New Center : Detroit Development News

Is your neighborhood a better place because of the efforts of your local community development corporation? If so, nominate it for Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation's (LISC) 9th Annual Detroit Community Development Awards.

The first category, CDC of the Year, will go to a comprehensive organization that builds houses and maybe even takes on commercial development. It delves into community issues of all stripes and probably is involved in a park or greenway project.

The second category, Community Champions, is for ordinary citizens that go to extraordinary lengths to improve their neighborhood. There will be five winners of this award, one in the following geographic areas: Central Woodward, East, Northeast, Northwest and Southwest. Additionally, three organizations will be designated as Community Champions.

Nomination forms and additional information are available at www.detroit-lisc.org. They are due on Friday, July 17 and will be handed out at the awards ceremony in September.

Source: Detroit LISC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

This week, public radio station WDET 101.9 FM launched a special series, "Facing the Mortgage Crisis: Home Is More Than Our House," that will air over the next seven weeks. Starting next week, Model D will also present a series of stories on the topic. The media partners will join together on June 24 for a Speaker Series that will delve into the subject matter from yet another angle.

Model D publisher Brian Boyle sees an opportunity for the local coverage to reveal individual neighborhood responses to the crisis. "In this market, with everything being so cheap, you don't have to wait for a program," he says. "Individuals are doing some of the more innovative things."

Listeners and readers will learn about volunteer opportunities and other ways to take action. WDET also will host a blog at on its web site that will compile all information reported on-air.

Sign up for the Model D speaker series here, and follow WDET during its news programs like Detroit Today for more from the series.

Source: WDET and Brian Boyle, Model D
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

The Detroit Greenways Coalition has released a nifty map and guide to greenways that exist and are planned in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck. Entitled "Building Pathways that Unite a City," the brochure unfolds to a full-color map that reveals off-road and on-road routes all over town, some denoted as existing, some as planned and a few that are merely conceptual at this time.

There are ten main greenways described:

• Conner Creek Greenway: Nine miles of pathways that will roughly follow the route of the former Conner Creek on the eastside, from the Detroit River to Eight Mile. Two miles are complete.

• Corktown-Mexicantown Greenlink: 16.25 miles that will connect Corktown and Mexicantown to each other and to the West Riverfront. The plan is complete and community groups are hoping to see construction begin this fall.

• Dequindre Cut: This two-mile rail-to-trail project will run two miles between the East Riverfront, Lafayette Park and Eastern Market up to Mack. 1.2 miles of it are complete and open to the public.

• Detroit RiverWalk: A stretch of public river access targeted to pedestrians and cyclists that will eventually stretch 5.5 miles between the Ambassador Bridge and Belle Isle; 2.7 miles are complete.

• Downriver Delta Greenways: Located in the 48217 zipcode on the lower Southwest side of Detroit, this 2.5 mile greenway will run along Fort Street into Downriver when built.

• Hamtramck Trail: This 1.5 mile route will connect Hamtramck's downtown to its parks. Eventually, hopes are to tie it into the Dequindre Cut on its south end.

• Inner Circle Greenway: Mostly conceptual at this time, the vision for the Inner Circle Greenway is a 20-mile route that would make use of the abandoned Detroit Terminal Railroad right-of-way. Picture a Dequindre Cut that take a roughly half-circle route through Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park.

• Lyndon Greenway: This 1.5-mile route will connect Eliza Howell and Stopel Parks in Brightmoor. Ground was broken in April.
  

• Midtown Loop: Work is expected to begin this summer on this two-mile loop through the Cultural Center. Future plans include connections to New Center and Downtown.

• Southwest Detroit Greenway: This 3-mile greenway connects Woodmere Cemetery, the West Vernor business district, Patton Park and Dearborn's Lapeer Park. Hopes are to run it further east to Clark Park in Mexicantown.
  

The purpose of the map is to inform, but also to "sell the vision," says Todd Scott of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, the organization that coordinates the Detroit Greenways Coalition. The target audience is residents, elected officials and funders.

Copies of the map will be available on the RiverWalk during the upcoming RiverDays event, June 19-21.

Source: Todd Scott, Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Ready to ride? Hopefully you will be by June 20, the date set for the inaugural Colin Hubbell Memorial Bike Ride. The ride will take off from Scott Fountain on Belle Isle and proceed on an 18-mile tour of the city. A shorter option is a 5-mile family loop of the island.

"This ride is meant to bring people together as Colin did when he was alive, while showing them some of the Detroit jewels that Colin held dear, including Belle Isle, the Riverfront, Eastern Market, Midtown, New Center and Downtown," says Bruce Hubbell, Colin's brother and one of the ride organizers.

Registration is currently available online at Active.com or on-site from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. At 9 a.m., bike decorating will begin for family bike parade participants.

Both rides take off at 10 a.m. and participants in the family loop will be entertained and informed by a bike rodeo at 11 a.m. Post-ride, everyone is encouraged to attend River Days at the Detroit International RiverFront.

The ride will cost $20 or $10 for the family ride. All proceeds benefit the Colin Hubbell Fund, which was established to benefit community organizations and start-up businesses in Midtown, the neighborhood in which Colin focused his considerable development efforts.

Applications for community mini-grants are currently being accepted. Download the application here. The deadline for the first round is May 31.

Source: Colin Hubbell Fund
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Model D has been closely following progress at the Argonaut Building for some time now. Construction continues to progress on deadline, with opening scheduled for September 8, just in time for a new school year.

What's the plan? A $145 million redevelopment of the 760,000-square-foot, 11-story building for a second campus and student housing for the College for Creative Studies, as well as an art- and design-oriented high school.

Where does progress stand? Historically sensitive new windows -- 1,900 of them -- have been installed, the new parking structure is complete and the gymnasium is under construction. A new internal stairway and bank of elevators has been installed. Foundation work and an upgrade to the mechanical systems are mostly complete, work has begun on the Cass building entry and interior construction is chugging along.

Source: Beth Marmarelli, CCS
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

More stimulus funds for Detroit mean more infrastructure improvements. This time, just under $2 million is headed to New Center for streetscape improvements along Woodward Ave. from I-94 to Baltimore Street and then from W. Grand Blvd. to Euclid Street. This project will essentially bookend the streetscape work completed a few years ago on Woodward just south of W. Grand Boulevard.

Streetscape elements will include trees with decorative grates, historic lighting, benches, trash receptacles and bike racks.

Karen Gage, vice president of New Center Council, one-third of the project team that also includes the city of Detroit and the Michigan Department of Transportation, says this project will "connect to the improvements completed along Woodward to downtown."

In a money-saving move, MDOT agreed to roll this project into a more-typical road resurfacing one they had initially planned, saving in design and engineering fees. "They tacked on some money to the agreement they had in place, and they completed the enhancement work at a significant savings to the state and the city," says Gage.

The exact budget for this Recovery Act project is $1,985,310; engineering and design was completed by CH2M Hill.

Source: Karen Gage, New Center Council
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

The State of Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority is making its inventory of nearly 7,000 vacant lots statewide -- 6,000 in Detroit alone -- available as community gardens via its Garden for Growth program.

"Our goals, in addition to finding productive uses for these vacant plots, is to support the Governor's Urban Food Initiative," says Carrie Lewand-Monroe, the Michigan Land Bank's executive director. "We're hoping to help allow folks in urban areas to access fresh, healthy food."

The way it works is that any community member can apply to garden a lot in the Michigan Land Bank for $50 for one year. At that point, participants are able to put in an application to purchase the land.

This lease-first approach is considered a "best practice" for programs of this type for two reasons: It allows time for the garden to be established and it keeps it tax-free for the first year. The Land Bank is willing to flexible with lease terms; it is working with The Greening of Detroit on five parcels that will be leased for five years.

Any kind of garden is eligible: native plants, flowers and vegetables -- even a park, says Lewand-Monroe. All gardeners will be connected with the Greening of Detroit's Garden Resource Program for classes and planting material.

Lewand-Monroe explains why 7,000 of the Michigan Land Bank's 8,000 properties are vacant lots: because they are all foreclosed properties that date back to 1999, which was when tax laws changed. "There aren't as many structures as the county would have," she says.

They also administer a Side Lot program for vacant lots that are adjacent to occupied residences. To search for a property, use the Land Bank's web site Search for Property feature. The application for the Garden for Growth program is also available on the site.

Source: Carrie Lewand-Monroe, Michigan Land Bank
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

The Detroit Department of Transportation will receive $37.5 million in economic stimulus funds, which will be used to update its fleet and facilities. In a statement, Mayor Ken Cockrel, Jr. pledged to "put the money to good use, making travel in Detroit a more enjoyable experience.”

The funds will replace 50 older DDOT buses with 50 new buses, including gas-electric hybrid vehicles. The money also will pay for new bus shelters; new bus stop signs, such as those at Woodward and Warren and Woodward and Mack; and the improvement of the Shoemaker Terminal and Garage at St. Jean and East Warren. (Model D writer and bus riding convert Terry Parris Jr. wrote about the need for better signage and shelters here.)

In other transportation funding for the city, the Department of Public Works will receive $37.5 million for road resurfacing. This $59.3 million package is the second for Detroit from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; the first was more than $30 million in weatherization funds.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments will administer the distribution of any economic stimulus funds involving transportation in Southeast Michigan. The agency has indicated the transportation money for Detroit will be available by the end of the month.

Source: City of Detroit
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Detroit LISC invested $30.5 million into Detroit community and neighborhood development in 2008, which is the largest annual investment made in its 19-year history in the city. Most of this money was spread among 30 community development partners in its five targeted geographic areas: Central Woodward ($22.1 million); East ($980,000); Northeast ($614,000); Northwest ($346,000); and Southwest ($5.5 million).

Two prime examples of LISC's support include an equity investment of $12.5 million in New Market Tax Credits for the rehabilitation of the Argonaut Building in New Center and $4.2 million of Low Income Housing Tax Credits for two apartment rehabs in Southwest Detroit.

LISC is also providing operating funds to community development corporations with which it works -- helping to keep their doors open in tough fundraising times. "With the economic situation, which is just unprecedented, we have to be able to be nimble and flexible and work with our partners on the ground," says development officer Jacqueline Burau. "We are tweaking our financing to meet the need, to make things happen in the community."

Recoverable grants for predevelopment work have also been upped, which help projects get off the ground early in the process. Despite the state of the housing market, Burau says that LISC remains committed to their brick and mortar mission. "Most of our investment continues to go to physical development, whether that be housing or commercial," she says.

LISC is able to ride out the current funding storm because it raises money in three-year chunks, meaning that money they are spending this year was raised in 2007.

Source: Jacqueline Burau, Detroit LISC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

If Detroit's new economy rests on its ability to leverage an inherent industrial knowledge while attracting young creatives, the powers-that-be would do well to learn a thing or two from The Highway Press. The screen printing company has been combining design and the industrial process in its 4,000-square-foot corner of the Russell Industrial Center since 1996.

Highway Press deals in traditional screen printing and embroidery -- think tee-shirts and hoodies -- as well as fine arts screen printing. "We try to provide the services and quality that a bigger shop would offer at an affordable price for smaller people," says owner Tania Fogoros. "Not only do we deal with bigger companies, we try to keep in touch with the little guys too."

Fogoros sees a couple of competetive advantages to doing business in Detroit. "There's a little less competition, so you can do some different things, stand out a little bit more," she says. "I also like the industrial inner workings. I like being here with other companies doing manufacturing and building things...I look at bigger companies and it inspires me to try different techniques, to streamline."

The staff of six test-drive new processes on their own line of clothing that features the company's distinctive gas mask logo. Highway Press goodies are available at the Russell Bazaar on Fridays from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

Contact Highway Press at 313-872-7360. The shop is located in the northwest corner of the ground floor of Building 2 at Russell.

Source: Tania Fogoros, The Highway Press
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

On March 18, John Hertel addressed a group of New Center stakeholders as to his progress on the regional transit front. As the Director of the Regional Transportation Coordinating Council for the past two years, he reports directly to the so-called Big 4 -- the county executives from Wayne, Oakland and Macomb and the mayor of Detroit -- and is charged with pushing a regional transit agenda forward.

In December 2008, the Big 4 unanimously approved a regional transit plan that calls for 406 miles of transit. Its estimated cost is $10.5 billion and Hertel projects that it will take 25 years to implement.

First up is arterial rapid transit, a.k.a. an improved bus system. There will be hybrid buses "honeycombing" the three counties. The improvements will include more lines serviced more often and stops with shelters that provide actual information.

The next service upgrade will be rolling rapid transit with articulated buses. These "wheeled trains" operate along a dedicated lane with control over traffic lights and stations with restrooms. RRT will be implemented along Gratiot initially, and then expanded to other areas.

Concurrently to Gratiot's upgrade, Woodward between the Detroit River and New Center will see light rail. Hertel pursued private dollars for this particular line because its implementation will "trigger" federal investment in the Detroit-to-Ann Arbor commuter rail line in much the same way that Denver jump-started its five-county system with a privately-funded five-mile line.

The Woodward line is 3.4 miles and will cost about $100 million, $72 million of which is already raised from private donors like Roger Penske, the Kresge Foundation ($35 million over four years) and the Downtown Development Authority ($9 million).

Another boost to the light rail line came from the state legislature, which voted to subsidize operating costs not covered by fares. To wit, typical transit systems only cover 40 percent of their operating costs through ridership, so this state law insures that any gap is covered.

Hertel hopes to see construction start on the M1-Rail project in 2010 and for operations to begin in 2012.

Meanwhile, the next important step in the overall system is the adoption of a Regional Transit Authority that the Big 4 must approve by June 2009 and that then must be adopted into state law.

The next big hurdle will be the adoption of some sort of tax mechanism to fund transit -- no easy sell in a state that many perceive as being overtaxed. "We've made more progress in the last year than in the previous 50," says Hertel. "There are still some big steps to get there."

Source: John Hertel, RTCC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

The City of Detroit is hosting nine meetings across the city to hear from residents about what to do with the $47.1 million it's been awarded by the federal government for foreclosure stabilization.

This is one of many steps the city has taken to demonstrate that the money will be properly spent. It first was developed by Planning and Development, then approved by both City Council and United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Now, it's coming to real live taxpayers. Two of the meetings have already passed, but seven opportunities remain. Each runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

• Tonight, the focus is on Southwest Detroit. The meeting will be held at the OEDS Training Center at 1300 Rosa Parks.
• March 25, it's Brightmoor's turn. Head to Leland Missionary Baptist Church at 22420 Fenkell.
• The Osborn meeting will take place on March 26 at St. John/Conner Creek Village, located at 4777 Outer Drive.
• East English Village and the Far East Side gets its opportunity on March 31 at the Samaritan Conference Center, 5555 Conner.
• The Lakeshore Engineering Building at 7310 Woodward at E. Grand Blvd. will host Northend meeting on April 1.
• North Central stakeholders will be heard on April 7 at Second Ebenezer Church located at 14601 Dequindre.
• Lastly, the Herman Gardens area will meet at 16500 Tireman at the Boys and Girls Club.

To RSVP or for more information, call 313-224-3511. The plan can be downloaded at PDD's site.

Source: Sylvia Crawford, PDD
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

There's one more reason to schlepp your recyclables to Recycle Here! The Green Zone Shoppe, which carries Michigan Green Safe Products, has opened up inside. The recycling facility is at 1331 Holden Ave. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and  9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

The shop carries toilet paper and paper towel made from 100 percent post-manufacturer materials, all-natural soaps and cleaning products, biodegradable "plastic" bags of all sizes, as well as cutlery and utensils -- all those typically throw-away, chemically-laden products that households use.

Matt Naimi, director of operations of Recycle Here! and co-owner of Michigan Green Safe, says The Green Zone Shoppe's opening was all about demand.

Currently, Recycle Here! averages 600 drop-offs a week at its main Holden facility. Naimi hopes The Green Zone Shoppe captures those individuals and perhaps, encourages more people to make a trip.

The Green Shoppe additionally carries "Bee Green" merchandise, featuring the design of local artist Carl Oxley. Naimi says the shop would be open to selling locally-made green products if appropriate.

Source: Matt Naimi, Recycle Here!
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

New Center Council is moving ahead with a number of infrastructure improvement projects intended to ready the neighborhood for better times. "These infrastructure projects are great right now because they create jobs and bring workers to New Center," says New Center Council vice president Karen Gage. "This helps struggling businesses that really benefit from the added population brought in by all these construction projects."

New Center is the recipient of a $656,000 federal earmark, part of which will be used to implement streetscape improvements along Woodward between I-94 and Euclid, sandwiching the improvements already completed near Grand Boulevard.

This project will be done in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Transportation's plans to resurface Woodward, which proved to be both timely and economical. "There's one bid, one contractor," says Gage. "There are a lot of savings by rolling this work into an existing project." Bids are expected to go out in the next two months with work finished by the end of summer.

Some of the earmark funds will be used to construct a surface parking lot behind the White Castle on Woodward at E. Baltimore. Gage says she hopes work will commence on the lot at the end of this summer and that the lot will benefit businesses along both sides of Woodward.

If any money is left over, New Center Council will put it towards improving the train viaducts that run over Second, Third and Cass. If not, Gage is determined to see that project forward even if the CDC has to raise other funds. "We are focusing on projects that make sense right now," she says. "And that's infrastructure projects that create a better environment for businesses, that makes New Center a better place to do business when the market pressure decreases."

Another project that Gage is currently raising money for is the implementation of a planning study that will focus on bike routes to connect New Center to Midtown and Woodbridge. She hopes to return Second Ave. to a two-way street at this time. "It's something we've been talking about for a long time," she says. "With all the new investments that have been taking place in New Center, its importance, from a safety perspective, is growing."

Before any bike lanes are constructed and after the planning study is completed, a traffic study, engineering report and construction drawings must be generated. New Center Council is working with Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Corp., Henry Ford Health Systems, and University Cultural Center Association to develop the plan. "We hope to promote connectivity and mobility with bike lanes," says Gage. "We can't just do it in New Center."

Source: Karen Gage, New Center Council
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Nearly 100 people packed Cliff Bells last Tuesday for the first speaker series hosted jointly by Open City and Model D. It was a natural fit for the two groups, considering the former helps facilitate opening small businesses in Detroit and the latter likes to celebrate such businesses.

The topic of the forum was "Location, Location, Location." As in, you want to start a small business in Detroit and want to know in which neighborhood would be best to set up shop.

The panel, which was moderated by this writer, was comprised of five experts in five specific neighborhoods. Each of them, who works for the non-profit community development corporation dedicated to that area, demonstrated passion for their own specific community tempered with a clear spirit of cooperation.

Michael Solaka of New Center Council discussed some of the projects coming down the pipeline in his neighborhood, including the renovation of the park at the corner of Second and West Grand Boulevard and the rehabilitation of the Argonaut into an expanded College for Creative Studies. NCC's annual CityFest was cited as an example of a major event put on by a non-profit that can generate excitement -- and dollars -- for a small business.

Down in Midtown, Sue Mosey was representing the University Cultural Center Association. Mosey discussed some of the financial incentives available to small businesses interested in locating in the district as well as some less tangible manners of assistance, including navigating red tape at city hall.

Kathy Wendler from the Southwest Detroit Business Association talked about the growing immigrant population that is investing in the community and the number of strong grocery stores, making Southwest an ideal place to locate a food business.

Food is also an obvious strong fit for Eastern Market, and Dan Carmody of the Eastern Market Corp. encouraged those with a small idea to set up shop at the market on Saturdays to generate some buzz and test-drive a new product with a very low overhead -- as low as $60 per week.

Also on the small tip, Khalilah Burt of the Downtown Detroit Partnership discussed how a smaller size space can work for a start-up -- like Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes, rocking out in just 48 square feet. The DDP's Clean Downtown program means that businesses located in the Central Business District can expect clean, inviting sidewalks for their customers.

The next Open City will take place on March 17. Marketing is on the agenda.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh