In the third quarter of 2019, DFC released a guide to managing storm water, launched an effort to green one Detroit neighborhood, and kept growing.
Quarterly Newsletter - Fall 2019
In the third quarter of 2019, DFC released a guide to managing stormwater projects, launched a new effort to green one Detroit neighborhood, and expanded its team to better serve Detroit – and much, much more.
DFC Releases Guide to Bioretention
A new publication gives Detroit commercial property owners, including small businesses, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations, a step-by-step guide to installing green stormwater infrastructure and improving how they manage stormwater runoff.
A Detroit Property Owner's Guide to Bioretention was developed by Detroit Future City through the Land + Water WORKS Coalition and its Bioretention Work Group. In just less than 50 pages, the guide describes how Detroiters can assess their property, make and execute a green stormwater plan, and potentially gain valuable drainage fee credits from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.
This guide was created through the Land + Water WORKS Coalition, which works to provide Detroit residents with the resources needed to become better stewards of their environment and engage residents around green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) opportunities. Funding for the coalition and this report was generously provided by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation.
Implementation Tour of 2019's Transformed Vacant Lots
More than 40 vacant lots have been transformed by community organizations through Detroit Future City’s Working With Lots program. Now, community residents will have a chance to tour the latest of these high-impact installations during a public bus tour on October 17th.
The Working With Lots program provides grants and technical assistance to neighborhood organizations that transform vacant parcels using one of DFC’s Field Guide to Working With Lots designs. In 2019, DFC awarded nearly $100,000 and training and technical support to nine groups through this program.
The Working With Lots Implementation Tour 2019 will showcase several of this year’s grantee projects when it leaves DFC’s Grand Blvd. office at 4 PM on October 17th. There is a small fee for the tour, which will last approximately three hours and include conversations with DFC staff and community partners.
Three new staff joined the team at DFC this summer, strengthening organizational skill and impact.
Kimberly L. Faison recently joined DFC as its Director of Community and Economic Development. She has rich experience working in community and economic development in Detroit and Wayne County. Ms. Faison was formerly a Program Officer for the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation in Detroit.
Susan Rusinowski is the newest member of DFC's Land Use and Sustainability team. As DFC's Stormwater Innovation Manager, Ms. Rusinowski leverages her background in stormwater engineering to provide technical assistance and project support to DFC's stormwater management portfolio of projects.
Janet Reyes is DFC's new Manager of Office Operations. This new role provides fresh challenges for Ms. Reyes, who has a depth of experience in administrative and operations management with Wayne County and other community-serving organizations.
More information about the entire DFC team is available here.
Foundation Funds Green Corridor Plan
On August 15th, the Americana Foundation awarded Detroit Future City a $25,000 grant to facilitate a neighborhood open space plan with the East Warren-Ferry Community Association. DFC will use grant funding to staff planning meetings, develop an open space plan, and support involvement of the East Warren-Ferry Community Association in this work over the next twelve months.
Members of the East Ferry-Warren Community Association have been implementing a wide range of neighborhood greening projects in their near- Eastside neighborhood for decades. Through their involvement in DFC events during 2018, they expressed interest in developing a single plan that would coordinate and build on the various efforts independently underway in their neighborhood.
The Americana Foundation is a private foundation that supports educational and advocacy programs that address the sustainable growth and development of American agriculture and community food systems, the conservation and preservation of natural resources, and the protection and presentation of expressions of America’s heritage. It was established by Detroit area industrialist Adolph H. Meyer and his wife Ginger Meyer.
DFC Expands Board of Directors by Five
Five new members were voted onto the DFC Board of Directors at its August 2019 meeting. They are:
Steve Tobocman, Executive Director, Global Detroit
Kamillia Landrum, Executive Director, Detroit Chapter of the NAACP
Maha Freij, Executive Director, ACCESS
Dr. Margaret Dewar, Emerita Professor, University of Michigan Taubman College
Cliff Brown, Managing Partner, Woodborn Partners
"These new Directors expand the diversity of our board through their unique qualifications and respective communities," said DFC Executive Director, Anika Goss. "We are really looking forward to the new people, ideas, and tools that they will help us to access in the coming years."
