Façade Grants Continue to Attract Investment to Mexicantown

Our organization continues to be the lead partner in the Mexicantown Hubbard Communities Project. Through the City of Detroit’s Office of Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization (ONCR), we’re able to offer local merchants and commercial property owners tools and information to compete successfully in today’s marketplace. This funding allows local neighborhood organizations to capitalize on Mexicantown’s unique historical, cultural, and architectural assets. It also supports small business retention and recruitment against the continuous competition from shopping malls and discount retailers.

One of the ONCR’s programs is the Façade Grant program, which helps to create the welcoming atmosphere that attracts so many visitors to the area.

On 2006, more than $4.8 million in investment was generated in the area from over $240,000 in façade grants.

The projects include the Vernor Express Liquor Store, Amicci’s Pizza, The Lithuanian Hall and the Vernor Scotten Partners Project. Southwest Housing Solution’s rehabilitation of the Lithuanian Hall on West Vernor is a 2.1 million renovation that resulted in 12,500 square feet of office and retail space.

70% of the building is already spoken for. Southwest Housing Solutions will take over 40% of the office space on the second floor. O’Brien Construction will move its offices into the garden level of the building.

The Vernor Scotten Partners Project is a mixed use building located on the corner of West Vernor and Scotten. Owned by Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development (LA SED), the project will house 12 apartments and 6,500 square feet of commercial space.

We continue to encourage business and property owners to participate in the façade grant program and add to the area’s growing energy and vitality

munity Economic Development awarded to Maria Elena Rodriguez