While most of the region’s attention has fallen on Midtown and Downtown developments during the last several years, there is a neighborhood in northwest Detroit that has been quietly building steam for some time.
Known as Grandmont Rosedale, this group of five neighborhoods was established in the early 1920s.
It’s a charming area, with 2.5 square miles of more than 5,000 beautiful homes, which are on par with Indian village or any other neighborhood that once housed some of Detroit’s most illustrious individuals.
It’s also proven to be one of Detroit’s strongest and most vibrant communities – populated with parks, well-maintained lawns, and long winding streets akin to areas of Gross Point and other suburban areas.
Wednesday, Hatch Detroit, in partnership with the Grandmont Rosedale Development Commission (GRDC) and the Detroit Lion’s Charities announced a new neighborhood initiative focusing on developing the business corridor of the neighborhood.
Founded in 2011, Hatch Detroit is a an revitalization organization that focuses on the development of commercial strips throughout the city. In addition, they host an annual contest in which the winner receives $50,000 to open a brick-and-mortar storefront in the city.
Since their inception, the organization has planted seeds in both West Village and the Avenue of Fashion, and have their future sights set on North End, Corktown and southwest Detroit.
The new $150,000 campaign, funded by the Lion’s Charities, will hone in on one block of Grand River Avenue that’s nestled between West Outer Drive and Warwick Street.
Here, they will make improvements to beautify and improve the walkability of the neighborhood. Elements of the improvement are said to include new landscaping, trash cans, and bike racks and new business signage created by Detroit Design Center for the businesses in the area.
One such business, Always Brewing Coffee Shop, played host to today’s event where residents mixed and mingled while enjoying free coffee and the chance to chat with Detroit Lions legends Ron Rice and Lomas Brown.
Always Brewing is a quirky community gathering space that serves pour over and french pressed coffee, tea, and locally sourced food. They host weekly open mic events, seasonal markets, and have tons of great local art on the walls.
The shop strives to source as many goods as they can from within 15 miles of the shop, which means you’ll find great Michigan made products like Chazzano Coffee, milk, cream, yogurt, lemonade from Guernsey Dairy, and Eli Tea just to name a few.
Wednesday the shop buzzed with activity, and it was clear that this partnership is just the beginning a huge makeover in the area, so don’t be surprised to find this neighborhood getting significant attention in the coming years.