Mayor Duggan and Detroit ACE announce plans to implement neighborhood Arts Alleys around the city
Funded with $3 Million in ARPA dollars with support from the Ford Foundation
Buy an integral part of the Mayor’s Blight to Beauty project
Artists, the design of the alley will be chosen by the residents during the public process
Changes that include infrastructure improvements for sidewalks that make them renewable and reusable
DETROIT – Today, Mayor Duggan and Detroit ACE announced a new initiative to transform commercial and residential corridors in five neighborhoods across the city into meeting spaces where residents can exhibit and create art.
The project, called the Arts Alley Initiative, is funded with $3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) approved by the Detroit City Council. The Arts Alleys project, which is part of Mayor Duggan’s “Blight to Beauty” campaign, is also supported by the Ford Foundation. The Art Alleys project is being developed as a pilot for a possible future operation of the neighborhood in the city environment.
The Arts Alleys project will build on the work already being done by community groups and neighborhood organizations that have infused their neighborhoods with art and creativity. It also builds on the work the city is doing to remove brush and trash from thousands of blocks across the city. In the last two years, the back roads of about 2,000 residences have been cleaned and resurfaced.
“The alleys in our city for years have been a haven for illegal dumping and growth, and we’re changing that,” said Mayor Duggan. “Implementing neighborhood practices in this creative way will help turn them into real public assets and attractions.”
The Detroit Arts, Culture, & The Business Office will engage with the public in all key areas of the city. The five Arts Alleys flight decks will be in:
ACE will work with local residents, their neighbors and other stakeholders over the summer and fall to develop road rehabilitation plans for each neighborhood. These changes will bring a new look, improved visibility, and better services while collaborating with local professionals and residents to enhance these developments with history, beauty and imagination.
Sidewalk Detroit, a Detroit-based, black-owned company, is currently working with the city to facilitate the community action component of the plan. After each alley design is completed this fall, ACE will issue an RFP for general contractors in early 2023, with renovations to begin later in the year.
The City’s Arts & Culture Director, Rochelle Riley said that the beautiful sidewalks will increase the quality of life of the residents.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of safe, accessible green spaces in our neighborhoods,” said Rochelle Riley, Director of Arts and Culture for the City. “We want to help the community create their own entertainment and entertainment.”
The purpose of this project is to encourage the development and development of the neighborhood, to reduce local flooding through low-cost stormwater management strategies, to create opportunities for creative workers, and to show the creativity of the neighborhood. These areas will be centers of activity for small businesses, events and sources of pride for the citizens of each community.
For more information, visit http://www.detroitmi.gov/ace
