DETROIT – Northwest Detroit is seeing a surge of development, from new housing to new storefronts.
Neighbors say the renewed investment is creating long-needed opportunities.
Along the Grand River Avenue corridor, that momentum is becoming hard to miss.
There’s construction activity, new projects taking shape, and a growing list of small businesses working to serve the community.
One of the biggest projects underway is Minock Park Place, a new development that combines affordable housing with commercial space.
“It’s a fully affordable senior housing development—42 senior housing units—as well as 5,400 feet of commercial space,” said Michael Randall, Executive Director of the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation (GRDC).
The corridor’s progress isn’t only visible in new construction.
Longtime entrepreneurs say they’re seeing more support and more reasons to keep investing locally.
Pressed Juice Bar owner Juwanne Griggs said her business is approaching an important milestone.
“We are going into year seven this year,” Griggs said.
Pressed Juice Bar offers “fresh-pressed juices daily,” Griggs said, along with “smoothies, wraps, and sandwiches.”
For many residents and business owners, the story behind the development is as important as the construction itself—because it’s rooted in community-backed efforts.
The Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation, a neighbor-funded nonprofit, focuses on strengthening commercial corridors and supporting projects that build long-term stability across the communities it represents.
“Commercial corridor redevelopment is really important to our mission here at GRDC,” Randall said.
Randall said GRDC and its partners are concentrating investments and redevelopment efforts across three retail corridors spanning five communities and historic districts – Rosedale Park, North Rosedale Park, Minock Park, Grandmont, and Grandmont #1.
He pointed to major investments tied to affordable housing.
“We’re talking about $32 million of investment between two affordable housing developments,” Randall said.
He added that the visible signs of construction, earth moving, cranes, and hard hats—signal something larger: a renewed commitment to a corridor that residents have stuck with through difficult times.
“When you see earth moving, when you see cranes in the sky, when you see construction hats, that means that there’s investment going on in this corridor—and this corridor deserves it,” Randall said. “We have residents of all ages, of all demographics, and a lot of people who stayed when conditions weren’t that great. So, these residents deserve Grade A, Grandmont Rosedale opportunities.”
GRDC’s work is also aimed at strengthening the existing small-business landscape, including by helping entrepreneurs access grant funding for improvements.
“We have a lot of amazing things over here,” Griggs said. “We have a bookstore just next door. There’s a resale shop.”
Griggs said Pressed Juice Bar was recently awarded a GRDC grant to help with façade improvements.
“We’re going to get some signage outside,” she said. “It’s going to be a pretty good marketing piece, so people could know we are here.”
The Minock Park Place apartments and retail shops are expected to cut the ribbon in late May, adding new housing options and additional business space along the corridor.