This Street View series on Detroit's corridors is made possible with support from the Ford Foundation. Model D highlights equitable development work and economic growth led by Detroit-based residents, grassroots organizations, and community development groups.
“Repurposing nondescript, big-box space (in this case, a grocery store) is a challenge and opportunity applicable in many communities,” the AIA Jury says in a statement.
It’s grassroots, community organizing — and good neighbors — that’s helping to keep Kercheval honest as it develops.
You're about to start seeing some art-centric jeans along Detroit's corridors. Featuring chain-stitched flames embroidered using a vintage Singer 114, “Torched” is the first run in the Littlefield bespoke denim brand’s planned artist series, showcasing Detroit’s creative community.
“It's a win-win,” says Amy Good, CEO of Alternatives for Girls. “That's what we wanted: a win-win, a neighborhood that would be a good fit, where our project would contribute to the community and the community would help our participants be successful.”
“This will be a space to talk about what people’s needs are within the corridor. And as a business owner, it can be very valuable. There will be networking opportunities; you can see what needs and resources are out there,” says Chelsea Salame, economic development manager for the GRDC. “We’re all about providing access to resources and plain old grassroots organizing.”
“I really think West McNichols may seem different than Livernois today, but I think it's the same. I think it's in the same book,” says Dr. Geneva J. Williams, executive director of the Live6 Alliance. “They may be different chapters, but it’s the same book: revitalizing the commercial corridors, which in turn will help revitalize neighborhoods.”
The Grandmont Rosedale stretch of Grand River is one of the city’s more bustling commercial corridors. Large murals adorn the walls of locally-owned small businesses, a steady round of streetscape improvement projects have made the strip safer to walk and bike, and pocket parks have transformed previously under-utilized spaces into public assets. It’s a desirable destination for the city’s entrepreneurs.
Over the course of the next year, we’ll be taking a deeper dive into Detroit’s commercial corridors; some of them widely known and appreciated, and others that should be.
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