Press Release – Detroit Community Names Eastside Detroit Neighborhood Opportunity Hub
Detroit Community Names Eastside Detroit Neighborhood Opportunity Hub
“Anchor Detroit” selected by hundreds of community voters
DETROIT (January 8, 2024) – Life Remodeled, the Detroit-based nonprofit organization dedicated to repurposing vacant schools into neighborhood hubs of opportunity, announces the results of a community effort, in and around its future opportunity hub on Detroit’s eastside, to decide the building’s name.
As part of its commitment to inclusive community engagement, Life Remodeled established a website, namethatbuilding.com, to allow those with a vested interest in the nearby area – anyone who lives, learns, works or worships in the neighborhoods near the future community hub – could help select its name. The organization also invited alumni of the Winans Academy and Dominican High School to participate.
More than 500 community stakeholders participated in this campaign, including students, educators, residents, business owners and faith leaders and selected the name Anchor Detroit for this building.
“Anchor Detroit will be central, making a difference in this incredible eastside neighborhood that lasts, in an equitable way,” said Brandi Haggins, Vice President of Opportunity Hubs for Life Remodeled. “We understand that involving the community not only fosters unity but also instills a deep sense of ownership and pride, as residents actively contribute to the positive impact that Anchor Detroit will bring to their neighborhood in the coming years.”
As announced in July and closed earlier in October, Life Remodeled acquired a 7.55-acre site on Detroit’s eastside, which had been the site of the Winans Academy of Performing Arts after it was the home of Dominican High School from 1940 to 2005. The building, located at 9740 McKinney Street, offers more than 87,000 square feet, including more than 50,000 square feet that will be leased by Life Remodeled’s nonprofit partners to bring afterschool youth programs, workforce development initiatives and health and wellness resources to the community.
Life Remodeled plans to ensure the facility reaches near full capacity by the end of 2025, after a period of design and construction inside and outside of the former school building. Plans for the new hub include a significant presence for arts and culture programs, to continue the tradition of the Winans Academy and also to build upon neighborhood priorities for those programs, supporting the development of the Whittier Corridor as a destination for art and technology.
About Life Remodeled
There’s a lot of talk but not enough walk when it comes to revitalizing Detroit neighborhoods. Detroiters have all the talent they need, but many don’t have access to all the opportunities they deserve. Therefore, Life Remodeled repurposes vacant school buildings into one stop hubs of opportunity for entire families to thrive. LR fills these iconic buildings with the best and brightest nonprofit organizations who are providing youth programs, workforce development, and human services to tens of thousands of students and community members. LR helps their nonprofit tenants collaborate and create far greater life transformation together than was previously possible alone. Together, they ensure more:
- Detroit students perform at/above grade level in math and reading
- Families have access to essential health and wellness services
- Community members obtain higher paying jobs and achieve economic self-sufficiency
To learn more about Life Remodeled’s Opportunity Hubs and other programs, visit www.liferemodeled.org.
