Fast Company: Mark Nickita of Archive DS

A lot people who ride the bus in the city do so because they don't have any other choice. Mark Nickita isn't one of those people.

The Birmingham resident (he grew up in Warrendale) is one of the co-founders of Archive DS, an architecture firm based in the Guardian Building downtown that employs seven people. The 45-year-old often rides the Woodward bus to and from work for his daily commute in the metropolis he loves to call home.

Why did you decide to set up shop in Detroit?
It was never an option. It is the only place to be. I wanted to be in the big city, the center, the most unique, historically valued place in the state. The place with the best architecture (in the realm of NYC and Chicago) and where the "feel" is the closest to the cities of the world that I have traveled to. No other place in the state can give you that. Surely not anywhere in the suburbs.

What are some of the advantages to doing business here?
Credibility, location, accessibility, convenience, activity just to name a few. When I talk to people out of the region or nationally, there is a level of credibility that we are in Detroit. Having the name of an unknown suburb under my business name doesn't carry much weight to people in other parts of the country or world. The name Detroit is known globally -- even more than the Michigan title. Many don't realize this.

As for accessibility -- there are always options. I can drive or take the bus to work -- as I do most of the time. People from throughout the region can get to downtown rather easily -- it is central and extensively connected.

Plus, we work with creative people, most of whom are located downtown or along the Woodward Corridor. We are directly connected. As for activity and convenience -- I have options everywhere. And I can walk to them all. Numerous restaurants, cafes, lofts, YMCA, parks, waterfront, post office, Secretary of State, etc. are all within a 10-minute walk from my office. Where else?

What advice would you give to someone who was thinking about opening a business in the Motor City?
Come to the real place to be. It's a big city with the greatest physical assets. Just go in the Guardian Building for coffee and then have lunch at Campus Martius -- done!

If you could change one thing about Detroit, what would it be?
I would like to see the city and the people of the region believe in themselves. We are great. We just don't believe it. Go to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte and numerous other "popular cities" and you will find that they are places with a fraction of the physical value of Detroit. We lack many things, especially economically at the moment, but this "place" is better than most. Appreciate it!

Source: Mark Nickita, principal and co-founder of Archive DS
Writer: Jon Zemke