Holiday Greetings from LISC

Milwaukee Junction Small Business Center Sparks Economic Growth in the North End

News—Detroiters have been hit hard by the recent recession. Despite the loss of jobs and wages, Detroiters are not letting go of the American dream. Fueled and invigorated by the spirit of entrepreneurship, many residents are launching their own business, and breathing new life into the local economy.

Small and medium-sized enterprises are sprouting up throughout the metro area. These “micro businesses” are engines driving an economic renaissance in the city. Micro enterprises can also contribute significantly to social stability and quality of life in a community.

Unearthing the Historical Treasures of Corktown

News—Detroit was founded more than 300 years ago. Some might say this great city is a time capsule holding three centuries of landmark achievements and historical milestones.

All around the city, the history of Detroit is reflected in its grand architecture, business communities and neighborhoods. Detroit’s Corktown is a prime example. The city’s oldest neighborhood, Corktown is located just west of the downtown commercial district, bounded by Michigan Avenue, Porter Street and the Lodge Freeway.

Assignment Detroit, A Special Time Inc. Project

News—Darrell Dawsey's interview with Detroit LISC Executive Director, Deborah L. Younger, in two parts.......

Lay of the Land, Part 1: How Detroit's Housing Crisis Got Worse

Lay of the Land, Part 2: Turning Around Detroit's Neighborhoods

Southwest Detroit's Weiss Park Receives A Make-Over

News—The Urban Neighborhood Initiatives (UNI), formerly Neighborhood Centers, Inc., has embarked on a collaborative effort with other Southwest Detroit organizations and area residents to redevelop and transform Southwest Detroit's Springwells Village. This collaborative effort is instrumental to the overall comprehensive strategy being led and coordinated by the Southwest Detroit Development Collaborative (SDDC).

Green space development is a key building block in UNI’s plan that is designed to impact housing rehabilitation, infrastructure and quality of life improvements. UNI has identified, and is currently investing in five Southwest Detroit parks, including Weiss Park – located across from the historic Woodmere Cemetery.

Building a Safe, Sustainable Community in Central Woodward

News—Safety is the number one priority for area residents in Central Woodward and the North End. Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the Central Woodward/North End Collaborative have joined forces to address this important issue, as one component of the larger comprehensive strategy for the area.

With support and funding from Detroit LISC, the Central Woodward/North End Collaborative developed and launched a Safety Management Program, designed to significantly decrease crime, while increasing the quality of life for residents and businesses in the area.

Focus: HOPE, an architect for change in the Central Woodward/North End community for 40 years, was selected to become the on-the-ground CDC coordinating the Central Woodward Safety Management Program.

Detroit LISC Honors Community Champions at Ninth Annual Awards Ceremony

News—Webster defines a "hero" as one who shows great courage. Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) defines community heroes as ordinary individuals who possess the tenacity and courage necessary to be true champions for their community. On September 18, Detroit LISC hosted its Ninth Annual Detroit Community Development Awards ceremony to honor and recognize a group of deserving unsung heroes working hard to make a difference in Detroit neighborhoods.

FOX2 News Anchor Huel Perkins served as the emcee for the gala event that was held at the Roostertail, overlooking the sparkling waters of the Detroit River. Nearly 400 people attended, including neighborhood stakeholders, business and community leaders, as well as representatives from local, state and federal government.

Preserving the Legacy of Historic Boston-Edison

News—A neighborhood is more than the houses that line city streets and boulevards. It is an intricate tapestry woven together by history, memories and the hopes and dreams of its residents. Nowhere in Detroit is this more evident than in the community of Historic Boston-Edison.

Located in the heart of Detroit just off the Lodge Freeway and Chicago Boulevard, Boston-Edison is the largest historic neighborhood in the country, encompassing 36 blocks of beautiful tree-lined streets with 930 elegant homes and stately mansions – most of which were built between 1905 and 1925.

Some of the nation’s and Detroit’s most famous sons and daughters once called Boston-Edison home, including such luminaries as auto pioneer Henry Ford, SS Kresge department store founder Sebastion Kresge, former Mayor and US Senator James Couzens, former Tigers owner Walter O. Briggs, Mark Twain’s daughter Clara Clemens, boxing great Joe Louis, opera singer Celeste Cole and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy.

Detroit LISC Launches Business Planning Phase of Innovative Investment Strategy to Build Sustainable Communities in Detroit

News—Detroit LISC has officially announced implementation of the business planning phase of Organizational Sustainability, and selected a dozen non-profit partner organizations that will receive funding and resources to help move the Detroit LISC Sustainable Communities agenda forward.

This announcement comes at a crucial time when the industry as a whole is adjusting to the impact of the current economic downturn. A catalyst for positive change in the industry, Detroit LISC remains focused on how best to respond to the current economic situation, and at the same time effectively revitalize the neighborhoods of Detroit.

A Call to Action: Southwest Detroiters Unite at Environmental Justice Forum

News—The environment is a hot button issue, especially for the citizens who reside in Southwest Detroit, a community that boasts large-scale industry, as well as many transportation projects.

Newly elected State Representative, Rashida Tlaib, who represents Southwest Detroit, is taking some proactive steps to ensure that this important issue is not overlooked. Recently she organized an “Environmental Justice Forum,” assembling some 83 people at the Latino Family Services headquarters on Fort Street. The forum focused on several topics, from the expansion of the Marathon Oil Refinery to salt mine blasting by the Detroit Salt Co. to air quality and the impact of the proposed Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) and Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal (DIFT) projects.

New Southwest Detroit Community Mapping Project Helps Design Neighborhoods of the Future

News—Detroit is a city filled with eclectic and historic neighborhoods that are undergoing an unprecedented social, physical and economic transformation. Southwest Detroit is one of those communities. The Southwest Detroit Development Collaborative (SDDC) has partnered with a group of urbanists to design and launch a unique Community Mapping Project that will help redevelop vibrant, sustainable neighborhoods for the future.

Thanks to a grant by Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the SDDC’s Community Mapping Project will allow CDCs and nonprofits in Southwest Detroit to have access to a valuable high-tech GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping tool. While the Community Mapping Project is a pilot program, the SDDC hopes that it can be the framework for a comprehensive database with a website and online interface that will one day be accessible to all CDCs, businesses, residents, civic leaders and other community organizations.

Van Dyke Corridor Businesses Get Facade Improvements

News—By Nancy Kaffer, Crain’s Detroit Business

Ten businesses along the Van Dyke corridor have completed façade improvements with the assistance of matching funds grants from the Van Dyke-8 Mile Gateway Collaborative and the Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corp.

The façade improvement program represents an approximate $500,000 investment in the corridor, according to statements released Wednesday by the organizations.