Crowdfunding campaign launched for “6326 Rest & Ride Park” project in Detroit

$12,500 goal to win matching grant through MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places initiative

LANSING, Mich. – Detroit’s NW Goldberg neighborhood will soon gain a pocket park and gathering space at a busy bus stop through a new crowdfunding campaign, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and NW Goldberg Cares announced today. The campaign is being offered through Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $12,500 by January 15, the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places (PSCP) program. For project details and to donate, please visit: patronicity.com/restandride.

“The Rest & Ride Park will transform a vacant space into a secure, relaxing and attractive place for transit travelers to wait and will bring new vibrancy to the neighborhood,” said MEDC Community Development Regional Director Sarah Rainero. “We are pleased to provide resources for this effort through our Public Spaces Community Places program.”

The project will develop a pocket park that transforms a vacant and formerly blighted lot into a beautiful and safe place for people to wait for their buses. The park will be activated as the first phase of THE INTERSECTION @ FERRY PARK project. Funding from this campaign will go toward completing the park with covered bus shelters, rubber mulch pathways, sculptures and artwork, benches, and native plants and flowers.

“The 6326. REST & RIDE park will fill a huge void in the NW Goldberg neighborhood,” said NW Goldberg Cares President and Founder, Daniel A. Washington. “Our goal is to create a beautiful and safe space for residents and visitors to wait for the bus, as part of our larger vision to activate the intersection of Ferry Park and Linwood as a commercial corridor.”

The neighborhood currently lacks safe and comfortable places for travelers to wait for the bus. The 29 Linwood bus runs directly through NW Goldberg, and services important institutions such as Focus: HOPE, Detroit Collegiate Preparatory High School at Northwestern, Henry Ford Hospital, University of Detroit Mercy and the Detroit Central Business District. This project will provide a secure, relaxing, and beautiful place for all travelers to be comfortable waiting for their bus.

Public Spaces Community Places is a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League and Patronicity, in which residents can use crowdfunding to be part of the development of strategic projects in their communities and be backed with a matching grant from MEDC. Communities, nonprofits and other business entities can apply at https://patronicity.com/puremichigan.

“Creating attractive public spaces is key to great placemaking,” said Dan Gilmartin, CEO and executive director of the Michigan Municipal League. “The Rest & Ride Park will be a safe, inviting place for residents and hopefully jump start further activity in the neighborhood.”

The Public Spaces Community Places initiative started in 2014 with MEDC providing matched funding of up to $50,000 for community improvement projects throughout Michigan. As of October 28, 2019, MEDC has provided $7,010,196 in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 230 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with more than $8.3 million raised from 42,702 individual donors.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.