Some cities just don’t get the love they deserve, and Detroit is one of them. Detroit is an amazing city, and it’s doing a lot of dynamic things, especially from an urban planning perspective. Intricate things that many Detroiters aren’t even privy to. Take the Dequindre Cut, for example; a former railroad line that was once destitute and abandoned is now a below-grade walking and biking trail. The Dequindre Cut stands as a unique feature, offering more than just a path from Jefferson Avenue to Gratiot and further to Mack Avenue with its recent extension. This below-grade trail links communities with vital areas like Eastern Market and the East Riverfront District. It’s not just a connector but a canvas, showcasing the city’s cultural pulse through vibrant graffiti art by renowned artists. This space is a celebration of Detroit’s social and cultural heritage, where the preservation of urban art forms a visual narrative of the city’s ongoing story, which is a part of a larger project, the Joe Louis Greenway.
The Joe Louis Greenway project is a 27.5-mile-long greenway that connects a ton of Detroit neighborhoods and a few different surrounding cities. The greenway mission is to connect parks and neighborhoods across the city, allowing residents to travel safely from McNichols to the riverfront—all without a car—through a combination of new trails, on-street protected bike lanes, and links to existing trails like the Dequindre Cut and the RiverWalk. The Greenway includes the cities of Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Highland Park, linking them to larger trail systems that cross the entire state as well as pass through five council districts. This project is certainly a big deal that drastically helps connect people to neighborhoods, parks, jobs, schools, and essentially the essence of Detroit. Though this project is set to seemingly push the overall evolution of the city, the question remains: what are the tangible benefits that are surrounding residents will receive in real-time? What are the immediate impacts?
“I’m a Detroit girl! I’m born and raised and now raising my own family right here in the City of Detroit, so everything I do is about the impact to residents, and so as I lead the Joe Louis Greenway Partnership, this is what drives me,” shared Leona Medley, Executive Director of JLG Partnership. “So, right now, I’m focused on ensuring residents are informed, are aware, and are engaged and we do that every day by being out in the neighborhood, out in the community, talking to residents, taking phone calls, attending meetings and working with the community to build programming and engagement that’s meaningful.”
Making sure that residents are at the forefront of this project, the Joe Louis Greenway Partnership stands at the helm. The JLG Partnership stands as a crucial bridge, linking the communities it serves directly to the heart of the Joe Louis Greenway project. This Partnership isn’t just about maintaining a physical pathway; it’s about forging a deep, lasting connection with the residents of these neighborhoods. The Partnership’s role is to work hand in hand with the people living alongside the Greenway, involving them in the creation and upkeep of engaging public spaces that are more than just visually appealing.
This commitment stretches far beyond the mere look of these spaces. It’s about ensuring they are functional, environmentally sustainable, and, most importantly, beneficial to the community’s overall well-being. The aim is to make a positive, lasting impact on the health and quality of life for those who live near the Greenway, not just for today but for future generations.
“Benefits that residents have already begun to see are the cleanup of sites that have been hubs for illegal dumping for decades, the removal of thousands of tires opening of a beautiful well-designed trailhead right in their backyard not to mention a well-lit, safe place to go for respite a leisurely walk, or just to enjoy nature,” said Medley.
The Joe Louis Greenway Partnership is dedicated to fostering vibrant, inclusive communities. This isn’t done in isolation but through innovative planning and strong partnerships with Greenway residents and stakeholders. By doing this, the Partnership hopes to ignite economic vitality within these areas, empower the residents with a sense of ownership and pride, and encourage active community engagement.
At the core of this initiative is a commitment to amplify the voices of those who call these neighborhoods home, integrating their needs and aspirations into the broader narrative of neighborhood development. This approach ensures that the Joe Louis Greenway isn’t just a landmark but a living, evolving part of the community, reflecting and responding to the people it serves.
“It is common knowledge that resources to address critical home repairs are in high demand across the city of Detroit,” said Laura Grannemann Executive Director, Rocket Community Fund. “Some estimate the cost to be up to $20 Billion to address home repair needs city-wide. Unfortunately, it is too common to come across a home where even fully leveraged home repair resources are not enough to create a safe living environment, resulting in a ‘walk-away.’”
The recent announcement of a $603,400.00 grant from the Rocket Community Fund to the City of Detroit’s Housing & Revitalization Department raises both hope and skepticism among Detroiters. This grant, designated for the Joe Louis Greenway (JLG) Home Repair House Swap Program, aims to renovate three Detroit Land Bank Authority (DLBA) homes in the Midwest/Barton McFarland neighborhoods adjacent to the JLG. With no matching funds required from the city, this initiative appears to be a straightforward boon for the community. However, questions linger about its true intent and impact.
The program’s objective is clear: renovate vacant DLBA homes to provide temporary housing for families whose own homes, previously considered unsalvageable, are being rehabilitated. After renovations, these families can choose between returning to their original homes or claiming ownership of the refurbished DLBA property. But beneath this surface, doubts emerge. Is this initiative genuinely aimed at benefiting the residents, offering them better living conditions? Or is it a strategic move by the city to polish its image, particularly as it gears up to host thousands for the NFL draft?
“There is an opportunity to strengthen the home repair ecosystem by piloting a Home Repair House Swap. This program will renovate vacant DLBA homes, providing a place for families to move while their previously deemed ‘walk-away’ home is renovated in the same neighborhood,” Grannemann said. “Homeowners then have a choice between returning to their renovated home or assuming ownership of the DLBA home. This first phase, fully funded by the Rocket Community Fund, will prep three homes for home repair house swaps.”
The decision still awaits approval from the city council. Although it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda, it remains stalled in committee, with the next council meeting set to determine its fate. The Housing & Revitalization Department’s request for authorization to accept this grant, approved by the Office of Budget, adds another layer to the narrative.
“With the input of residents, the JLG is going to be an amazing public space that reconnects neighborhoods. A measure of success for a project like this must be the tangible positive impact to residents,” Medley said. “This investment in housing from the Rocket Community Fund is just that. It’s vital to the JLGPs mission that neighborhoods adjacent to the JLG where families have lived for multiple generations see their block revitalized with a laser focus on preventing displacement.”
The proposition suggests that, upon approval, the Department’s Director or Head should execute the grant agreement for Detroit, and the Budget Director should be authorized to manage the funds under Appropriation # 21364 JILG-Home Repair House Swap.
Despite the concerns of the requested funding for the JLG Home Repair House Swap, when it comes to the JLG Partnership, their commitment to Detroit residents remains steadfast, “This is so important, especially as many of our communities where our most vulnerable residents our seniors through the pandemic experienced extreme social isolation the JLG provides a place right in their neighborhood that they can access,” Medley expressed. “No matter what side of the city you live on, I want the JLG to be a space that we all are proud of and that tells the story of not just our losses, but more importantly of our victories.”
