MAY/JUNE. 2016 SMARTSMART PAPAGEGESS DDBUBUSINESSSINESSETROIETROI -- POLITICSPOLITICS -- COMMUNITYCOMMUNITYTT “Building Business to Business and Business to Community Relationships” Al’s Jewelry and Loan, 94 years Sweet Potato Sensations, 29 years 2 0 1 6 DETROIT Thank You A w a r d s It was thumbs up at the Dutch Girl Donuts, 69 years Faygo 109 years, “Fabric of Detroit Award” 2nd Annual Detroit “Thank You” Awards (Pg 11) FINAL YEAR -TO APPLY- GOT AN IDEA? GET $10K TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS. $500,000 IN CASH AWARDS TO 32 EXISTING BUSINESSES Detroit / Hamtramck / Highland Park APPLICATIONS OPEN APRIL 20 - JUNE 1, 2016 POWERED by PARTNERED with ( (844) NEI-DEAS ATTEND AN NEIdeas INFORMATION 8 NEIdeasDetroit.org SESSION & WORKSHOP TO LEARN MORE A full schedule of events is available at NEIdeasDetroit.org www.detroitsmartpages.com MAY/JUNE 2016 | PAGE 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE Detroit Is On The Move .....................................................................................4 PATTI LABELLE COVER STORY Detroit Riverfront Conservancy Announces Highlights of the 2nd Annual “Thank You” Awards Recognizing Detroit National Headliners For10th Annual GM River Neighborhood Small Businesses Days Festival, June 24-26 by Beverly Smith .............................................................................................11 FEATURE ARTICLES GM River Days presented by Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort To celebrate its10th Anniversary with festival giveaways and national Venture For America .................................................................................... 6-16 acts including The B-52’s, Patti Labelle, SWV and Mint Condition Bricker Tunis Furs............................................................................................13 Remembering Deborah Virgiles .......................................................................16 Headlining National Music Acts Ford Freedom Awards ......................................................................................19 Arise Detroit Neighborhoods Day ...................................................................20 This year’s festival will have music’s biggest names COLUMNISTS hitting the Quicken Loans National Stage including Barbara Brazile: Inspirational Corner .............................................................4 The B-52’s, the iconic 70’s new wave band on Friday night and Daimeon Cotton: Ask The Lawyer ...................................................................6 two-time Grammy winner and Queen of Pies, Patti Labelle on Willie Brake: Ask The Tech Guy ......................................................................5 Saturday evening with special guest 90’s girl group, SWV. Jason Cole: Cole’s Corner.................................................................................7 R&B powerhouses Mint Condition and Jeffrey Osborne will Gary Smith close out the weekend long celebration on Sunday. VIP premier : Smart Real Estate Investments ....................................................7 seats are available for purchase during the headlining concerts. Sandra Dixon: Real Estate and You..................................................................8 Tickets cost $35 and include admission to the festival. Sheila Hawkins: Smart Time Management ......................................................9 Laura Sigmon: Smart Business Practices .........................................................9 Tickets can be purchased online through RiverDays.com. Ellis Liddell: Smart Financial Planning ..........................................................17 A full music lineup of more than 40 music acts across four Charlene Mitchell-Rodgers: Eye on Media ..................................................21 different stages will be announced in the coming weeks. MCM_Native Detroiter ad.5.11.16.pdf 1 5/11/16 9:42 AM A hair care company that manufactures and sells a patented product called the Comb-N-Weave. $60,000 Grant Winner C M Y CM MY Black Pride Beauty LLC. CY CMY K Launching and Expanding Detroit Businesses: From idea to open APPLICATIONS OPEN Business planning classes Architectual and design support JUNE 1 TO JULY 1 Identifying Detroit’s $500,000 in grants each quarter commercial properties And more! Matching businesses with www.MotorCityMatch.com quality properties PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE come cost prohibitive for most Detroiters. Waters Edge at Harbortown is located at Detroit is on the Move Triton Properties, the Denver-based 3500 E. Jefferson Ave. in Detroit. Now he city that drives America is more than 1,300 employees into the build- developer entered the Detroit market in that downtown, midtown and corktown now driving excitement, enthu- ing. As a result of the move, Bedrock is 2009. are experiencing economic development siasm, new development, new renaming the building Ally Detroit Center. It’s a new kind of project for Triton, and residential growth, when will this Thousing and a new attitude. On the Six Detroit-based projects were which has focused on redeveloping old- trend make its way to Detroit’s neigh- brink of collapse only 8 years ago and announced as 2016 Knight Cities Chal- er buildings rather than developing new borhoods? Charlie Beckham, who heads recently emerging from bankruptcy, De- lenge winners, receiving awards that total ones. They also say that their five-story, the new Department of Neighborhoods, troit hasn’t looked $638,084 of the $5 million awarded na- 134-unit Waters Edge is the first develop- announced at the Booker T. Washington’s back. According tionally. Winners include Pedal to Porch, ment of its kind on the Detroit riverfront Annual Keys to Success forum that cer- to a report recent- a monthly bike tour that gives neighbor- Now that downtown, midtown and corktown are ly released by the hood residents the opportunity to tell their experiencing economic development and residential Southeast Michigan stories; Dequindre Cut Market, a pop-up Council of Govern- retail district along the bike and pedestri- growth, when will this trend make its way to ments (SEMCOG), an trail; Detroit’s Exciting Adventure into Detroit’s neighborhoods? Detroit issued more BEVERLY SMITH the Pink Zone, which will seek to trans- in over 25 years. Waters Edge is part of tain Detroit’s neighborhoods are targeted permits for new res- form how the city’s commercial districts Harbortown, a gated community on the for new development and enhancement. idential units than any other city are developed and designed; Give a Park, Detroit riverfront. The luxury apartments Many developers and others say in southeastern Michigan last year. Get a Park, a micro-park system through- start at $1,328 per month and include there is more interest by investors in De- So many things happening, new out the city; Sensors in a Shoebox, an one, two, and three-bedroom floor plans. troit neighborhoods, including southwest, restaurants, over 100 in downtown educational program that enables youth Pre-leasing for the units began in the University of Detroit area, Palmer and midtown alone. There is no need to better understand their neighborhoods the fourth quarter of 2015 and the first Park, Old Redford, Milwaukee Junction, to drive past 8 Mile Rd. for dining, through sensors and data; and the People residents moved in January 2016. 40 per- North Corktown and East English Vil- shopping or entertainment. Earlier this First Project, which creates a network cent of the units are currently occupied lage. It is a fact that the success of neigh- month, the city’s first Panera Bread of tactical urbanists to affect change. and the company is ramping up leasing borhoods is just as vital as getting new opened in the Renaissance Center. Luxury apartment development is and expects to reach full occupancy by development in downtown and midtown. Bedrock Detroit, Dan Gilbert’s real banking on drawing residents to lifestyle the end of the summer. Triton is responsi- Contact Beverly Smith at: info@de- estate arm, pulled in two more high-pro- living on the riverfront. Competition and ble for seven residential buildings in De- troitsmartpages.com or call 313-268-3523. file office tenants. Ally Financial will cost for apartments in downtown Detroit troit, including Alden Towers, Spinnaker Resources: Detroit Free Press, lease 13 floors in One Detroit Center at have risen so sharply in recent years, Tower, and the Kean Residences, total- Detroit News and modeldmedia.com 500 Woodward Ave. and is consolidating even the luxury apartment market has be- ing nearly 1,000 residential units locally. INSPIRATIONAL CORNER In your Patience, Possess Ye Your Souls Clearly and repeatedly we wit- to die, was buried, and resurrected You see, there is a divine pattern time as long as we have breath. We ness everyday that tomorrow is not a quickening spirit for us so that we in operation, and though it may ap- know that the spirit of our love ones promised. Police sirens ring in our might live, in spiritual peace. As pear that everything is out of control, will never die. Our Heavenly Fa- ears like our alarm clocks as police it was written, “For I am come to it is not. If you recall in times past in ther is our comfort and peace, and scurvy the streets, set a man against his father, and the His-Story, Pharaoh declared a death where there is peace, there is joy. chasing criminals daughter against her mother, and the decree to kill the children. Likewise, We know that the demon- and witnessing the daughter in law against her mother in our time we must see this princi- ic spirit has