BY SHARON GITTLEMAN
For photo one:
(L to R) The Gay Connection Program Chair Tom Zerafa welcomed Ferndale City Manager Tom Barwin to his group's meeting. Photo by Sharon Gittleman
For photo two:
Outgoing Ferndale City Manager Tom Barwin praised Ferndale's diversity at a meeting of the Gay Connection last week. Photo by Sharon Gittleman.
FERNDALE — Take a stroll on Ferndale's downtown streets and you'll see clothing shops stocked with the latest fashions, restaurants where reservations are a must and store shelves piled high with tempting home goods.
It wasn't always true.
Once, "blight" not "bustling" was the best description of the sights greeting you along the Nine Mile corridor between Woodward and Livernois.
While a multi-million dollar bond passed several years ago got the process rolling, the LGBT community played a major role in the transformation of the community, said Ferndale City Manager Tom Barwin.
"You folks have been an important part of the regeneration," he said. "Ferndale to me, is bigger than four square miles of geography. It's become an idea that everyone should be a full participant. Just look around. It's paying dividends."
Last week, Barwin came to Angel's CafŽ in Ferndale to speak to members of the social group the Gay Connection of Detroit, to share his thoughts about the community's past and future.
Barwin will leave his post at the end of July to become city manager of Oak Park, Ill. He helped oversee Ferndale's day-to-day operations for the past nine years.
Ring communities like Ferndale have something many cities well to the north of Detroit are lacking, Barwin said.
"Once you embrace diversity, you'll find the world is a richer and deeper place," he said. "When I go to Sprawlville, I can't wait to get back home."
City officials planned Ferndale's revival looking to the past for inspiration, he said. In the 1920s and '30s, Ferndale was one of many "streetcar" communities — towns that sprouted up along transportation routes to Detroit.
"We walked into our historical museum and saw how things looked when it was lively here and we recreated it," he said.
After public money helped spruce up downtown, private investment soon followed.
Barwin believes light rail is the key to Ferndale and the metro area's future.
A transportation line built from Detroit to Pontiac would create thousands of jobs during the construction phase and beyond, he said.
Transit stops placed every half-mile would spark construction of shops and businesses designed to meet commuters' needs.
These new developments would be just one factor encouraging people to move closer to the rail line and away from urban sprawl, he said.
Mass transit would also help stem the flood of young people leaving the state, reduce pollution and dry up the steady seepage of money from people's pocketbooks caused by high gasoline prices.
With federal dollars available for construction, what's stopping the process?
Some in government fear mass transit, and a tilt toward regional government, would hit too close to home, said Barwin.
"Try to get power away from somebody who has it," he said.
Odd outdated ideas are also holding the area back, Barwin said.
"Transit is for the screw-ups — that's the southeastern, Michigan mindset," he said.
Barwin's talk inspired many in the Gay Connection audience.
"I'm impressed. He's got vision," said 70-year-old Gene from Canton. "He's got hope for the future and some practical ideas. We need more people like him."
Canton resident Larry, 66, said Barwin's departure would be a loss for Michigan.
"He was insightful and unafraid to speak the truth," he said.
Gay Connection Program Chair Tom Zerafa, 55, said he invited Barwin to speak to his group to hear how Barwin helped Ferndale morph into an all-inclusive city.
"His greatest accomplishment has been to put Ferndale on the map," said Zerafa, an Oak Park resident. "I'd like to see all the inclusiveness keep happening."
