DETROIT – From demolition to dream home, Chella and Jeremy Rosenberg are the proud owners of a home on 16th Street in Detroit, which, at one time, was slated for demolition.
“There’s a lot of infrastructure in the city that hasn’t been used in decades,” said Jeremy Rosenberg. “Rather than it being knocked down, we think it should be replaced or restored.”
Jeremy shares those feelings with Daniel Washington of NW Goldberg Cares, the non-profit behind the flip.
“We as a community organization said no, we don’t want to see this torn down,” said Washington. “Our vision is to take all vacant structures and bring them back to productive good use.”
Washington grew up in Northwest Detroit and wanted to avoid seeing more vacant land in his community. He found more than a buyer; he found the Rosenbergs, who share a vision of what the neighborhood can be.
The Rosenbergs have put in an offer on a nearby vacant commercial building with three units. They pitched a plan to the city to turn it into a coffee shop, mini food market, and community space.
“Food accessibility is rampant in Detroit,” said Chella Bouth-Rosenberg, who works to address hunger professionally.
Chella hopes she can translate that to the community she now calls home, and it’s needed. It’s been decades since the area has seen a store offering residents fresh foods.
The flip turned little of a profit for NW Goldberg Cares. Still, they’ve already moved onto a second home on the block with the intention of turning profits into grants for existing homeowners who need help doing improvement projects on their own properties.