Post No. 5

Posted By: Tracy Koe Wick, 6/6/2007

Why will Live/Work residences continue to gain popularity in Detroit’s suburbs? As an entrepreneur, I think I am well-equipped to answer that. Entrepreneurs thrive on creativity and collaboration. A home office, studio, or workshop sets you apart from others. A live/work space puts you in close proximity with other like-minded individuals in a close-knit community where entrepreneurs are neighbors and stakeholders controlling the success of their retail environment.

My sister-in-law is a textile artist outside of Chicago in Oak Park, Illinois. Until recently, she ran her design studio from a street level live/work apartment on Harrison Street. Her shop was flanked by an upscale shoe store and a jewelry boutique. Up the block was the Buzz Café, several cooperative art galleries, a dance studio, and a luxury bath shop. Together, these businesses created the Oak Park Art District. All of the store owners met regularly to organize art promotions that would draw shoppers to their retail zone. They were all in it together. Even though my sister-in-law relocated her studio, she still calls her next-door-neighbor from Harrison her BFF.

Suburban Detroit could greatly benefit from this kind of cooperative community and business building. Sometimes we forget about all of the resources that are available to us. Choosing to work and live near like-minded neighbors could be the first step toward jump-starting our economy, while at the same time transforming our quasi-commercial, partially neglected suburban areas into vibrant art and shopping districts.

Comments:

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 12:40 PM by chris fraleigh

Hi there, Long time no see.
I really like the concept of live/work, but municipalities need to re-accept the concept. A2 used to be inundated with small commercial locations all over the neighborhoods. In the 60's the city changed the ability for these locations to exist through changes to zoning and enforcement and they slowly died-off.

Examples are the store front homes on Miner and Gott; several in the Brown & Green Street neighborhood east of Main St; Several homes on 4th st. south of Liberty one of which I remember as a kid that used to be a bakery; the now removed butcher shop building at the corner of Brooks and Miller; and several storefront houses in the student ghetto north of Huron between the medical campus and State St. Surprisingly, some are still in operation such as the TV repair shop on Prospect between Wells and E. Univeristy, Sargeant Peppers around the corner on East U. and Vaughn St. Jefferson Market was a great example of what a small retail space could be.

My feeling is that cities need to take the initiative to allow this type of mixed use opportunity within the neighborhoods once again. The process is too daunting for joe small business owner to take up that mantle on his own shoulders, just to get a small business off the ground - daunting both politally and monetarilly. If cities and towns want the local and neighborhood vibrancy you speak of, they need to realize that the inflexibility of zoning ordinances toward the small retail space and the accompanying commercial requirements (like parking) needs to end. Economic imperatives such as the increasing cost of fuel may be the nudge needed to bring this characteristic back to our neighborhoods as we try to reign in sprawl. Creating the Live/Work opportunity is key, but zoning changes need to happen to allow that.

Thanks for the rant!
Chris