Fifth Third Bank is returning to the place where its neighborhood investment work began, committing $20 million over three years to Detroit’s Gratiot and Seven Mile area, known to residents as G7. The reinvestment comes as the bank finalizes a $10.9 billion merger agreement with Comerica Incorporated, expected to close in early 2026 pending shareholder and regulatory approval.
The program, which first took root in the G7 neighborhood in 2019, will bring new funding for small businesses, affordable housing, and community development in a corridor that has long symbolized both Detroit’s resilience and its decades of disinvestment. Fifth Third officials say the new investment will build on what was started through Invest Detroit’s Strategic Neighborhood Fund and other local partnerships.
Kala Gibson, chief corporate responsibility officer for Fifth Third, said the bank’s renewed focus will align with a larger “One Michigan Community Plan” aimed at driving economic mobility across the state.
“After we fully integrate with Comerica, we plan to launch our One Michigan Community Plan to drive our philanthropic investment approach for the state,” Gibson said. “As part of that, we will officially welcome Detroit into the Neighborhood Program with an initial investment of $20 million over three years to help advance economic mobility and financial inclusion for G7 residents and businesses.”
The One Michigan Community Plan includes statewide commitments beyond Detroit. Among them, 53 small businesses across Michigan will receive $5,300 grants through the Fifth Third Small Business Catalyst Fund next year. Fifth Third has also pledged to maintain Comerica’s Great Lakes Campus in Farmington Hills, where 2,000 employees currently work.
The G7 neighborhood was the pilot site for Fifth Third’s place-based investment model. In 2019, the bank provided $5 million to Invest Detroit’s Gratiot/Seven Mile Strategic Neighborhood Fund, supporting improvements to streetscapes, housing, and small business corridors. That early partnership with the City of Detroit, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, and local nonprofits helped make visible changes across the east side, from park upgrades to new affordable housing units.
Keona Cowan, president and CEO of Invest Detroit, said the return of Fifth Third’s investment represents unfinished business that benefits Detroiters.
“The first investment helped us see what collaboration can look like when residents, businesses, and local leaders are part of the solution,” Cowan said. “This renewed commitment means Detroiters in G7 will continue to have access to resources that build real pathways to stability—homeownership, entrepreneurship, and pride of place.”
Since expanding in 2021, Fifth Third’s Neighborhood Program has reached 10 cities and delivered more than $270 million in local investments, while catalyzing an additional $200 million from public and private entities. The model focuses on historically disinvested neighborhoods through partnerships that blend financial, social, and intellectual capital.
Both Fifth Third and Comerica have earned “Outstanding” ratings under the federal Community Reinvestment Act, which measures how banks serve low- and moderate-income communities. Detroit officials say that history of engagement will be critical as the merger takes shape.
Mayor Mike Duggan called the new commitment “another example of how partnership can help rebuild neighborhoods from the inside out.”
Detroit’s G7 neighborhood, once seen as a testing ground for the city’s post-bankruptcy redevelopment strategy, is again positioned to show how long-term partnerships can anchor change when residents are included. The new $20 million commitment, layered with local partnerships and accountability, is expected to direct funding where it matters most—on blocks that have waited decades for reinvestment to return.
