An idea for creating demand for urban Detroit has become an online sensation, targeting stories of growth, investment, and redevelopment of urban neighborhoods across Michigan and beyond. Reporting on the billions invested in reinventing Grand Rapids is just a small part of a much bigger story.
According to excerpts from the story:
DETROIT -- On a recent snowy Monday, the three principles of Issue Media Group scurried into the Mercury Bar in Corktown, shook the snow off their shoes, booted up their laptops and ordered Panini sandwiches and lattes to tide them through a series of meetings at their favorite filling station.
"You can feel the pulse of Detroit here," said Paul Schutt, who shares ownership with Brian Boyle and Deepa Ramsinghani. The publishers prefer meeting in coffee shops and living rooms rather than the small offices they rent in 12 cities, including Eastern Market's Firehouse Lofts. Over the next three hours, the trio took turns meeting with varied job seekers, accountants, lawyers and freelance writers.
Together they brainstormed ways to grow its portfolio beyond eight publications sent weekly to subscriber e-mails in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Grand Rapids, Detroit, and to even larger areas, such as the state of Pennsylvania and the southeast Michigan region.
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