E. Warren business district creates neighborhood design vision

U-SNAP-BAC and East Warren Business United brought together 35 residents, business owners, architects and planners for a visioning session Saturday, Sept. 29. The focus was the stretch of E. Warren that runs between Mack Ave. and Alter Road. Ultimately, the designs that come out of the day-long charrette will be presented to the city and to the Michigan Department of Transportation for potential streetscape enhancement funding.

The district, which is a strip of primarily 1930-1940s era one-and-two-story commercial buildings, is currently at about 60 percent occupancy. It is anchored by a handful of longtime independent retail shops and restaurants like BikeTech and Eastside Locksmith, which has been in the neighborhood for more than 40 years, says Bill Swanson, who directs the East Warren project.

The day started with business owners talking about their concerns and hopes. "At the end of the day, this is where they work, where they have their business, their livelihood," says Swanson.

Swanson says special attention was paid to bicycle- and pedestrian-oriented design and that the ultimate goal is to make the district attractive to neighborhood-oriented retailers such as coffee shops, bookstores or bakerys. "Our long-term businesses really know how to work in this urban environment and they are highly profitable," he says. "We want to teach businesses how to come into an urban environment and succeed."

Source: Bill Swanson, U-SNAP-BAC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh