LISC, Southwest nonprofits to create community strategies together

Southwest Detroit nonprofit community development corporations have banded together with other neighborhood stakeholders to create a comprehensive investment and development strategy for the community. Spearheaded by Detroit LISC — an organization that serves as a resource for housing and economic development nonprofits—the Southwest Detroit Strategic Investment Area (SIA) is hosting two public meetings to solicit viewpoints and opinions from the general public. The goal is to imagine what’s next in Southwest Detroit. Both meetings — Tuesday, May 23 at 7 p.m. and Wednesday, May 24 at 11:30 a.m. — will be held at the LA SED Gymnasium, 7150 W. Vernor Highway.

The Southwest SIA has been shaped to this point by a group of more than 50 stakeholders that includes members of the nonprofit development community, schools, businesses, residents, government, service providers and foundations. The initiative catalogues existing projects, programs and demographics in the area and then identifies potential investment opportunities using 13 predetermined indicators of healthy neighborhoods: health care, housing, schools, diversity, infrastructure, environmental quality, safety, city services, transportation, churches/institutions, commercial, greenspace and recreation. Participating organizations will then implement the resulting plan over the next three to five years.

Kathy Wendler, president of Southwest Detroit Business Association, has been an active participant in the initiative. She describes the challenge of such a large project as “coming up with a vision big enough for all the participants.” However, she sees a realization of this vision as a something worth working for. “When we reach our goals, you will see a very demonstrable difference in our neighborhood, one we can all be proud of, one worthy of the time and energy invested by everyone working together to make it happen.”

For more information, go to www.imaginedetroit.com or contact Victor Abla of LISC at 313-596-8222.

Source: LISC and Kathy Wendler, Southwest Detroit Business Associatio