The Little Village campus includes the BridgeHouse (left), which contains arts-focused commercial spaces, and a skatepark co-designed by Tony Hawk. The former Good Shepherd Catholic church that anchors the development is now just called the Shepherd.
Photographer: Jason Keen/Library Street CollectiveDetroit’s Revival Moves Beyond Downtown With ‘Little Village’
A new microneighborhood centered around a restored arts anchor will test the city’s ongoing revitalization outside its urban core.
Stories about Detroit’s comeback keep coming back to the same place: the roughly 7-square-mile area of downtown, midtown and the neighborhoods that border them. There, Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert and his real estate company Bedrock have invested some $5.6 billion in a host of developments, including about 100 properties and several iconic skyscrapers. Beyond that zone, however, reports of revival are more elusive.
Now, one of the cultural catalysts who has championed the city is looking past downtown.