Betting on the Bridge

It turns out that last Saturday wasn't the day for the "self-guided tours" of the Detroit-Superior Bridge underbelly.  Arriving at the sloping V-shape intersection at W. Huron and W. 10th Street we found nobody around, no boosters boosting the Bridge's, and Downtown's, transformative trajectory.

Potential plans here favor the modern urban nexus of shops etc. Probably no housing plans. Plus, there's already housing there, both in nice W. 10th street condos and on a couple of filthy mattresses resting on an 8 X 10’ concrete pad next to the bridge.

Old newspapers, wrappers, beverage containers and what is hopefully not (but probably is) human waste decorate scene. So instead of strolling under bridge space with views and possibilities, I fall into the waiting arms of all those damn inconvenient and nagging post-capitalist accusations/questions—homeless folks live on the street in an obscenely rich country? Millions in investment takes place next to homeless squatters? Does anybody hear the sound of urban desperation anymore?

In Cleveland 2012 it looks like this--the Horse Shoe Casino gleams and glistens just a stone's throw down W. Huron. Dazzling electroboards promise riches beyond sweet dreams (buy a nearby jackpot condo!) and don’t forget to eat fancy at “The Spread,” a casino-connected eatery.

Billboardfood pics looked yummy, $30 a good value for steak slabs & succulent shrimp, perhaps Crème de Contradiction for desert. But that price didn't include, as far as I could tell, the side dish of dirty, stained bedspreads adorning those mattresses just down the way.