There are several major projects going on in Detroit these days.
The M-1 RAIL line and a new hockey arena are among several projects attracting hundreds of millions of dollars into Detroit’s city center.
But what about Detroit’s neighborhoods?
The Kresge Foundation plans to spend up to $5 million to give a boost to Detroit neighborhoods.
Rip Rapson is the president and CEO of the Kresge Foundation. He says the grant will help neighborhood groups make investments to build a sense of community. The types of projects that would be funded will vary by the needs of the different neighborhoods.
Rapson says the point is to improve the human bond in neighborhoods, not just the infrastructure.
“These are things that over time just knit a community’s fabric in a more powerful way,” says Rapson. “Neighborhoods are places in which people know one another. People are mutually supportive of one another.”
Seven to ten major grants will be awarded. Smaller grants will also be available for smaller neighborhood projects.
Groups can apply for the grants until early December. Winning proposals will be announced next March.
