THE WEEK IN REVIEW, WITH AN EYE ON WHAT’S NEXT NEED TO KNOW

site beginning at noon and lasting through the end of the day.

WHY IT MATTERS: It’s the rst festival allowing the legal consumption of cannabis approved by the city of Detroit.

 MOODY’S UPGRADES DETROIT’S CREDIT RATING

She started the job last Monday, lling the role left by Teri Behrens when she retired after 14 years with the center, including four in the top job.

 TECHTOWN, PARTNERS LAUNCH MOBILITY ACCELERATOR

THE NEWS: TechTown Detroit has received some major funding as it works to help local mobility startups scale up. e nonpro t entrepreneurial hub has received $12.4 million to help launch the Mobility Accelerator Innovation Network as one of six components of the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Global Epicenter of Mobility initiative.

WHY IT MATTERS: e MAIN program will help Detroit stay at the forefront of innovation in the mobility sector as the region transitions to a new electri ed, autonomous and connected reality, TechTown CEO Ned Staebler said a news release. 

Detroit Oks Cannabis Consumption Festival

THE NEWS: e 420 Cannabis Music Festival will take place April 29 at 2000 Brooklyn St. and adjacent areas. e indoor/outdoor event will allow for the consumption of cannabis on-

THE NEWS: e city of Detroit had its bond rating upgraded by the credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service, its second upgrade in two years.

WHY IT MATTERS: e city’s Ba1 credit rating is its highest from Moody’s since January 2009. Moody’s also said it has a positive outlook for Detroit.

 GRAND VALLEY’S JOHNSON CENTER NAMES NEW HEAD

THE NEWS: Lesley Slavitt, an Illinois native with nearly three decades of experience in philanthropy and higher education, was named the next executive director of the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University.

WHY IT MATTERS: Slavitt joins the Johnson Center as it is celebrating its 30th anniversary. e center conducts research on donor-advised funds, giving circles and international philanthropy, and it also o ers professional development options.

 REPARATIONS LARGELY SUPPORTED, SURVEY FINDS

THE NEWS: Results from a University of Michigan survey show broad support for addressing racial inequalities in Detroit — including some form of reparations. e survey, conducted last summer by the University of Michigan’s Detroit Metro Area Communities Study and the Center for Racial Justice, with support from Poverty Solutions, shows 63 percent of Detroit residents support reparations and 70 percent say addressing racial inequality should be a high priority for elected o cials.

WHY IT MATTERS: e survey results back up a 2021 election where Detroiters overwhelmingly supported the creation of a reparations task force. Its rst meeting will be April 13 at 4 p.m. in the council auditorium at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in Detroit.

Nonprofits

Wayne Metro opens shelter for individuals in Downriver

 Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency and ChristNet on Tuesday opened a $3.6 million overnight shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness, the rst such center in the Downriver area. e 7,952-square-foot overnight shelter at 1230 Coolidge in River Rouge was funded by Wayne Metro, ChristNet, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and Wayne County. It’s the site of a long-vacant former youth center and it will be a recon gurable space, meaning the facilities can be used as a community space during the day and a shelter for about 30 people overnight.

“ is partnership between Wayne Metro and ChristNet ensures that everyone seeking emergency shelter can receive whatever assistance they need, and be treated with the care, compassion and dignity they deserve,” ChristNet co-founder the Rev. Geo Drutchas said in a statement.

e need for emergency shelter is clear, with current demand at four times the number of available beds.

e building has undergone $3.4 million in complete interior and exterior renovation work. It will be available 24/7 every day of the year as a step toward dealing with the overwhelming need for housing, Drutchas said.