Mark Maynard | Dan Vogt

Five thoughts after watching Ypsilanti officials testify in International Village ethics probe

By Mark | October 11, 2017

Last night, there was a special hearing at Ypsi City Hall, during which our Mayor, Mayor Pro-Tem, Police Chief, and Economic Development Director were all questioned under oath about their recent trip to China, and what, if anything, they knew about the funding of the trip, which, contrary to what they’d told the public, really […]

Posted in Water Street Commons, Ypsilanti | Also tagged Amanda Edmonds, Amy Xue Foster, Beth Ernat, China, cider, Community Benefits Agreement, CSSA, Darwin McClary, Detroit Metro Times, donuts, EB-5, economic development, ethics, International Village, John Barr, Lois Richardson, Nicole Brown, Tom Perkins, Tony DeGiusti, transparency, Water Street, Water Street Commons, Wayne State University, Wayne State University Chinese Student and Scholar Association, Ypsilanti City Council | 141 Comments

With the Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem having left the room, Ypsi City Council votes unanimously to pursue a formal investigation into their recent trip to China

By Mark | October 4, 2017

At tonight’s Ypsilanti City Council meeting, as you might imagine, people were anxious to discuss the most recent scandal swirling around the International Village development. Unfortunately, those in the best position to comment didn’t seem to want to talk about it. Mayor Amanda Edmonds, who just last night returned from 10-day trip to China, which […]

Posted in Local Business, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged affordable housing, Amanda Edmonds, American Center for Mobility, Amy Xue Foster, being tired, Beth Ernat, Brian Robb, China, Community Benefits Agreement, Darwin McClary, EB-5, economic development, ethics, gentrification, growth, independent investigation, international travel, International Village, John Barr, Lee Tooson, Lois Richardson, Nicole Brown, participatory design, Pete Murdock, scandals, Shanghai, Sustainability, Tony DeGiusti, transparency, Water Street, Wayne State, Wayne State University Chinese Student and Scholar Association, Willow Run, Ypsilanti City Council | 61 Comments

Who really paid for Ypsilanti city officials to visit China?

By Mark | September 27, 2017

While I suspect there’s still more to come out, it would appear as though the trip to China that Ypsilanti’s Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, Police Chief and Economic Development Director are currently on, may not have been paid for by the Wayne State University Chinese Student and Scholar Association (CSSA), as we had been told, […]

Posted in Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged Amanda Edmonds, Amy Xue Foster, Beth Ernat, China, Chinese consulate, Detroit Metro Times, development, EB-5, economic development, ethics, International Village, John Barr, Nicole Brown, Pete Murdock, real estate, Tony DeGiusti, Water Street, Wayne State University, Wayne State University Chinese Student and Scholar Association, Ypsilanti real estate | 76 Comments

My thoughts on International Village

By Mark | September 20, 2017

Yesterday, someone on Twitter called me out for being silent on the subject of International Village, the $350+ million dollar retail and housing development being proposed for Ypsilanti’s 36-acre Water Street property. According to this person, who was posting under a pseudonym, my silence on the matter was “deafening.” It’s something I’ve heard several times […]

Posted in Ann Arbor, Architecture, Corporate Crime, Economics, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged affordable housing, Amanda Edmonds, Beijing, Brian Robb, brownfield, Brownfield Redevelopment Tax Credits, China, Chinese investment, condominiums, corruption, County Farm Park, Eastside Recreation Center, EB-5, economic development, economic segregation, environmental injustice, gentrification, International Village, luxury housing, money laundering, native plants, public health air quality, real estate, remediation, respirators, seed bombing, SHIFT, silence, student housing, tax credits, Troy, Veridian, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation, Water Street, Water Street Commons, Water Street debt reduction millage, Water Street Sculpture Park, xenophobia, Ypsilanti City Council, Ypsilanti real estate | 62 Comments

Members of the Ypsilanti community talk with city officials about living in fear of the police and how we can work together to make things better

By Mark | July 12, 2016

Following are my extremely rough, admittedly incomplete notes on tonight’s meeting of the Ypsilanti Police-Community Relations / Black Lives Matter Joint Task Force. If you were also in the audience, and have something to add, please leave a comment. And, of course, feel free to weigh in on whatever you read below. As you’ll soon […]

Posted in Civil Liberties, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged anger, Anne Brown, Anthony Morgan, black lives matter, body cameras, cell phones, Citizen Review Board, Crisis Intervention Team, cultural awareness, de-escalation, Eastern Washtenaw Safety Alliance, Emmett Till, Heritage Fest, implicit bias, Jerry Clayton, mental health, mental illness, Nicole Brown, over policing, police violence, prison industrial complex, racism, sentencing disparities, subject control, Tony DeGiusti, use of force, Water Street, Water Street debt reduction millage, Ypsilanti police department | 95 Comments

Tag Archives: Dan Vogt

Five thoughts after watching Ypsilanti officials testify in International Village ethics probe

With the Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem having left the room, Ypsi City Council votes unanimously to pursue a formal investigation into their recent trip to China

Who really paid for Ypsilanti city officials to visit China?

My thoughts on International Village

Members of the Ypsilanti community talk with city officials about living in fear of the police and how we can work together to make things better

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