The Kresge Foundation announced last month that it has $1.5 million in grants for 18 new projects and is planning efforts to revitalize neighborhoods across Detroit.
The grants are the first to be awarded in the $6 million, three-year relaunch of Kresge Innovative Projects: Detroit.
In the city's Virginia Park neighborhood, vacant lots will become a new park with picnic tables and play equipment to enhance the bonds of community. In southwest Detroit, a renovation designed by youth, artists and entrepreneurs will create new retail space. In northwest Detroit, the sports, health and wellness facilities of North Rosedale Park will be renovated and updated. In the North End, a former speak easy and shoe shine shop will become a place for grassroots retail, community events and performances.
"Detroit's true revitalization means the broad revitalization of its neighborhoods," said Kresge President Rip Rapson. "That requires a multiplicity of tools and interlinked strategies. This relaunch of Kresge Innovative Projects: Detroit is rooted in the same principles as our recently announced support for the mayor's Strategic Neighborhood Fund, our operating support for community development organizations, our Hope Starts Here partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to make Detroit a city that puts children and families first and the full suite of our work in the city. We will continue to work with partners to make this broad revitalization a reality."
In addition to these and other implementation projects, Kresge's grants will support community engagement and planning for efforts including the renovation of an iconic former jazz club as a westside community hub, a wheelchair-friendly community education center in Jefferson Chalmers on the eastside and strategies to bring immigrants, refugees and native Detroiters together to envision neighborhood integration and revitalization on the west side.
More information can be found online at http://kresge.org.
18 neighborhood groups share $1.5 million from Kresge for projects across Detroit
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