard for Detroit’s entrepreneurial spirit. Now with a fresh location in Midtown to complement its massive downtown presence, Bamboo offers the most robust networking ecosystem in the city.

• Why it wins: Their membership is practically a pass to Detroit’s startup inner circle. Expect constant “Lunch & Learns,” pitch nights, and a diverse crowd ranging from legal consultants to AI developers.
• Key Feature: The “multi-city” access allows you to hop between Detroit, Royal Oak, and their new Grand Rapids hub.
• The “Detroit” Perk: Close proximity to the Z-Lot, which features some of the city’s best street art.

2. Hunt Street Station: The Architectural Icon

Neighborhood: McDougall-Hunt (Edge of Eastern Market) 

Vibe: Historic, cozy, and profoundly cool.

Housed in a meticulously restored 130-year-old police station, Hunt Street Station is the antidote to “corporate” workspace. With original brickwork and soaring windows, it feels more like a private library than an office.

• Why it wins: It offers a massive outdoor deck and a rare commodity in Detroit: free, secure gated parking.
• Key Feature: Their state-of-the-art podcast studio is one of the best-equipped in the city.
• The “Detroit” Perk: You are steps away from Eastern Market. Grab a world-class taco for lunch and browse the flowers on your walk back.

3. Green Garage: The Deep Work Sanctuary

Neighborhood: Midtown 

Vibe: Sustainable, scholarly, and whisper-quiet.

If you are a writer, developer, or researcher who needs to disappear into your work, Green Garage is your home. This triple-bottom-line business is built on sustainability, from its repurposed building materials to its waste-reduction focus.

• Why it wins: It is famously one of the quietest spaces in the city. There are no “hustle culture” speakers or loud sales calls here.
• Key Feature: The “Community Lunch” every Friday is a 15-year tradition where members share a meal and discuss local projects.
• The “Detroit” Perk: Located in the heart of the Cass Corridor, surrounded by the city’s best independent bookstores and vegan cafes.

4. SpaceLab Detroit: The Urban Professional

Neighborhood: Financial District (Shelby Street) 

Vibe: Sophisticated, sleek, and industry-focused.

SpaceLab caters to the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) community and design professionals. It is the most “grown-up” space on this list, offering a polished environment perfect for hosting high-stakes client meetings.

• Why it wins: The location is unbeatable for those who need to be near City Hall or the major banks.
• Key Feature: Large-format plotting and printing services—a godsend for architects and graphic designers.
• The “Detroit” Perk: Direct access to the Q-Line and People Mover, making it the easiest “commuter” spot in town.

5. Venture X: The Boutique Experience

Neighborhood: Financial District (Chrysler House) 

Vibe: Modern, luxury, and high-tech.

Venture X feels like a luxury hotel lobby that happens to have incredibly fast internet. Located in the iconic Chrysler House, it balances historic Detroit grandeur with ultra-modern glass-walled offices.

• Why it wins: It’s designed for those who want the flexibility of coworking but the privacy of a corporate suite.
• Key Feature: High-end “hospitality” services, including a fully stocked café and professional reception.
• The “Detroit” Perk: You are in the heart of the “New Detroit” culinary scene; the city’s best steakhouses and cocktail bars are within a two-block radius.

6. TechTown Detroit: The Innovation Powerhouse

Neighborhood: New Center / Midtown

Vibe: Academic, diverse, and resourceful

Affiliated with Wayne State University, TechTown is a non-profit business incubator that serves as the heart of the city’s tech and social impact community.

• Why it wins: You get more than a desk; you get an ecosystem. It is the best place for founders needing technical resources and mentorship.
• Key Feature: “Ask an Expert” sessions—free consultations with HR, legal, and tech strategy pros.
• The “Detroit” Perk: A shaded outdoor courtyard with Wi-Fi and regular food pop-ups featuring local Detroit restaurateurs.

7. Chroma: The Creative High-Rise

Neighborhood: Milwaukee Junction

Vibe: Artistic, airy, and ultra-modern

Chroma is a beautifully renovated 1913 cold-storage facility that has been turned into a nine-story “vertical village” for creatives and startups.

• Why it wins: It blends artistic expression with high-end professional amenities in one of the city’s fastest-growing creative districts.
• Key Feature: Breathtaking 360-degree views of the Detroit skyline from the upper-floor event spaces.
• The “Detroit” Perk: Home to the “MTV Studio” and minutes away from the iconic Fisher Building and local coffee favorite, Kiesling.

8. Grand River WorkPlace: The Neighborhood Anchor

Neighborhood: Grandmont Rosedale (Northwest Detroit)

Vibe: Local, supportive, and grounded.

For those who want to avoid the downtown commute, this space serves as a vital hub for neighborhood-based businesses and freelancers.

• Why it wins: It focuses heavily on local economic development and supporting neighborhood-centric entrepreneurs.
• Key Feature: A unique “Retail Pop-Up” space where members can showcase and sell physical products to the community.
• The “Detroit” Perk: Located in a historic residential district, it offers a “village” feel with free parking and local favorites like Narrow Way Café nearby.

The Detroit Coworking Decision Matrix

Before you book a day pass, use this rubric to find your “desk-mate” based on your lifestyle and work style.

• The Commute Factor: Are you relying on the Q-Line or MoGo bike-share? Stick to Midtown or Downtown hubs like Bamboo, SpaceLab, or Green Garage.
• The Noise Tolerance: Do you need a “Library” vibe for deep focus? Head to Green Garage. Do you thrive on “Coffee Shop” energy and networking buzz? Venture X or Bamboo are your best bets.
• The After-Hours Plan: Choose a space based on your 5:01 PM mood. If you want a world-class cocktail at The Sugar House, look toward the Financial District. If you want a sunset walk by the water, head to the Riverfront adjacent spaces.

Pro-Tip: The Digital Nomad’s Logistics

Here are a few tips that will make your work day in Detroit that extra bit easier:

1. The Tax Benefit: If you are a non-resident working remotely from a Detroit coworking space, you may qualify for a City Income Tax allocation. Keep a work log of the days you spend outside the city to potentially exclude those wages from Detroit’s 1.2% non-resident tax.
2. The Coffee Pivot: If your coworking space is full, Detroit’s “third places” are elite. Dessert Oasis (Downtown) and The Red Hook (Midtown) are the gold standards for laptop-friendly cafes.
3. Getting Around: Don’t struggle with parking. Use the ParkDetroit app for street meters, or grab a MoGo Monthly Pass ($20) to move between the riverfront and Midtown for free.

So, Which Space Floats Your Boat?

Detroit’s coworking market has matured into a landscape where you don’t have to compromise. If you want the buzz of the city’s top founders, head to Bamboo. If you need the silence of a library with the soul of a garden, Green Garage is your spot. For the commuter who values ease and history, Hunt Street Station remains the city’s best-kept secret.

The “right” space is the one that makes you want to get out of bed and get to work. Luckily, in Detroit, you have five world-class options waiting for you.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Do I need a membership to use a desk? 

Most spaces (except Green Garage) offer daily or weekly passes. Expect to pay between $20–$30 for a hot desk.

Is there free Wi-Fi in the city? 

Yes, most coworking spaces provide “Preferred” high-speed fiber for members, while public cafes like the Capital One Café downtown offer reliable free Wi-Fi for guests.

What is the best neighborhood for “after-work” life? 

Downtown and Corktown are unbeatable for bars and fine dining, while Midtown offers a more relaxed, collegiate atmosphere with museums and boutique shopping.

The post 8 Best Coworking Spaces in Detroit: The Remote Worker’s Guide for 2026 appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

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Nathalie Eder

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Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin called for the resignation, firing, or impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday, escalating Democratic opposition to federal immigration enforcement tactics that led to the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis this month.

The Holly Democrat delivered a scathing floor speech targeting Noem’s leadership after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good during immigration operations. Slotkin, who voted to confirm Noem last year, said the secretary has “done nothing to defend the values that she claimed to hold her hand up and swear to protect.”

Michigan connections drive Slotkin’s opposition

Though Slotkin said she does not regret attempting to engage with Noem — citing Michigan’s border role and the upcoming opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge — she said her reaction to the Minneapolis incidents exposed a misreading of the justice system.

“If you’re a cabinet-level secretary and you jump to that, you don’t understand our system,” Slotkin said, referring to Noem’s quick characterization of the shooting victim as a terrorist.

The senator also called for the resignation of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, describing both officials as “boat anchors” around President Trump’s neck. Slotkin said the administration officials were “the masterminds of these policies” and should face consequences through resignation, firing, or impeachment.

Democrats threaten government shutdown over DHS reforms

Slotkin said she and Michigan Sen. Gary Peters are unwilling to back the current government funding bill unless it includes changes to Department of Homeland Security policy, which could result in parts of the federal government shutting down just after midnight on Saturday. Democrats argue the funding fight is necessary to force accountability for federal enforcement actions.

“If she doesn’t resign, the president should do what he’s done in the past and fire her. And if she doesn’t get fired, she should be impeached,” Slotkin said during her Senate floor address. “We need accountability. We need the people who are the masterminds of these policies to leave their jobs.”

The Michigan senator specifically criticized Noem for labeling Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse for the Veterans Health Administration, a “domestic terrorist” rather than immediately placing the involved DHS officers on administrative leave. Federal agents involved in Pretti’s shooting were eventually placed on administrative leave, but not until after Noem’s public statements.

Senate Democrats demand police standards for federal agents

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer detailed specific demands for DHS reform, including an enforceable code of conduct for federal agents conducting immigration arrests and requirements that they identify themselves to the public. Democrats want agents to operate with “masks off, body cameras on” and carry identification, matching standard law enforcement practices.

“We are asking for the same things that the Michigan State Police or the Nevada police have to do on every single day,” Slotkin said. “We want our federal agents to abide by those same laws and rules, because they fundamentally lost the trust of the American people.”

The Democratic demands include ending “roving patrols” in cities, coordinating with local law enforcement on immigration arrests, and establishing clear protocols for federal operations in communities. Peters and Slotkin say DHS funding should be dealt with on its own, allowing other parts of the government to stay open while immigration policy is debated.

White House resists decoupling DHS funding

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, along with the White House, has opposed Democratic efforts to separate Department of Homeland Security funding from the larger spending legislation. On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said immigration policy discussions are already taking place in Minnesota under President Trump’s leadership.

“That should not be at the expense of government funding for the American people, which would include … FEMA funding, and we are in the midst of a storm that took place over the weekend, and many Americans are still being impacted by that,” Leavitt said. “We absolutely do not want to see funding lapse.”

The House passed the contentious DHS legislation separately last week, but duplicating that approach in the Senate would require sending the package back to the House for approval. The House is currently in recess, and that complicates any potential compromise.

That said, Thune told CNN on Wednesday he sees possibilities for avoiding a government shutdown by week’s end. “Something would have to come together fairly quickly, but I feel like that’s possible,” Thune said, noting that negotiations were continuing.

What happens next

The funding crisis spotlights the tensions over immigration enforcement tactics since Trump returned to office. Democrats argue that federal agents must follow the same accountability standards as state and local police; meanwhile, Republicans defend aggressive enforcement as necessary for border security.

With the Saturday deadline approaching, Senate negotiators face pressure to find compromise language addressing Democratic concerns about DHS operations while maintaining government funding. It remains unclear how deeply the White House is engaged in talks with Senate Democrats, or whether the administration would accept oversight measures demanded by Slotkin and her colleagues.

With Michigan sitting on a busy international border and home to large immigrant communities across Metro Detroit, any prolonged shutdown would have tangible effects, from federal operations at Detroit Metropolitan Airport to traffic at the Ambassador Bridge and other crossings into Canada.

The post Slotkin demands Homeland Security chief resign over Minneapolis shootings appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

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Marcus Vance

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