Nearly 20 years ago, 167,000 students were enrolled in Detroit Public Schools. Today, only 49,000 students attend school in the district, leaving over 150 vacant buildings. Matthew Lewis talks to a group working to repurpose one of them into a trade school in Brightmoor.
Cliff Bell's was packed with people interested hearing a panel of experts involved in the world of "Loca-vesting," or sourcing funding locally from companies and individuals located in the same community. Matthew Lewis reports from the crowd.
A neighborhood gathering place built by residents 84 years ago, the Brightmoor Community Center has overcome financial distress to create a collaborative environment at the corner of Lyndon and Burt roads. Matthew Lewis visits and reports.
Readers can help these student entrepreneurs achieve their goal of raising $50,000 to create a dedicated space to run their businesses, which include the Brightmoor Woodworkers and Brightmoor Bikes and Trailers. Matthew Lewis reports.
Focusing efforts on his personal vision for Brightmoor, Rev. Larry Simmons is intent on creating a neighborhood that is "saved, prospering, peaceful, diverse, engaged, and empowered." Matthew Lewis reports on how the pastor's church is involved in neighborhood redevelopment.
Writer Matthew Lewis says that a simple thing like a free art club, a place where neighborhood kids can get to know each other and learn to express themselves outside of the home and school, has done wonders to help build community in Brightmoor.
Over the last seven months, Matthew Lewis has reported from each of the city's newly-minted council districts and showed us the work that community development groups are doing at the neighborhood scale. Now, people, get out to vote today.
Developed nearly a century ago to accommodate the city's swelling population of laborers, Brightmoor remains on the cutting edge of future land use projects in Detroit. Matthew Lewis reports from the far Northwest side of town.
In his final full report on Detroit's new council by districts, Matthew Lewis heads to the near lower East Side to explore the Villages, made up of historic, leafy neighborhoods with new retail buzz.
The Detroit Community Schools is launching a Kickstarter campaign in partnership with TechTown's SWOT City program to raise funds needed to transform a garage into an entrepreneurial incubator. Matthew Lewis reports from Brightmoor.
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