District One businesses to receive investments totalling $100K

Businesses in Detroit's City Council District 1 have cause to celebrate with the announcement that $100,000 is being dedicated to their promotion and improvement. The money is a gift from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation with the stated intent of being used to help businesses within the city's most northwest district scale and grow.

Tom Goddeeris, executive director of the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation; District 1 Council Member James Tate; and Jill Ford, special advisor to Mayor Mike Duggan, are leading the program.

Organizers say that the money will be used to encourage residents to shop locally and within their communities. It will also be used to survey residents on what types of businesses their neighborhoods need and desire. Additionally, the $100,000 will be put toward educating business owners on what attracts customers' support and keeps them coming back to their store. A 'buy local' program is also being researched for implementation.

While some of the program specifics have yet to be decided, the announcement dovetails nicely with D1 Discount Days. Taking place over the weekend of July 24-26, D1 Discount Days is the second annual celebration of local businesses within the district, encouraging residents to patronize their local establishments. Council Member Tate says that both the $100,000 and D1 Discount Days will drum up business, thereby improving the local economy and creating more jobs within the district.

Katy Locker, Knight Foundation program director for Detroit, agrees.

"The expansion of the District 1 buy-local program will help bring more local jobs and economic growth to our city; residents will be part of the process, helping to create the type of neighborhood where people want to live. We’re very interested in how neighborhood retail invites more people and more life into the street," says Locker. "We also hope to learn from this effort so it can be duplicated in other neighborhoods."

Writer: MJ Galbraith

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