Daily Detroit

Three timely stories to talk about today:

• The University of Michigan and head football coach Sherrone Moore abruptly part ways after an internal investigation into an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, plus a separate assault probe in Washtenaw County.​

• Jer and Fletcher dig into how this goes far beyond wins and losses: the impact on recruits, assistants, and a program still reeling from recent scandals.​

• They also explore how boosters, fans, and parents might see Moore differently after this, and what it means for Michigan's near-term future on and off the field.​

• Detroit's historic Leland House goes dark after a fire marshal–ordered evacuation, with DTE and ownership pointing fingers over damaged equipment and unpaid bills. ​​

• The conversation widens to what happens when iconic Detroit buildings fall into limbo—and how quickly "troubled" can turn into "too far gone."​

• Some good news: Kronk Gym is back inside Detroit city limits at a new home on Wilkins, not far from where legends once trained.​

• The revived gym blends big-name boxing alumni with youth programming, fitness classes and a renewed community mission.​

• Fletcher shares personal memories of the old Kronk and why hearing "hailing from Detroit, Michigan, out of Kronk Gym" still hits different for the city.​

Detroit's stories in today's show are on the riverfront, in Corktown, in our startup labs, and even inside a nearly century-old neighborhood theater. From a $71 million defense-tech hub on the water and a plant-based diner bringing new life to Michigan Avenue, to a controversial new cannabis tax, brain-drain at U-M startups, and the Senate Theater's call for help, this episode breaks down some of the forces reshaping Detroit in 2025.

The rundown:

01:07 - Where we've been: Saksey's

03:55 - Where we've been: City Bird and Nest

06:47 - State Grants Money For New Riverfront Defense HQ

09:17 - Street Beet opening in Corktown this Thursday

12:33 - Mocha and Company coffee shop opening downtown

15:01 - Marshall M Fredricks Museum opening a studio on the eastside

17:52 - Michigan judge allowing wholesale tax on canabis to start January 1st

20:29 - Report says that the state has a hardtime keeping U of M startups

27:05 - Senate Theater raising money for building repairs

29:00 - Mailbag: Pile of junk update

30:10 - Norris RoboCop statue thoughts

We got a ton of feedback on the Packard Plant project announcement last week, so we sort through it with our thoughts.

Plus, Norris keeps it a buck on people who want Detroit to win and what it'll take to keep families in the city.

Today's episode is a fun one in two parts:

1) What are YOUR favorite podcasts, books, and music? We got our Spotify Wrapped and since Devon's a parent and his music selection has been completely skewed by his family, we thought we'd walk through ours and also ask if YOU want to share your favorite stuff! What did the data analytics miss?

2) We have an update on the proposed demolition date of the RenCen, 2027. But should we do something fun with it in between?

Detroit has a RoboCop statue. I watched it go in myself on Wednesday. It's a real thing.

An amazingly detailed, 10-foot tall, 2.5 ton bronze behemoth will be greeting future generations coming to Eastern Market.

For more of the story, I sat down with three of the key people who refused to let this long-running project die:

• Filmmaker and original organizer Brandon Walley
• Producer and Free Age co-owner Jim Toscano
• Omni Consumer Products' "defictionalizer-in-chief" Pete Hottelet

Together, we unpack how a jokey tweet comparing Detroit to Philadelphia's Rocky statue turned into a nearly decade and a half odyssey that pulled in Hollywood effects legends, local foundry artisans, a major studio, and countless twists and turns.

Brandon explains how the idea leapt from a viral Facebook page into a real public art commission through the old Imagination Station, and why the team was adamant that the statue be made in Detroit.

He walks through the early missteps, the learning curve on how you actually build a 10-foot bronze figure, and the multi-year collaboration with Venus Bronze Works, the shop behind many of Detroit's landmark sculptures.​

Pete gets into the legal and technical hurdles: getting MGM on board, putting up his own money to show good faith, and insisting on screen-accurate detail by restoring Peter Weller's original armor from a warehouse in Houston with artist Mark Dubois and the legendary Tippett Studio.

One of the most interesting points for me, from a community perspective, is that he talks about "defictionalizing" Robocop's Directive One — serve the public trust — by turning the statue's plaque itself into a QR code that can connect visitors to community causes, donating straight from their phones.​

Jim shares how Free Age became Robocop's eventual "roommate" after other locations, including the Science Center, fell through during the pandemic.

He and Walley talk about the symbolism of placing Robocop on the edge of Eastern Market as a welcoming figure, arm extended, and how they're bracing — in a good way — for fans who donated years ago, people honoring loved ones, and visitors from around the world to show up on their Russell Street patio.​

Throughout, the group reflects on the grind of seeing a wild idea through nearly 15 years, the friendships and collaboration that kept it alive, and what it means for Detroit to finally have a pop-culture monument that is both deeply nerdy and deeply rooted in the city's perseverance and generosity.

You're not going to want to miss this conversation, or your chance to see a bit of movie history right here in the Motor City.