Under the newly created City of Detroit Department of Neighborhoods, which is largely charged with addressing blight issues, Mayor Mike Duggan appointed Garry Bulluck to serve as District 3 manager and Ray Solomon as its deputy manager. Like the other six districts, District 3 managers report to the mayor’s office under the executive directorship of Charlie Beckham.
Geographically speaking, District 3 is massive, one of the city’s largest districts. It is located in the northeast sector of Detroit and encompasses areas bordered by East Eight Mile Road to the north, John R to the west, and Kelly Road to the east. From Kelly Road, the district zigzags south and back westward to include such border streets as East Seven Mile Road, Gratiot, and East McNichols, before taking a sharp southeasterly cut along Connor.
Harper, near I 94, is District 7’s most southern boundary. From Harper, the boundaries on the west section of the district heads back north to include such streets as Concord and Huber. The district line continues as it hugs the outer boundaries of Hamtramck and Highland Park, over to East McNichols, west to John R and north to East Eight Mile Road.
While large in size, according Benson, his District 3 office located in the Matrix Center, 13560 E. McNichols, stands ready to serve the entire district, while working closely with its 30-plus block clubs and associations.
“Constituent services is huge for my District 3 office,” said Benson. “We are staffed to serve all individuals who have issues in the community. We have many tools in our toolbox as to how we can organize, serve and empower the communities that make up District 3.”
Bulluck and Solomon also have the best interest of District 3 in mind at all times.
“We want a better District 3,” said Bulluck. “We want to greatly improve the lives of anyone who calls District 3 home, adding that his office, which is at Farwell Field on East Outer Drive, works throughout the community to make sure that residents have a voice, and that each voice is heard by his office and all the way to the mayor’s office as it pertains to issues of blight and other concerns.
Solomon described the relationship between the many community groups and District 3 management office as strong.
“Where there are block clubs, community associations and coalitions, we will work with them to hear and move on their concerns,” said Solomon, who has lived in the district since 2005. “Where there are no block clubs, community associations or coalitions, we have starter kits, and will meet and give our full support to residents who are trying to create community organizations that will help improve conditions in District 3.”
According to information from Detroit Data Driven, a local organization that specializes in demographic profiles in Detroit, District 3 has a population of 97,082 people, of which there are 954 Hispanic, 6,220 White, 83,566 African American and 6,342 individuals of other races.
Looking at District 3 as a whole, Benson, Bulluck and Solomon proudly point to the many features, which include its neighborhoods and communities, some with and without names. One community with a name is Conant Gardens, which is bordered by such streets as Ryan Road, Nevada, Conant Avenuie and East Seven Mile Road.
Named for Shubael Conant, a powerful Detroit anti-slavery advocate in the mid-1800s, Conant Gardens is a designated Historic District. While the community has its share of abandoned and neglected homes, it also has its share of homes and properties that people take pride in maintaining.
“There are a lot of strong neighborhoods with great housing stock in the district, such as in Conant Gardens,” said Bulluck. “Yes, there are some areas with blight, but there are many more areas with beautiful homes.”
Just east of Conant Gardens is Krainz Woods, a collection of streets of mostly bungalow homes that are bordered by Ryan Road, Nevada, Mound Road, and East Seven Mile Road. Krainz Woods also has many blocks where neighbors care and are proactive in elevating the quality of life.
“Krainz Woods is a section of District 3 that has the real potential to come back, based on its history of stability,” said Byron Mims, president of the Krainz Woods Neighborhood Organization and whose family moved into the community in the 1950s. “That’s why I spend so much time talking with our district council representative and district managers about not forgetting about Krainz Woods. This community is perfect for industrial and commercial enterprises growth.”
Mims is also busy writing grants in an attempt to help the community move forward. He believes with the right push, Krainz Woods can be a leader in offering high-speed Internet and free cable for people willing to move into the neighborhood. He would also like for Krainz Woods to be a city leader when it comes to installing sophisticated video surveillance systems, like the ones in the United Kingdom. He believes that crime, along with and car and home insurance rates, will drop with such systems. Therefore, home value will rise.
He is also eyeing ways to bring geothermal and solar energy to homes in Krainz Woods.
Overall, Mims, like Benson, Bulluck and Solomon, believe that District 3 has much to offer families. There are numerous parks, including Krainz Park (Hildale), Jayne Playground (Conant near Davidson) and Farwell Field (Outer Drive). Jayne Playground and Farwell are two of the district’s largest parks. Farwell features prime tennis facilities, with more than a dozen well-maintained tennis courts.
Nearby, just behind Belmont Shopping Center (Eight Mile Road and Dequindre) is Dad Butler Playground, a nine-year-old barrier-free play area for kids with and without disabilities. The playground was erected through the vision and determination of District 3 activist Shirley Burch with the funding support of W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Youth Sports and Recreation, the Detroit Recreation Department and Communities United for Progress.
Educationally speaking, District 3 is home to Pershing High School. Built in the early 1900s, the school has carved out a storied history as a basketball powerhouse that has sent many players to the NBA. Other schools of note are Osborn High School, Cornerstone, Brenda Scott Academy and Winans Academy middle and high schools, respectively. Additionally, Davis Aerospace High School is in District 3. It is the only public school in Michigan, and one of a few schools of its kind in the nation, that has a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved curriculum.
In District 3, there approximately 100 churches, including Perfecting Church, Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. James Missionary, Rose of Sharon and St. Louis the King. The district also has many well-known places in which to purchase groceries, such as Randazzo’s (Outer Drive and near East Seven Mile Road). Mike’s Market (Gratiot, just north of East Seven Mile Roa.) and Imperial Super Market, which anchors Belmont Shopping Center.
Additionally, District 3 is home to the Bel Air 10 Theatre Complex, the city’s only “first-run” neighborhood-based movie house. The district is also home to the Coleman A. Young International Airport (Gratiot and Connor), which is projected to have a big part in Detroit’s future economic resurgence.
While the district has many great features to offer residents and businesses, Benson admits there are challenges.
“Crime is the number one problem in District 3,” said Benson, who has lived there for 15 years. “That’s why we are focusing on a lot of ways to bring crime down. One way that we are doing it is with CB radio patrols, community leaders and residents pointing out crime hot spots. I’m getting positive feedback from people in the community about what the current administration and law enforcement officers in the district are doing to make a difference.”
Benson is also a strong advocate of economy development. He is highly focused on identifying and implementing initiatives that will help small businesses in the district to flourish. He recently hosted the D3 Business Connect that brainstormed ways to help spark economic growth and jobs in District 3.
The district already has a major industrial and commercial business presence, with such companies as Chrysler’s Tool and Die (Mt. Elliott near Mound Road), Chrysler’s Dodge Viper Plant (Conner and Outer Drive), as well as PVS Chemical (Harper) and Faygo Beverages, Inc. (Gratiot). However, Benson feels that the path to success for district residents is through small business development and sustained entrepreneurship.
“I love what Ray Solomon and myself are doing to help this district work through its many issues, inclusive of fighting blight and crime,” Bulluck said. “It’s an honor to work with so many block clubs and individuals who are tenacious about driving down crime, driving out drugs and creating an atmosphere to raise families. I love what’s positively going on in District 3, and I love the level of cooperation that’s going on between my office and the office of District 3 council member Scott Benson because we all want the best for District 3.”