DETROIT – On Monday, it was a big day for neighbors across several communities in Detroit.
City staff unveiled and installed the first in a series of new neighborhood welcome signs.
“We are a proud community,” said George Preston as a new sign for the Mohican Regent Resident Association was unveiled.
That community is among 65 neighborhoods across the city receiving the new signs, which many neighbors describe as significant symbols.
“That sign represents cohesiveness,” said Preston. “People that’s outside the community, as they drive by, they can see there’s something going on. There’s unity. There’s something going on in that community.”
Detroit approved $500,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds to design and install new entrance signs across 65 neighborhoods with active block clubs or associations.
Many of those groups have long requested unique identifying signage. However, getting the signs was a challenge.
“One of the top requests was we want a neighborhood sign, or we want to upgrade our neighborhood sign,” said Ray Solomon, Director of Detroit’s Department of Neighborhoods. “The response was always we did not have the funding.”
However, groups like Mohican Regents continued to do the work, trying to improve the quality of life for its community of 1,200 homes.
“We’re proud to see that we have this sign to indicate, to show, the world that we are an organized group,” Preston said.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan knows how significant resident association work can be. That’s why he wants each group to contribute to the work behind the scenes.
“I wanted to create something where you could design your own signs to identify your neighborhood in the way that represented your community,” said Duggan.
In addition to each group receiving up to three new welcome signs, the team at Brightmoor Makerspace Association is handcrafting wooden specialty signs for 20 of the communities.