Night and day are the words Ahmed Ankouni uses to describe the
difference in how clean downtown is today compared to two months ago.
The
pharmacist owns the Griswold Pharmacy in Capital Park, which until
recently was one of downtown's rougher sections. It was a place where
newspapers casually floated by, the stench of urine permeated alleys,
shredded plastic bags hung from trees and litter covered sidewalks.
"You
couldn't walk without kicking something," Ankouni says. "I had to clean
it up from in front of my store every day. Now it's a different world.
It's fantastic."
The 30-year-old Dearborn resident noticed a difference almost immediately when the
NEXT Detroit: Clean Downtown crews went to work in June.
The
crews do everything from picking up litter to power washing sidewalks
to cleaning up alleys, bus stops and parks inside the downtown
expressway loop. Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit provides
workers for the cleaning crews. Those crews work with the city
department of public works in various shifts all week. Private sector
and foundations provided the initiative's $3-million budget. That
covers the cost of employees, management and equipment. It's expected
to last until the fall of 2007.
Ankouni says the largest impact
is psychological. People are more respectful of the neighborhood. His
customers are in better moods. Overall, his business is improving.
"Cleanliness is related to peace. Filthiness is related to chaos,"
Ankouni says. "It just makes everybody feel like the city is moving
forward."
That's the impact city leaders are looking for from
the Clean Downtown Initiative. It isn't just about picking up litter.
It goes beyond spotless sidewalks, full trash cans or how it stacks up
to other downtowns.
"A clean downtown is pivotal to attracting
new businesses, residents, conventions and visitors to our city," says
Roger Penske, chairman of the
Downtown Detroit Partnership, which
spawned the initiative.
The idea is that a clean downtown makes
people feel safer, more comfortable and more respectful of the
neighborhood. (Think Toronto.) Hopefully, Clean Downtown's efforts will
encourage city residents, suburbanites and tourists to spend more time
and money downtown, recreating the vibrancy it once enjoyed.
"It
makes a big impression when the sidewalk or the curb is clean," says
Paul Howard, owner of the downtown jazz bar Cliff Bell's located at
Elizabeth and Park streets. "It's a mark of sophistication for the
city."
The differenceAlok
Sharma, 26, sees a big difference in downtown since the cleanups
started. The computer programmer lives in the renovated Kales Building
on Grand Circus Park. He pointed out how the trash and general refuse
that once clogged landscaping or floated through the streets is largely
gone. Downtown is now "clean by anyone's standards," Sharma says.
The
clean streets do more than make people feel comfortable, they demand
respect. "It sends the message that it's not going to be a big dumping
ground," Sharma says. "If there is trash everywhere people will add to
it. If nobody is taking care of it why should I care? That's just human
nature."
Jeanette Pierce, a fellow downtown resident, agrees.
The 25-year-old event planner has lived and worked downtown for years.
In her spare time she helps run a company called Inside Detroit, which
gives tours of the city.
She had noticed the amount of trash
always increased after a major event. "I kind of felt it wasn't just
Detroiters making this mess," Pierce says. She used to apologize to
clients about the untidiness during tours, explaining it is just part
of being in a bustling city, but she knew the trash influenced her
clients' perceptions, and sometimes her own, of the city. It could be
disheartening.
Today her tours concentrate on the city's
character, history and beautiful aspects. The muddle of litter is now
just a bad memory. "I don't have to go through that spiel anymore,"
Pierce says.
Neither does Dave Frassetto, co-owner of the
(PROOF) bar at Woodward Avenue and Adams Street. The cleaning crews are
exactly what the area needs, he says: They make downtown attractive,
especially to people spending money there.
"To the casual
visitor of Detroit or the suburban visitor, it makes a big difference
to their perception," Frassetto, 34, says. "And that perception is what
counts when it comes to spending their dollars. A clean downtown is a
good downtown."
Beyond 2007The
Downtown Detroit Partnership hopes Clean Downtown will
segue into the creation of a business improvement district (BID) for
downtown. The district would assess a fee to property owners for the
services, including the cleaning initiative. A BID would enhance
regular city services, and property owners would manage the district.
Ankouni,
the Griswold Pharmacy owner, and Frassetto, the (PROOF) bar co-owner,
support the idea as long as it's a reasonable price and keeps downtown
streets clean. However, Howard, owner of the Cliff's Bells bar, would
rather pay more money for a stronger police presence than cleaner
streets.
The Detroit resident says safety is the biggest hurdle
for downtown. He argues his customers should be able to park their cars
or walk the streets of downtown without fear.
"If we could get together and pay for anything, it should be for more police officers," he says.
Obviously,
cleaning downtown is just one step. Opinions vary on what should be
done next to improve downtown. The ideas range from increasing safety
to attracting a large corporate headquarters to cracking down on
parking lots.
For the time being, though, many are happy with
the cleaner streets. Ankouni says the people behind the initiative need
a "pat on the back." He now gets excited when talking about downtown's
potential and is even considering moving downtown.
Cher
Ketellhut, 49, is also thrilled with the cleanliness. The Dearborn
resident and her family regularly visit downtown for everything from
Tigers games to operas.
"It's huge because it looks like people
care," Ketellhut says. "When you come into a part of the city that's
clean and people are walking around, it seems more alive."
Clean Downtown, by the numbers:
• People employed by Clean Downtown Initiative: 50
• Workers on the street: 44
• Clean up crew hours: From 4 a.m. to early evening
• Blocks in coverage area: 100
• Area covered by sidewalk sweeping: 2.4 million square feet
• Days it takes to clean that whole area: 2
• Amount of litter cleaned up in an average day:1/2 to 1 1/2 tons
• Daily calls or e-mails received with advice on where to clean up: 10 to 15
For more information, or to report an area that needs cleaning, visit the Clean Downtown Initiative’s Web site at www.cleandowntown.org.
Photos:
Charla Simmons keeping Grand Circus Park clean
Ahmed Ankouni of the Griswold Pharmacy
Looking up Washington Boulevard towards the Kales Building
A Clean Downtown Truck
All Photographs Copyright Dave Krieger