'This is a testament to partnership and a community that will not stay down,' Granholm said after the 5:30 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony outside the restored Westin Book Cadillac Saturday. Cockrel echoed that sentiment, saying the 1924 hotel's unlikely renaissance was the result of an unprecedented partnership between the public and private sector, 'involving some 37 layers of financing.' Cockrel also credited 'my predecessor, Kwame Kilpatrick,' and Detroit's City Council, including Conyers, who was there representing the council, for clearing the way. He also recounted how he'd last been in the Book Cadillac when he was 14, when his father, the late Ken Cockrel Sr., brought him to the hotel. 'I've been here a few times, and I'd argue that the place has exceeded its former glory. People always talk about the good old days, but we can produce a bunch of grand new days.' 'It's the beginning of a renaissance,' said David Boyle, president for National City Bank, sponsor of the opening night gala. 'And yes, we have a lot of money invested here,' he said, with the faintest sigh. Everybody seemed to agree that Saturday was a welcome oasis of celebration in a time of economic gloom. 'This just shows that people are willing to invest in Detroit,' said Roger Penske. In the Book Tasting Lounge singer Karen Newman, dressed in a silvery flapper sheath and wearing a long feather boa around her neck, warbled 'It Had to Be You' and other Jazz Age standards from the Book Cadillac's first heyday in the mid-1920s. Martha Reeves -- Dancin' at the BookThe Book Cadillac was well and truly anointed during Michael McDonald's second show Saturday evening when marketing/PR guy Leland Bassett passed a note up to the former Doobie Brother informing him that Martha Reeves was in the audience. McDonald did a shout-out to the city councilwoman and Motown diva, and got a microphone out so the two could duet on the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell song, 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough.' Then they did another, as Reeves stayed on the dance floor, to the delight of the well-heeled partiers, who took cell phone photos of themselves dancing with her. It was a potent moment when McDonald performed a sweaty 'What's Going On,' the Marvin Gaye classic about '60s urban malaise, the era that helped empty out buildings like the renovated Book. But on Saturday the poetry of the song, and the Book Cadillac's triumphant return, took the sting and anger out of the song. 'You should be up there singing,' one fan said to Reeves, while McDonald sang. 'No, he's Motown,' Reeves corrected her. 'Back when he was in the Doobie Brothers, he wanted to be on Motown, and now he is. It's his dream.' After the show, McDonald said, 'Martha and I have known each other for years. We used to perform together on shows for David Gest (the concert promoter and Liza Minnelli's ex-husband).' Assessing the crowd, McDonald said usually it takes longer at charity events for people to get up and dance. 'But this is Detroit,' he said. 'They were up from the first song.' Michael McDonald: Takin' It to Washington Blvd.For McDonald's first set, the Woodward Ballroom was decorated to look like a luxe nightclub, with palms and elevated platforms in the back furnished with white leather Le Corbusier sofas and chairs. A 'Club Cadillac' logo hovered in back of the stage. Former Piston and Detroit mayoral candidate Dave Bing stood at the entrance to the ballroom, taking it all in. 'I stayed here at the Book Cadillac when I first came to Detroit,' Bing said. 'The Pistons office was downtown then.' Before McDonald could start his set, there were of course a few words from some sponsors. Chris Ferchill, son of Book Cadillac developer John Ferchill, said, 'I know there were numerous attempts to revive the Book Cadillac before, but they didn't have my dad. This is one of the most beautiful hotels I've ever seen in my life.' Then John Ferchill took the stage then, warning that he wasn't going to rush his thank-you's. 'When you spend $200 million you can damn well do what you want to do,' Ferchill said. After thanking the governor, the mayor, city council, Bill and Lisa Ford (one of the Ford's favorite charities, The Children's Center, was a beneficiary of the gala) and declaring 'this is the best economic development team I've ever dealt with,' he gave way to WDIV-TV's Devin Scillian. The TV anchor introduced McDonald, correctly noting his pre-Doobie Brothers stint singing backup for Steely Dan ('Peg') and other songs, until McDonald finally just walked on, making the universal hand sign for 'yak yak yak' as he sat down at his keyboard. McDonald kicked off with the Ray Charles number 'You Don't Know Me' then went on to perform a set of mostly Motown numbers he's recorded on several albums ('I Heard it Through the Grapevine,' 'Stop, Look, Listen,' 'Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing,' 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough') with some Doobie Brothers ('What a Fool Believes,' 'Takin' it to the Streets' and solo work ('I Keep Forgetting') thrown in. It was appropriate, given that the Book Cadillac was the site of many tea dances with full orchestras, that McDonald encouraged people to dance -- and they did. Michael McDonald 8:45 p.m. set list 1. 'You Don't Know Me' 2. 'Stop, Look, Listen' 3. 'I Keep Forgetting' 4. 'Sweet Freedom' 3e 5. 'You Belong to Me' 6. 'I Heard it Through the Grapevine.' 7. 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' 8. 'Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing' 9. 'What a Fool Believes' 10. 'Takin' It To the Streets' Something to smile aboutWalking through the hotel's fourth floor Saturday night as music flowed from two different ballrooms and partygoers mingled and nibbled on appetizers, Mike and Doneata Lake of Southfield blended right in. 'It's beautiful,' said Doneata Lake, 38, decked out in a shimmery blueish-gray dress. 'I like the old-time feel -- the ambiance.' Mike Lake,a 36-year-oldevents planner for Cintron Beverage Group, one of the gala's sponsors, said the hotel will help improvesome people'sperceptions of Detroit. 'Most of the time when people think of Detroit, they think of rundown buildings,' he said. 'It gives you something to smile about,' said Doneata. 'The economy is so bad. It just cheers you up.' Out and about ...Spotted among the partygoers were Detroit businessman and mayor hopeful Dave Bing ... billionaire and racing magnate Roger Penske ... Bob Allison, host of Detroit's long-running radio show 'Ask Your Neighbor' ... Detroit contractor Bobby Ferguson , a friend of former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick ... former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer ... and Elena Ford, granddaughter of Henry Ford II ... David Blaskiewicz, president of the Detroit Investment Fund ... Damon Keith, former United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ... Ann Lang, president and CEO of Downtown Detroit Partnership. Bootleg 'bootlegger' visits the old home of the real thingNell Rhoads is not a bootlegger but she plays one on TV. The former Detroit Times newspaper employee was once asked by a reporter at the defunct daily to say she was among the many who participated in the lucrative booze trade during Prohibition. The story became part of a History Channel special that still airs occassionally. 'It was all a publicity stunt,' Rhoads said. Now 101 years old, Rhoads still lives in Detroit and couldn't wait to come tonight's gala. She once met Gerald Ford at The Book. Her husband was a physician who regularly hosted events at the hotel. 'I just hope that people will come out and support downtown again,' Rhoads said, as she sat in the Motor Bar marvelling at the formal crowd. 'Isn't this so lovely?' she said. Even without Rhoads, the old Book Cadillac was frequented by plenty of real gangsters. Abe Bernstein, head of the notorious Purple Gang, quietly lived the august years of his long life at The Book, according to Paul Kavieff, criminal historian and author. The Purple Gang was loose federation of Jewish thugs that sprang up during the Prohibition era and made hundreds of millions in booze. They mainly stole from other bootleggers, as well as running brothels, gambling and 'all things graft.' Bernstein lived at The Book from at least the late '50s to his death in 1968, Kavieff said. 'He actually was a quiet, unassuming guy,' Kavieff said, and lucky to rade out instead of being rubbed out. 'The Purple's killed a lot of people,' Kavieff said, 'including a lot of their own.' Singing a song of downtown rebirthIn the hotel's Crystal Ballroom, dueling piano players belted out hits like 'Margaritaville' and 'Runaround Sue' inside a boxing ring surrounded by tables with partygoers. One piano player with a long blonde ponytail tried to get opposite sides of the room to sing different parts of 'Runaround Sue.' 'Nice job!' called out Denys Agius of New Boston when the song wrapped up. The giddy 52-year-old said she was a having a great time at the Book Cadillac's opening. Her favorite part of the new hotel was just the fact that it was drawing people back downtown to Detroit. She said there are still some people who are afraid to come downtown for safety reasons and that needs to change. 'You can get hurt anywhere,' she said. 'People need to get excited about coming down here.' And even though The Book will face competition from other new hotels in the area, Agius is confident it'll get going in a year to a year-and-a-half. 'Detroit has been through a lot latey,' said Agius, who remembers riding the bus downtown with her brother to go to Woolworth's on Woodward. 'We have to regroup.' Book relatives on hand for openingAmong the more than 700 attendees were descendants of Herbert Book, one of the three Book brothers who originally developed the original Book Cadillac that opened in December 1924. Thomas Jahncke and his son, Dan Jahncke, arrived at the Book gala, entering the building for the first time in decades. For 26-year-old Dan, a financial analyst in Ann Arbor, it was first time he'd ever been in The Book. 'This is just amazing,' Dan said. 'I used to drive by this place when I was a kid and I always used to think, 'Oh gosh, it looks so forgotten.' It was tough to see, actually.' His father Thomas has only faint memories of the old Book, which closed in 1984. It was Thomas' grandfather, Herbert, along with his brothers J.B. Jr., and Frank who were behind the original Book. 'I've been following the renovations with much, much interest online,' said Thomas, a real estate developer in Lake Forest, Calif. Back in 1924, The Book opened with tremendous fanfare. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and the New York Yankees were among the 3,000 who attended the opening day. The Book was built during the height of a downtown Detroit building boom. The $200 million renovated Westin Book Cadillac Detroit Hotel and Residences stands now on a much more struggling Washington Boulevard, lined with empty storefronts, with the St. Aloysius soup kitchen across the street. 'This was the place to get married'Seated in a wheelchair in The Book's new Motor Bar, RitaSue Cohen of Bloomfield Hills clutched a black-and-white picture of her lavish wedding reception 62 years ago in the hotel's grand ballroom, as she and her husband, Elliot, waited for a tour of the newly restored ballroom. Cohen said 400 people attended their Oct. 3, 1946 nuptials, which took up the hotel's entire fourth floor. Ten years later, her brother also got married at the hotel. The Cohens' wedding 'was one of the first big weddings after the war,' said RitaSue, 80. 'This was the place to get married.' Looking around at the tall ceilings and refurbished details of the Motor Bar, RitaSue Cohen thought the renovations looked great. 'I just hope it catches on,' she said. Plenty of other couples are ready to follow in the Cohens' footsteps -- the hotel already has booked more than 30 weddings. Subhed here Beth Lesesne, great granddaugter of Louis Kamper, the architect of the Book Cadillac, attended Saturday's gala with her father, Dr. John Lesesne and her mother, Ann, who was Kamper's granddaughter. Kamper designed the Book Cadillac with his son, Paul, who died at the age of 31. 'I think it's fabulous,' Lesesne said. 'I really do. It's very contemporary.' Gala recalls downtown's glory daysPat Goodwin, a retired Detroit city planner who lives in Oakland Township, huddled under a heat lamp outside the Book Cadillac during its gala opening Saturday, listening to one speaker after another during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Goodwin, who grew up in Detroit, said she remembers not just the Book Cadillac from her childhood but the entire Washington Boulevard area. Long before its decline, it was a glitzy place. She remembers eating dinner with her family at the old Trader Vic's restaurant on Washington after her high school graduation from Cass Tech. 'Washington Boulevard was the premier address and street for apartments, retailers and boutiques,' said Goodwin, who is in her 50s. To see such a crucial part of Washington Boulevard transformed and brought back to life, Goodwin said she's elated. 'At a time when it just seems like we get bad news and more bad news, this is incredibly important,' she said. 'It means hope. It means hope for the future. Not just a condo owner -- he's an investor, tooWes Wyatt, owner of the most expensive condominium in downtown Detroit, arrived at his future home shortly after 8 p.m. Wyatt, chairman and CEO of Cintron Beverage Group in Philadelphia, bought one of The Book's $1 million-plus penthouses, says he too thinks the Book was too good to pass up. Compared with Philadelphia real estate prices, Wyatt called the seven-figure price tag for his three-story penthouse 'a bargain.' Like all of three penthouses here, the one Wyatt owns contains one of the decorative and imposing copper ziggurats that top the 32-story building. Wyatt said he expects to move in around Christmas, he said. 'I'm just a big fan of the city,' said Wyatt, who once described Detroit's downtown revival as 'raising the Titanic.' Cintron energy drink has sponsored events in town, including the Comerica Cityfest and a fashion show. Wyatt said he's optimistic about the potential The Book brings all along Washington Boulevard. 'I hope that it revives this whole street,' Wyatt said. Wyatt isn't just an penthouse owner, but he's an investor in the Spa 19 24Grille, a restaurant and spa set to open in late November. Cockrel: The Book's better than everDetroit Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. said in its heyday the Book Cadillac 'was a staple of Detroit.' One of his first visits to the hotel was when he was 12, with his father, the late City Councilman and activist Ken Cockrel Sr. They came for a comic book convention and Cockrel said he was really excited because his dad arranged for his son to meet his favorite comic book artist. 'What I remember back then was that it was a great place but you could see it was going downhill,' Cockrel said. Now, with a $200 million renovation complete, Cockrel said during the ribbon-cutting that he'd argue 'it's exceeded its former glory.' Hopes heat up for Roast restaurantAt 5:20 Gov. Jennifer Granholm arrived in a long black skirt and jacket ensemble with a shawl collar and diamond pin at the bodice. She was quickly ushered into Roast, the ground floor restaurant that's a peon to 'all things meat' according to its founder, Michael Symon of the Food Networks' 'Iron Chef' fame. Granholm was quickly ushered into a small corner of the restaurant with glass walls, several cameras and a rolling entourage of big wigs, including Book Cadillac developer John Ferchill, business mogul Roger Penske and others. Last month, Roast received a $400,000 loan from the city. The board of the city agency that approved the loan, the Economic Development Corp, got into a debate about the struggles of downtown upscale restaurants. 'All restaurants are having difficulty right now,' said EDC board member Conrad Mallett. 'There's no guarantee it's going to succeed. But we want a fully functioning project there, and I support that.' Some of the money comes from the city's $40 million casino fund; the 10-year loan is backed by Citizens Bank and personally guaranteed by Book Cadillac developer John Ferchill. Developing new restaurants is seen as a crucial step in the redevelopment of downtown. But restaurants are slumping nationally, plagued by waning consumer confidence and the high costs of fuel and food, which has hit some downtown Detroit restaurants particularly hard. Several upscale downtown restaurants -- including ones that have received loans from the city -- face mounting tax debt at a time when there is more competition from new restaurants, particularly in the Wayne State University area and nearby Corktown. But Cleveland-based Symon comes to town with a lot of heat. He is best known for winning an 'Iron Chef' title on the Food Network's series 'Iron Chef America' and hosts the network's 'Dinner: Impossible.' Symon said he could see an episode being filmed at Roast but that any deal is far from sealed. The restaurant is estimated to cost more than $3 million. 'We're sparing no expense to make it special,' Symon said, adding that the menu will be dedicated to 'all things meat,' including pork, bison, wild boar and prime aged beef. Symon owns and is the executive chef at Lola and Lolita, both critically acclaimed restaurants in Cleveland. Despite that, 'It's incredibly difficult to get financing in this climate, even when my partner and I have a 15-year track record,' Symon said. 'But both of our restaurants are up 20 percent so far this year. I know that we are going to work very hard in Detroit.'