Neighborhood businesses across Detroit named latest winners of Motor City Re-Store; Over $474,000 in grants given to beautify commercial corridors

DETROIT, May 23 2018 – Last week, 41 local Detroit businesses received Motor City Re-Store grants from the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), totaling over $449,080 in grants toward construction and design exterior improvements designed to support small businesses and improve Detroit’s commercial corridors.

“We’re thrilled to be announcing the third round of Motor City Re-Store awardees, and we’re excited to continue to help Detroit’s commercial corridors thrive and keep our existing neighborhood businesses competitive with the new businesses coming in to their neighborhoods,” said Lily Hamburger, director of Small Business Retention & Attraction, DEGC. “It’s a great time to do business in Detroit, and through DEGC’s small business programs we’re ensuring that both new and existing businesses are able to flourish inside the city limits.”

Of this latest round of Motor City Re-Store winners, 59 percent of the businesses are minority-owned. The winners include a wide range of businesses providing goods and services to meet residents’ needs including, hair salons, a pharmacy, restaurants and markets, and a 109 year-old pet hospital. Award recipients’ businesses are located across 29 of Detroit’s neighborhoods.

“Motor City Re-Store and Motor City Match are rebuilding neighborhood commerce and providing residents with the goods and services they need and want,” said Michael S. R. Rafferty, Vice President of Small Business Services, DEGC. “When we support our fellow Detroiters and invest in our existing small businesses, we help create density and beautify our neighborhoods. This is all a part of a greater vision to ensure that Detroit remains a great place to work and live.”

How Motor City Re-Store Works

Motor City Re-Store will provide approximately $2 million annually in matching grants to existing business owners and their landlords for façade and other exterior improvements.

Winners are named in two tracks:

• Construction Track: Businesses that have shovel-ready projects can receive grants for construction for façade, landscaping and other exterior improvements;
• Design Track: These businesses will receive financial and technical assistance in getting a design for the exterior improvements. Once they complete their designs, the businesses are eligible to apply for construction awards.

Grant winners in the Construction Track are awarded matching funds of up to $25,000. The five construction grants awarded in Round Three totaled $89,080. Design Track winners are eligible for grants of up to $10,000. Those 36 design grants awarded totaled $360,000. Grant amounts are estimates and may vary as each project proceeds.

About Motor City Re-Store

Motor City Re-Store is managed by the Small Business team at the DEGC and is open to entrepreneurs who are currently open and operating a commercial storefront in the city of Detroit, and their landlords. It is supported by a combination of Community Development Block Grant funds and other funders. The Economic Development Corporation of the City of Detroit (EDC) has stewardship of the public funds and has approved funding to develop the program. It approved the Round 3 winners during its meeting last week.

Motor City Re-Store is accepting applications for Round 5 from June 1 through July 2, 2018. Business owners and landlords must apply jointly for 50 percent matching grants up to $25,000. Multiple businesses applying as a group are eligible for 75 percent matching grants. Applications can be submitted at www.motorcity-restore.com and paper applications are available upon request.

Five companies have been awarded a total of $89,080 in construction grants:

• Beautiful Bridal, owners Vallery Hyduk & Keasha Rigsby, $21,600
  • 2921 E. Jefferson Ave.
• Kan Bookstore, owner Jamii Tata, $25,000
  • 9405 John R St.
• R66 Consulting & Publishing, owner Kai Cassells, $25,000
  • 9417 John R St.
• Rite On, owner Saied A. Salem, $15,380
  • 6935 Michigan Ave.
• Third Wave Music, owner Jen David, $2,100
  • 3180 E. Jefferson Ave.

 36 business have been awarded a total of $360,000 in design grants:

• 7 Mile Community Outreach, owner Rozlynne M. Reynolds, $10,000
  • 13000 W. 7 Mile Rd., Greenwich
• 21^st Century Salon, owner La Keisha Williams, $10,000
  • 19353 Livernois Ave., Bagley
• 2930 E. Jefferson, owner Matthew R. Abel, $10,000
  • 2930 E. Jefferson Ave., Rivertown
• Always Brewing Detroit, owner Cody Williams, $10,000
  • 19180 Grand River Ave., North Rosedale Park
• Amore da Roma, owner Guy Pelino, $10,000
  • 3401 Riopelle St., Eastern Market
• Andrews & Hardy Funeral Home, owner Karen Hardy, $10,000
  • 13841 Gratiot Ave., Franklin
• Arthur J. Rhode & Company, owner Arthur J. Rhode, Jr., $10,000
  • 2711 E. Jefferson Ave., Elmwood Park
• Auntie Betty’s Café, owner Betty Neal, $10,000
  • 19601 Grand River Ave., Minock Park
• Beverage One, owner Gus Azar, $10,000
  • 19322 Grand River Ave., North Rosedale Park
• Cadillac Styles Beauty and Barbershop, owners Stephanie Watt & Michael Williams, $10,000
  • 9920 Kercheval Ave., East Village
• Detroit Boiler Company, owner Laura Johnson-Snyder, $10,000
  • 2931 Beaufait ST., Islandview
• Detroit Design Center, owner Erik Nordin
  • 4225 Third St., Midtown
• Detroit Martial Arts Institute, owner George N. Reynolds, $10,000
  • 13030 W. 7 Mile Rd., Greenwich
• Dino’s Café, owner Dino Carrer, $10,000
  • 1601 Waterman St., Central Southwest
• Flowers of Vietnam, owner Jason Ghannam, $10,000
  • 4430 W. Vernor Hwy., Southwest
• Happy To Be Nappy Salon, owner Ewanda Ferguson, $10,000
  • 18945 Livernois Ave., Bagley
• Jo’s Gallery, owner Garnette Arcer, $10,000
  • 19376 Livernois Ave., Sherwood Forest
• Liberal Arts Gallery, owner Duane Belin, $10,000
  • 3361 Gratiot Ave., McDougall-Hunt
• Liberty Pharmacy, owner George Esho, $10,000
  • `4802 W. Vernor Hwy, Central Southwest
• Maty’s African Restaurant, owner Amandy Gueye, $10,000
  • 21611 Grand River Ave., Oak Grove
• Micah’s Salon and Boutique, owner Michael Thacker, $10,000
  • 19374 Livernois Ave., Sherwood Forest
• Motor City Snack Shoppe, owner Courtney R. Brown Jr, $10,000.
  • 16311 W. 7 Mile Rd., College Park
• MotorCity Wine Bar, owner David Armin-Parcells, $10,000
  • 1949 Michigan Ave., Corktown
• Mike’s Fresh Market, owner Jami R. Abro, $10,000
  • 19195 Livernois Ave., Bagley
• Old Redford Kitchen Café, owner Saira Tariq, $10,000
  • 21733 Grand River Ave., Oak Grove
• Pages Bookshop, owner Susan Murphy, $10,000
  • 19560 Grand River Ave., North Rosedale Park
• Patterson Dog & Cat Hospital, owner Glynes Graham, $10,000
  • 3800 Grand River Ave., Woodbridge
• Qureshi Wholesale, owner Sufian Qureshi, $10,000
  • 12200 Conant St., Buffalo Charles
• Rabaut’s Café, owner Christopher Rabaut, $10,000
  • 18536 E. Warren Ave., Cornerstone Village
• Reshmi Sweet & Café, owner Zual Khan, $10,000
  • 12170 Conant St., Buffalo Charles
• Royal Fresh Market, owner Ken Koester and Mark Zaitona, $10,000
  • 18551 Grand River Ave., Rosedale Park
• Transforming Salon, owner Mario Woodford, $10,000
  • 16551 Plymouth Rd., Joy Community
• The Lockeroom, owner Angela Vincent, $10,000
  • 18290 Livernois, University District
• Three Brothers Party Store, owner Majid Samona, $10,000
  • 19540 Joy Rd., Franklin Park
• V+F Collision, owner Frank Spadefora, $10,000
  • 19101 Joy Rd., Warrendale
• Vernor Express Liquor Store, owner Badri Konja, $10,000
  • 3855 W. Vernor Hwy, Hubbard Farms