Ten community-led projects have been selected by the
Detroit Future City Implementation Office as mini-grant recipients. Each group received a $6,500 grant to jump-start their plans for vacant land revitalization projects.
In October 2015, the DFC Implementation Office released "Working with Lots: A Field Guide." The book featured 34 different design suggestions for vacant land use in the city. Rain gardens, native butterfly meadows, and natural ground pollution remediation techniques are just some of the projects found in the 74-page guide.
The Field Guide is available online and print editions can be found at the DFC Implementation Office in New Center.
Ten projects were selected from the more than 30 applicants entered for the mini-grant competition. While it's up to the community groups how to build and spend on their projects, the DFC Implementation Office does stipulate that from the $6,500 awarded, only a maximum of $5,000 can be spent on project implementation and that at least $1,500 must be reserved for maintenance, programming, and education.
The winning groups are GenesisHOPE Community Development Corporation, Mack Avenue Community Church Community Development Corporation, Manistique Block Club 200-300 Block, Southwest Detroit Business Association, Minock Park Block Association, O'Hair Park Community Association, Popps Packing, Wyoming-Kentucky-Indiana-Wisconsin-Ohio Block Club, Motor City Grounds Crew, and Mecca Development Corporation.
"The Southwest Detroit Business Association is going to use the DFC grant to transform a currently vacant lot into an eco-friendly parking lot," says Greg Mangan, Real Estate Advocate at Southwest Detroit Business Association.
Being eco-friendly is definitely a theme. O'Hair Park Community Association, for example, is building the 8 Mile Rain Garden. "The 8 Mile Rain Garden lot design will help to manage stormwater runoff and will be a model for community members to duplicate as we begin to restore nearly 100 vacant side lots with purpose and beauty," says Joyce Daniel, O'Hair Park Community Association Treasurer.
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