So that's I'd say. One big way that we're just
focused on anti displacement, but then I think.
A lot of our. Programming over the last.
Few years has really shifted. To be in support.
Of wealth. Building and wealth retention
for our residents. Welcome to Path Breakers, a
podcast from the Kresge Foundation.
On each episode, we explore who is the power to shape a city?
We're talking with change makers and city leaders who are
tackling big problems in unexpected ways.
We'll learn more about the path breaking work that they do, get
into the nitty gritty of how they get it done, and get some
lessons from their playbook that you can implement in your own
city. Hi, I'm Tracy Pearson and I work
on the communications team with the Kresge Foundation.
And I'm Jamie Bennett, I'm a consultant who works in art and
equitable community development and together Tracy and I are
your Co hosts for Path Breakers. So, Jamie, today we have a
wonderful guest joining us, Caitlin Murphy, Executive
Director at the Lipsticks Alliance in Northwest Detroit.
Yep. Livesicks works at the Livernois
Mcnichols neighborhood, which is right at Six Mile.
They care a lot about community development and economic
opportunity, and they sort of serve Livesicks as sort of the
connector of the neighborhood. They convene and coordinate all
of the institutions, stakeholders, residents who can
help make big changes happen. I love the Livesicks Alliance
because they do so many things, but specifically because they
work with longtime residents as well.
They are showing that development is possible without
displacement, which is so important.
And they work to ensure that Detroit's comeback doesn't just
serve the people who are new, but also serves the people who
never left. Yeah, and this is a particularly
big year for Caitlin and her colleagues.
Live 6 just turned 10 years old. The one of the main
thoroughfares in the neighborhood was recently
designated a Michigan Main Street, and they're about to
launch 2 new resident investment programs that we're going to get
to hear a little bit more about. Not just that, they also will be
welcoming a new neighbor soon by way of the Kresge Foundation.
As you know, we are moving our headquarters to the area.
We will be not just neighbors, but we'll be continuing to be
partners. That's awesome.
So with that, let's welcome Caitlin.
Caitlin, how are you doing? Good, good.
Thank you so much for having me. It's a great.
Day to be on Six Mile and happy to be joining you for this
conversation today. That's awesome.
And for folks who don't know Detroit super well, can you just
tell us where Six Mile is, sort of Orient us to where you're
sitting in the city of Detroit, so.
We are in Northwest Detroit about 9 miles north of the
downtown and Midtown Central core. 2 miles north of us is the
eight mile border which separates Detroit from not only
our adjacent suburban communities, but also it's a
it's a county line. So we are in Wayne County,
Detroit, MI in in the northwest side so.
I want to talk about Livernois Mcnichols neighborhood, but also
how you sort of tie into the area.
Your family has been there for three generations.
How do you describe this area when you're talking about it to
people who haven't been before? This neighborhood.
For us, we always describe it as.
One of the densest, most historically rich neighborhoods,
we believe, within the city. It is a district.
Comprised of multiple neighborhoods that sort of all
have their unique identity and character about them.
But. It's all defined by being one of
our. City's largest civically.
Engaged Neighborhoods. We have one of the largest
voting pools and voter populations within our
community. We have two anchor institutions,
the University of Detroit Mercy and the Marygrove Conservancy,
in campus. Which has a rich legacy.
And there's been tons of history.
That has taken place. Throughout our neighborhoods.
I would say as early as the. The 1920s, when a lot of the
homes. Were first built.
And Caitlin, talk to us a little bit about that sort of Main
Street designation, right? There's a central corridor in
the neighborhood that's been designated a Main Street, a sort
of central business district. But ten years ago it didn't look
all that bustling. I think there was something like
a 10% occupancy rate. You know, can you just talk to
us about that corridor? Tell us about the history before
2016 and then what you all have been doing it in the in the sort
of last 10 years. Livernois is.
Historically, our avenue of. Fashion and it contains a large
density and a large assemblage of black-owned businesses.
To this day. And so depending on who you're
talking to, some say that it's the largest assemblage of
black-owned businesses within our within our city.
Some say the state and I've even heard some people say within the
country. So there's over 120 businesses
on Livernois and the avenue of Fashion has a.
Lot of a legacy leadership. There's a number of robust
business associations that really have been driving a lot
of the coordination, investment and stewardship of the Avenue of
Fashion. Our organization wanted to
really focus on West Mcnichols. As.
A connector to the avenue of fashion and so that's why so
much of our. Work.
Has really been focused and aligned around W Mcnichols and
the part of Livernois that's just.
South of the Ave. We recognize that, you know,
there's there's been investment, there's been leadership.
And so how can we sort of steward and coordinate
activities to really build momentum that works in
congruence with one another? Right.
So Livernois. Has its own unique identity, and
we're now formulating an identity or kind of coordinating
a bunch of partners, players, business owners, residents.
To develop that. Identity for West Mcnichols.
What? What does it mean that it that W
Mcnichols has been designated a Main Street?
What? What does that mean?
What comes with that? Why is that exciting?
We are the third. Designated Main St. in the city
of Detroit and what that means is that we have now a 5 year
partnership with the state of Michigan, with the Michigan
Economic Development Corporation and.
We've developed. A set of goals and outcomes that
we'll really be working towards for the next.
Five years we've also developed out, sort of.
A shared governance model for advancing this work.
And so we have a Main Street executive committee, but then
there are other committees that are essentially formed around
the the Main Street 4 point approach it's called.
And we all sort of follow the same approach.
Which is investing into the organizational sort of
development and approach to it, which is governance, economic
vitality, which is. The real estate side.
The small business curation side promotion, so promoting.
Our district as. Unique and as a destination, and
then there's a design element. So that's really designing the
public realm. So that could be facades, you
know, St. Pole banners.
Holiday lights really designing the the infrastructure of the
public realm on the Main Street to be.
A place that is. Accommodating to shoppers.
That all sounds amazing and I think that it is warranted and
needed, especially when you think about what that area
contributes to the city overall. But there might be some
residents who want to bring the question up of, well, all of
this investment is coming to this area, will I be displaced
as a result of that? And I would love to hear how
your team thinks about anti displacement as all of this
investment is going on. That's a great.
Question and something that our team does not take lightly and
we're really working on on a daily.
Basis I would save. Just from the onset.
The way that the lipsicks alliance.
Team has been developed and has been really building capacity it
includes. Residents of our community and
so of our our. Growing team of 1175% of our
team. Are all either.
Living in the neighborhood currently or we're like born and
raised within the community, so. I would say that that's just a a
statistic that we're very. Proud of, you know.
That we have. Been intentional about our
hiring and sort of our community and.
Sort of culture. Building at Live 6 and ensuring
that it's really rooted in this place.
But also that it's. Very intergenerational.
So we have. Ambassadors on our team.
That are legacy. Residents who have lived within
the community decades, you know, longer than some of us have been
alive. And then we have some younger
members of our team who have been building their careers
alongside lipsticks and being a part of it.
So I think it's, you know, not just investing in our in our own
and kind of growing our own into community builders and community
and economic. Developers, but also.
Bridging the the generational. Gap that you know, we've, we
have a lot of of, of legacy leaders.
And we're we're also working on maintaining their.
Legacy while. Growing the next generation as
well. So that's I'd say one big way
that we're just focused on anti displacement.
But then I think a lot of our programming over the last.
Few years has really shifted to. Be in support of.
Wealth. Building and wealth retention
for our residents and so. With the support of the Kresge
Foundation last year we. Announced that we are launching
our resident investment and opportunity fund and that
really. Looks at.
Three kind of categories. As we've called it, so we have
our fixes our. Keeps and our pathways and so
fixes really is looking at enhancements to real property
and land. So whether it's home repair and
assisting residents with those critical home needs that
sometimes go deferred and so, so on an annual basis now we are
deploying about half $1,000,000 just in home repair and then
we're also supporting residents with purchasing side lots and
stewarding side lots, hopefully increasing familial.
Wealth by. You know, purchasing additional
side lots and and bringing them up to the the local market and
sort of allowing folks to grow along with the market.
As it appreciates. On the keep.
Side of the work. When we.
Have gotten really. Into our home repair programs,
we learned that. The two biggest barriers that
were. Preventing a lot of senior
residents and long time residents from accessing
critical home repair. Was issues of tax Sort of.
Debt and tax issues. Back taxes.
Essentially and then also issues of tangled title.
So we have an Ayres property component where we are working
with residents who may be living in an Ayres property and an
Ayres. Property is a.
Home where the owner of record. Is deceased.
So we're talking multi generation family living in a
home. Grandma, my grandpapa might pass
away, but there was never an official record of them leaving
the home to that child or grandchild.
Correct. Yep.
And so then we are now working with those residents and helping
them go. Through the the probate process
in a lot of cases or go through the process of.
Obtaining free legal. Aid so that they.
Can receive the rightful ownership in their name and
then, you know, benefit from. All of the.
All of the benefits that you know, being a homeowner has
within in America and then on the on the.
Pathway. Side, we know that.
There's a desire. For home ownership, and so
there's a. Side of the work.
Where we're focusing on developing new housing.
Stock so that. You know.
There's there's the ability for people.
Who may be renting within our neighborhood to?
Stay but. Benefit as a homeowner.
And then there's also potential rental.
Subsidies that we would like to offer.
To residents and also ensure that when new apartments come
online because. They are.
We have. Within our pipeline currently
about 100 new units of apartments on that are coming on
on on West between West Mcnichols and between Livernois
that. They are prioritized.
Not just. Affordable, but also for.
Those that may already be living or working within our
neighborhood. A lot of this, we're dealing
with people's legacies here. They are family homes.
There's a saying if you can keep the family in the home, you can
keep the home in the family. And so I want to talk about
this, this element of trust that goes into the work that you all
do. How does it shape the way you
all actually sort of engage with, with residents?
And, and because they're, we're dealing with delicate
information, we're dealing with family histories like how, what
does that play into to how you all work with residents?
Absolutely. It's it's delicate and it.
Takes a lot. Of time, you know, I think
sometimes more time than we like to think, or then we we
sometimes hope, but I think with live. 6.
Specifically, just by nature. Of where we're located.
You know our office that I'm at currently, it's our our, you
know, Co working. Space, but it's also a sort of
de facto. Walk in drop in Community Center
where residents and neighbors can come by really Monday
through Friday 9:00 to 5:00 and then often times evenings and
weekends you know for. Special activities.
And ask us a a bunch of questions.
And so we know that there's, you know, certain residents that
have been interested in this program and they haven't
enrolled yet because they're just not at that point yet where
they want to. To your point, Tracy, give us,
you know, all of their personal information.
But we're here and we're, you know, walking them through the
process. We're trying to be as
transparent as possible. We take, you know, data consent.
Very, very seriously. We're also a tech hub of the
city. Of Detroit and so that's
something that our team has found Chanel on our team is been
the primary point of contact for a lot of residents and she lives
in our neighborhood and I would. Say is very skilled at, you
know. Talking to residents, meeting
them where they are, whether it's, you know, starting the
conversation first at their porch, at their kitchen table,
you know, going to their home, whether it's inviting them here,
scanning documents for them, helping to archive.
Not just. These types of legal.
Documents, but we've also scanned, you know, family.
Photos over the years. Helped you know to just organize
information. That is for the.
Resident first and foremost, right and then what they want to
give and share with us to enroll in any of these programs kind of
come second. And so I would say that's just a
really small example, but our team really takes an approach of
taking it kind of one day at a time and, and people are very
honest with us. You know, they tell us when they
don't like certain things that we're doing and we have the.
Ability to iterate. And and kind of pivot.
So I think you know we've. Heard it all over the years.
Good, bad, ugly, and. We.
We do. You know we listen and.
We try to adjust. Accordingly, we we've learned,
you know we can't be everything to everyone or else.
That just will create. You know, a watered down
situation, but I think leading with transparency,
accountability, doing what we're saying that we're going to do
has gotten us a long ways with maintaining trust.
After we've built it. And Caitlin, you had, we had
said at the at the beginning that 10 years ago there was like
a 90% vacancy rate of the businesses on Mcnichols.
Today we've got enough there that people are at least
spending, you know, 30 minutes of their day shopping, walking,
doing all of that. Can you project ahead?
Think about, you know, 2036, you know, we'll have our, I don't
know what iPhone will be on in 2036.
But if I was walking with you down Mcnichols 10 years from
now, what's your hope? What do you think I'd see?
What's what's going on on the street?
Yeah, I think. We would have.
More businesses, so I think our. Goal is to reduce.
Vacancy, I think right now we're at about 75% vacancy.
We would love to see that. Closer to 60%.
So investing in new commercial developments, but also investing
in our neighbors to be the ones that open up shops and open up
businesses within these new commercial developments.
Over the last 10 years we've been really focused on
supporting existing businesses, business retention and
supporting new businesses that are coming, you know, online
neighbors that maybe. Bought a property?
And have opened up their own shop.
But I think as like I said, some of these new commercial
developments come online, we're going to be looking more at
business attraction and we're being very intentional about
incubating local entrepreneurs and local talent.
So I think, you know, we would. See a corridor that is.
Less vacant, more black-owned businesses.
And then I think another indicator.
Of success for us would look like.
Our student populations really coming off campus and being a.
Part of the local. Main Street shopping ecosystem
we have the university of Detroit mercy, but we.
Also have. On Marygrove's campus, students
who are in early. Childhood education, so you
know. I don't know that they'll be
coming under. The corridor not on.
Their own, not on their own. But their.
Their. Parents, you know their parents.
So we'd love to make sure that there's family friendly
activities, family friendly shopping and that there's a
number of spaces that are accommodating to like our
teenagers, right? We have a lot of middle
schoolers. A lot of high.
Schoolers on campus that we know.
Walk to school. And we've.
Heard that there's. Not really a place for them to
go, right? There's there's some green
spaces, there's some parks, but we would.
Love it if. There could be more on the
commercial. Strip that was.
Geared towards our younger age group.
So. I think we would.
See. An intergenerational Main Street
that's anchored by black-owned businesses.
What is it? We talked a little bit about
this, but entrepreneurship and the idea of someone starting a
business in one of these corridors as someone who has a a
rich history, a family legacy even of entrepreneurship, what
is it? What is it like for you to be a
real steward of what's going on in terms of entrepreneurship and
people opening businesses and leaving business legacies?
Absolutely so. Over the years, our organization
has hosted dozens and dozens of kind of seasonal markets pop ups
vendor. Fairs etcetera.
And we're very. Excited because for the last,
really. 2 1/2 years we've been working to.
Develop out the space. Just next to our office, 7434 W
Mcnichols, which will become Shops on 6 and Shops on 6 has
been a very intentional. Project for us because it
provides a low barrier. To entry for.
A lot of our. Emerging entrepreneurs.
We have so many artistic makers, we have so many product brands.
But we know. That a lot of.
Our entrepreneurs have, you know, full time jobs or full
time obligations if it's family. School, etcetera.
And so occupying a full, you know.
Retail space, right? Now is maybe not feasible for
them and so within shops on 6 our.
Goal is that we. Will incubate 40 home and
web-based entrepreneurs. So our model is that they can
rent a shelf from us or kind of a.
Stall like us? In some cases we'll have anchor
brands that'll have more more than just a shelf, but they are.
Able to really test their product to the local.
Market. With a very low.
Barrier to entry, right. So we're talking about $25.00 a
month you can have your product within our space benefit from
kind of the the overarching brand and identity of shops on
6. That we've developed.
With the community, so we know. That the product.
Mix and sort of offering is going to be.
Reflective of what? Residents want to purchase and
then our. Goal What success would look
like for us is if. You know we could.
Get this successfully. Launched this summer but then if
other if certain businesses. Could grow.
And take on other. Spaces to the.
On the corridor as they come online.
So I think we've been trying to figure out how do.
We really right size retail. So we're going to be investing
in things like e-commerce, sort of building out folks's digital
footprint and then hopefully investing them in kind of some
space planning and like smaller. Size spaces.
Right, that can be. That can be easier.
For a business to take on just from like a merchandising,
staffing and operational standpoint.
This is. Largely uncharted territory for
many people that live in the area that are doing business in
the area. Path breaking, if you will.
I couldn't help myself. And part of what we're talking
about this season is a playbook of advice, of learnings.
And Jamie and I have been gathering words of wisdom for
other change makers out there about how to make big things
happen and how to sustain that work.
So I'd love to hear from you, a piece of advice that someone
gave you along the way that you find yourself leaning into and
living by in the work that you do now.
Yeah. That's a great question.
That I think it ties to the question that Jamie had earlier
about, you know, how we're, we can't be everything to everyone
or else, you know, there's only so many hours in a day, so many
days in a week. It's only 11 of y'all too.
Right, there's only eleven of us and so.
Actually Alexa Bush, who is is with the Kresge.
Foundation I've worked. With her really over the last.
10 years and I always remember her and another woman.
Shelby Howard. We had a conversation which was,
you know, saying that within this.
Work we're also. Tempted to bring like everyone
along with us. You know we hear.
Everyone's stories and we want to work with as many residents
as possible. We want to support as many.
Businesses as possible. But we I remember Alexa and
Shelby telling me that if. We just each pick.
Like 7 people right? There's seven residents or
partners staff of. Coworkers, you know that.
We spend a good majority of our time kind of bringing along with
us, right upskilling, helping them to.
Build their capacity. And then that seven, you know,
brings on another seven. Then we could have the.
Ability to really have a ripple effect.
It doesn't even have to be people.
But like projects or places that you really.
Go all in with and then encourage others to pick their
seven, you know, points of interest.
And I think that. That's a very good.
Way to kind of. Build our spheres.
Of influence during this some time and place and hopefully
have. Like a ripple effect across
across the local. Ecosystem and network.
I love that and I let in seven such a magical number.
So I love everything about that. And what about that's great
advice that you got from folks, but paying it forward.
If someone wants to grow up and be the next Caitlin Murphy and
have a deep commitment to the people of a place and help
improve that. What advice do you have for the
next Caitlin Murphy? I think really focusing on like
projects and programs that bring people together across
differences, whether those differences.
Are real or perceived. Is is deeply.
Critical to this. Work.
I think, you know, we talked. A lot about.
Through our partners at reimagining the civic Commons
like socioeconomic mixing and I think it took me honestly a
good. 3 or 4. Years to understand what
socioeconomic mixing even meant. But, you know, now we're at the
point where we really, I think, understand it and embed it
within a lot of our programmatic work.
And so for us, that means, you know, bringing people.
Together, across whether it's like racial.
Lines, class lines, generational lines, that there's something
really rich within connecting. People across.
Difference in areas of perception is huge I think.
It's easy for us to reach out to.
People who are similar. To ourselves for like.
Comfort, solace, etcetera. But.
There's. Actual more to learn or the
ability to kind of like breakthrough some of these
social harms that are that are crippling our communities when
we can reach out like across those differences.
So I would say. Don't be afraid to, you know,
include people that you may not normally want to reach out to.
Because there's a lot. That can be learned, I think, on
all sides of the equation. Awesome.
Well, thank you so much for your time, Caitlyn, for the wisdom
that you have shared with us, for the advice that you have
shared. There are so many exciting
things taking place in the neighborhood and you all are
being an amazing catalyst and partner and and getting it done.
So we want to thank you for your time.
If people want to get involved in the lipsticks, I'm sorry, in
the lipsticks work, where can we point them to?
Yep, I would say to. Visit us on our.
Website@live6detroit.org or. Follow us on Instagram,
LinkedIn, Facebook. That is where we post.
A lot of our events and activations and information
about our different programs that we offer.
Awesome, and we will link all of those in the show notes.
What can listeners do to support the Livernois Mcnichols
neighborhood? Yeah, I would say.
Come shop with one of our local business owners.
Yeah, there's there's a ton of restaurants, boutiques, lounges.
Places to go? We would love to.
See more of you on on West Mcnichols, 6 Mile, and
Livernois. Pathbreakers is produced by the
Kresge Foundation. Founded in 1924 with a mission
to promote human progress, Kresge today works to expand
equity and opportunity in America's cities.
Learn about our grant making and social investing work in
Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans, Fresno, and cities across the US
at kresge.org. To hear more stories from the
Path Breakers, be sure to subscribe to the show wherever
you listen to podcasts. Our producer, as always, is
Juliet Hindley. Managing editor is Krista
Yankee, with huge help from her Kresge colleagues Maria De
Lorenzo, Kate McLaughlin, Jordan Duncans and of course the one
and only Tracy Pearson. The show art is by Alejandro
Herrera. Logo animation by Colin Likes.
Our social media mastermind is David Carrick.
And a special thank you on this episode to Kresge's Detroit
program, including Wendy Lewis Jackson and Jonathan Way.
Thank you for listening and we'll see you next week.