Submerge, O.N.E. Mile, Anthony “Utē” Petit, BFA ID/Tex 2018

I recently attended a meeting with members of the Underground Resistance and legendary Techno artists: Theo Parish, Mike Banks, Omar-S and Underground Resistance manager Cornelius Harris, North End community members, and Mayor Duggan at Submerge Records. The discussion pertained to how Detroit could better support it’s night time economy.

The conversation was centered around the future of Detroit’s East Grand and Oakland Avenue (“The North End”) as most development has been centered around 3 neighborhoods (Downtown, Midtown, and Corktown). The electronic music industry originates from Detroit in the 80s. The historically black and now 7.1 billion dollar industry has since been appropriated elsewhere.

‘

As a means of reclamation, members of UR pointed out that Detroit’s nighttime economy is limited by by last call hours of 2AM. A step in the right direction would be to extend the hours to 4AM, and designating the North End as an area eligible for 24 hour licensing, where the nightlife could operate akin to Berlin, New York, and Tokyo. 

As it pertains to O.N.E. Mile, the collective project has been well on it’s way to restoring the legacy of African American music along Oakland Avenue. With city support, this would open the door for further black entrepreneurship in the neighborhood. While no updates have come from the mayor’s office yet, we will see where they stand with time.