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Detroit Mayor Duggan optimistic that city will bounce back after COVID-19 pandemic

Duggan believes businesses can reopen responsibly

DETROIT – Mayor Mike Duggan opened up about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the impact it’s having on the city of Detroit.

Local 4′s Kimberly Gill sat down with Duggan -- at a safe distance -- to talk about when he thinks the city could reopen and what it will look like once it does.

Coronavirus hit Detroit at a time when many areas were experiencing an economic renaissance. But now that bustle of downtown restaurants, bars and sporting events has been put on hold. Will the city bounce back and continue to thrive? Duggan seems optimistic.

“Yeah, $350 million deficit is a major issue to deal with. I think City Council has been acting reasonably for the last six years so we had a lot of money built up in reserve -- preparing for the next recession,” Duggan said. “We just didn’t think it’d be this fast and this dramatic.”

Duggan said he wouldn’t be surprised if when restaurants and casinos open up they’re at a third of their capacity with people spaced six feet apart.

READ: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says gatherings of 10 people could be allowed on May 28

When it comes to talk of a second wave of the coronavirus -- Duggan said it’s possible to reopen most businesses in a medically safe way.

“If we go back to huge crowds in the parks and that kind of thing -- it’ll spark back up,” he said.

Duggan has endorsed former vice president Joe Biden for president and was campaigning for him before the pandemic hit. He said if Biden is elected for president he wouldn’t go work for the administration.

May 14, 2020 -- Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 49,582; Death toll now at 4,787

“I made a promise to Detroiters when I got elected. I’d serve the four years of that promise,” he said. “The last thing the city needs is a change.”

Watch the video above for the full report.


About the Authors
Kimberly Gill headshot

You can watch Kimberly Gill weekdays anchoring Local 4 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. and streaming live at 10 p.m. on Local 4+. She's an award-winning journalist who finally called Detroit home in 2014. Kim has won Regional Emmy Awards, and was part of the team that won the National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast in 2022.

Kayla Clarke headshot

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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