2011 Unsung Hero Recipients

On behalf of University Commons and the 12th Precinct Neighborhood Coalition, we want to congratulate our 2011 "Unsung Heroes".   The Unsung Hero Reception is an annual recognition for all residents, business, and partners who spend many, many hours working to develop and enhance our community.  The 2011 recipients received recognition from the City of Detroit, Wayne County, University Commons and their individual associations.  We thank you for all that you do and we look forward to our 2012 Unsung Heroes Reception.

For 2011 our heroes are…...

Bagley
Ruth Johnson
Karen Palmer

Detroit Golf Club
Nancy Varner

Fitzgerald
Margaret Harris

Greenacres
Maria Dickerson
Karen Hammer

Greenwich Park
Leon Washington

Martin Park
Brad Nichols
Doris Ray

Palmer Woods
Dale Morgan
Barbara Barefield

Pilgrim Village
Ellis Ross
William Ware

Sherwood Forest
Ernest Thompson
Gail & Gordon Rodwan

University District
Holly Clements
Tiffany Alexander

New Prospect
Charlie Primas

Northstar
Clifford Appling
Zeline Richard

Livernois Business Owners
Jamal Ambro - Mike's Fresh Market
Rufus Bartell - Simply Casual
Don Studvent - 1917 American Bistro

People for Palmer Park
Jim Meyers

PLEASE share this with your friends and neighbors!!

Meijer to sign lease for Detroit store

Please share as it looks like new development may actually be coming to our area and soon…..

Meijer to sign lease for Detroit store
12:28 PM, Jun. 27, 2011  | 
BY JOHN GALLAGHER
DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER Filed Under
Business
Michigan Business

The grocery superstore chain Meijer is expected to sign a lease by mid-July for a new Detroit store at Woodward and 8 Mile Road, project developers said today.

Ken Till, vice-president of the Southfield-based development firm Redico, told the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority meeting that Meijer is reviewing the final lease and should be signed in about two weeks. Meijer would be the anchor tenant of the long-planned Gateway Marketplace project.

Long-delayed but finally moving forward, the Gateway project would also feature a Marshalls store as well as a bank branch, a McDonald’s, and several other stores. Till told the authority that Redico is talking to retailers including Old Navy and PetSmart as possible tenants.

The retail project, on the southeast corner of Woodward and 8 Mile, is planned as 362,000 square feet of retail space on 36 acres. Key funding will include a loan from Detroit’s General Retirement System pension fund, as well as a variety of tax credits. Construction could begin later this year.

Contact John Gallagher: 313-222-5173 or gallagher99 @freepress.com

Avenue of passion: Pedestrian scale Livernois strip reloads for the future

Great article about our local retail jewel!!  Here is the link so you can see the pictures: http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/livernois611.aspx.  Have you shopped the Livernois corridor lately??
Avenue of passion: Pedestrian scale Livernois strip reloads for the future
Veronica Grandison | Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Many know Livernois Avenue as the street that harbors hundreds of businesses. But for those old enough to remember, think back to when part of its northern corridor was one of the most popular shopping districts in Detroit.

Between 7 and 8 Mile roads, the commercial district known as the Avenue of Fashion used to be the "go to" place for the best apparel in town. It included a multitude of local businesses including retail shops, art galleries, bookstores, medical offices, hair salons and barbershops.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, the period when the district was thriving financially, tons of patrons could be seen strolling up and down the pavement of the Livernois strip, walking in and out of stores with bags in hand, investing money back into the community. Stores such as B. Siegel Company and historic venues like Baker's Keyboard Lounge were two of the most popular attractions in the area and kept the fashion district on its toes.

Fast-forward to 2011. The Avenue of Fashion is one of many commercial districts in the process of reshaping its image to appeal to a new generation of Detroiters who may not know about the quality shops that populate the area. Yet, unlike many other districts, the Avenue of Fashion has a rally of support that has never left its side -- the local champions of the community.

Reshaping Livernois

The Avenue of Fashion is surrounded by upscale Detroit neighborhoods the University District, Green Acres, Sherwood Forest, and Palmer Woods. The area also consists of two higher educational institutions – the University of Detroit Mercy and Marygrove College. The universities and neighborhoods provide support to the local businesses on Livernois in their work with University Commons, a community organization in Northwest Detroit that works to improve the residential and business environment in the area. The organization is comprised of UDM, Marygrove, Northstar Community Development Corporation, Shoppers Coop, local business associations, and local community organizations.

University Commons has also collaborated with the Restore Detroit program, which works with local businesses and residents to improve neighborhood commercial districts. The University Commons Business District is one of the five districts within Detroit that are receiving grants and technical assistance from the city.

The partnership between the city and University Commons has resulted in new facades for 10 businesses through the Façade Improvement Grant, which is a program that offers 50/50 matching grant dollars to eligible property owners.

Kim Tandy, the Executive director and program manager for University Commons says that the organization is in the process of revitalizing an entire block, which will serve as an example of what the rest of the strip will look like in the next few years.

"We have a great housing stock, there are very strong communities, and those neighborhoods need to have commercial districts that reflect that same type of things," Tandy says.

University Commons is also working with the Urban Land Institute's Daniel Rose Center for Public Leadership in Land Use to revitalize the area. The purpose of the project is to create a walkable, social corridor that draws residents from the area and citizens from the city to come and want to shop, walk around and visit.

Some of the goals that the organizations have for the Avenue of Fashion include improving the lighting, putting in new sidewalks and trees, providing better parking options, and redoing the signage of businesses to attract more customers. The organizations also plan to incorporate a program with DTE Energy to put solar panels on all the buildings. The beta site is estimated to be finished by the end of the year and, within the next five years, the entire Avenue of Fashion is set to be redesigned.

"We are hoping that through this process, we can help reinvigorate a strategy for 7 mile that can be a model for other commercial areas that we want to see throughout the city," says Olga Stella, Vice President for Business Development at Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and one of four Rose Center Fellows.

Older Businesses in the area

Lolita Haley, owner of Prime Financial Plus Realty located within the Avenue of Fashion, is one of the many business owners who has seen the commercial district thrive, decline and slowly rise up again. In addition to her real estate company, Haley also owned a beauty and nail salon in the area for many years, and serviced a diverse clientele from regular customers to prominent politicians.
"This whole strip was once a very sought after area and neighborhood to move in," says Haley.

Despite the loss in revenue and businesses, there are many shops within the area that are still successful have maintained a loyal clientele throughout the years.

Since its opening in 1994, Jo's Galley has continued to be a popular art venue and was the first art gallery to open in the Avenue of Fashion. The owner JoAnn Griffin says that the gallery attracts clients from all over the metro area with its unique figurines, graphic art, custom framing, and full line art service.

Terry's Enchanted Garden is a boutique that has been around since 1980, when it started as a small floral shop. Some of the businesses corporate clients include Compuware, MGM Grand Casino and Chrysler.

New Businesses

Right in the mix with older establishments are new businesses adding diversity to the commercial strip.

Times Square Men's Clothing opened in 2010 and has clientele ranging from ages eight to 80. Times Square owner Algernon Bartell is part of a long list of clothing shops along the strip, along with his brother Rufus Bartell, who currently has two stores within the Avenue of Fashion -- Simply Casual and Shoehouse Boulevard.

While clothing boutiques have always been at the heart of the Avenue of Fashion, food is another feature within the strip that is slowly gaining momentum, especially since 1917 American Bistro opened its doors in 2009. The upscale, yet affordable dining establishment has been receiving a ton of buzz for its elegant, intimate environment and European-inspired menu. The restaurant has also had an impact on the district, attracting more people to the area. Tandy says that since American Bistro opened, she has been working with three business owners who are interested in putting restaurants in the area.

Among the restaurants, retail shops and art galleries, there are a ton of beauty salons and barbershops within the area. Happy to be Nappy is one salon on Livernois that has garnered much attention, and is run by master hair stylist and entrepreneur Ewanda Ferguson. The hair salon attracts clients from all over the world.

"The one thing I like about the Avenue of Fashion is that celebrities or athletes or just regular customers are welcome on this block," said Ferguson. "And even though people have said you can relocate to the suburbs, I think people still feel comfortable when they come here because it gives them a sense of roots."

The Future

The vibrancy that once swept the streets of the Avenue of Fashion all year round is revived in part during the summer with such events as the annual Jazz on the Ave and the Livernois Walk-a-Thon. Both events encourage citizens to walk the Livernois area and visit the local shops. A parade also takes place annually and for the past few years, it has attracted thousands of people to the Avenue of Fashion.

"You can experience Livernois a little better with community events," says Tandy, who lives in the Sherwood Forest district and grew up in the area.

Tandy as well as other business owners in the area are working towards turning the Avenue of Fashion back into the thriving community it once was.

"I remember what it was and I know what it can be," Tandy says. "And I know it can be fabulous and we are going to make sure that it is going to be."

Veronica Grandison is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

FW: [Bagley Community Council] Bagley community council 2011

2011 marks my first year as Bagley Community Council president and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you and the Bagley community for all of your hard work and dedication to making our neighborhoods a better and safer place for all of us to live.  I'd also like to thank the board for their continuing dedication to seeing that the work behind the scenes is carried on in the professional manner that we've come to expect from the residents of Bagley.


We also expect the residents of Bagley to become more actively involved.  There are two ways that you can help to make Bagley a better, safer, more beautiful, and friendlier place to live.  Number One:  you can volunteer.  We have several committees that need your skills and expertise. Number Two: you can give money by becoming a paying member of the Bagley Community Council.  Your financial support not only helps to ensure that the critical work the board is doing continues on, but it also allows us to help children in our community through our scholarship fund.


There are also some things you can do by joining your local Block Club.  Helping your neighbors beautify your block by cutting grass at abandoned houses on vacant lots, removing illegal signs, and supporting local businesses that support us are all good practices for maintaining our community.  We know that the rebuilding of our community is not going to be easy, nor will it be quick.  But this is the work that we do every day to keep control of our community, to make it a welcoming and friendly place for new families interested in purchasing a home here.


As one of the largest community councils in the city I take great pride in representing you at the Detroit City Council meetings and with the mayor's office.  It's only with a concentrated effort on solutions for the problems that we face in the 21st Century that we can hope to come out on the other side better organized, stronger, and with a sense of purpose for the future of all residents of Bagley.


So won't you join us in being a part of that future?  Bagley Community Council meetings are held the third Saturday of each month promptly at 10:00 AM at the 12th Precinct Headquarters on 7 Mile.  There you'll hear from other Block Clubs, residents of Bagley, its board, and our elected officials on the State County and City levels.


Thank you very much,


Lee Gaddies, President, Bagley Community Council, Inc. (As of 2014, former president)

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