DETROIT – A main street in a Detroit neighborhood has been accredited for meeting the goals of the Main Street America program.
The accreditation of SouthWest’s Hubbard Street has been made in recognition of the area’s commitment to economic and community development through the program.
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In 2017, the Southwest Detroit Business Association applied for the Michigan Main Street program and was selected by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation the following year. According to the Southwest Detroit Business Association, the program follows a national Main Street model based on a four-point approach. The approach focuses on design, economic vitality, organization, and promotion.
Below is a breakdown of the Main Street Four Points according to MiPlace:
Since 2018, the Southwest main street has generated more than $500,000 in private investments, leveraged over 2,000 volunteer hours, facilitated eight facades and building improvements, and helped open seven new businesses. Some notable projects by the Southwest Detroit Business Association are the streetscapes at Bagley St. and West Vernor Highway, which was a $7.5 million investment, and La Joya Gardens, a $24-million investment of a building that hosts both residential and commercial spaces.
The Southwest Detroit Business Association states that in 2022, the Main Street America program generated over $6 billion in local reinvestments nationwide. The investment helped open over 7,500 new businesses, created nearly 30,000 new jobs, and rehabilitated over 10,000 historic buildings.
“Receiving Main Street accreditation speaks to our community’s hard work and dedication to building a thriving business district,” said SDBA Interim President and CEO Laura Chavez-Wazeerud-Din in a statement. “Thanks to opportunities made possible by Main Street America, in collaboration with the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan, the Mexicantown-Hubbard Communities business district has seen some of its largest scale projects in decades. These projects have succeeded in raising the profile of Southwest Detroit while honoring its cultural and historical integrity, thanks in part to Main Street’s preservation-based economic development model.”