Rebuilding Detroit One Vacant Lot at a Time
The corner of Haverhill and Cornwall is being transformed into the Emerald Gardens MorningSide. Image courtesy of Emerald Isles CDC
On May 22nd, Emerald Isles Community Development Corporation (Emerald Isles CDC) hosted its second annual Motor City Makeover, and it was a resounding success. We had a small army of volunteers which enabled us to clean up the yards of the two vacant houses that border the gardens. They were young and not so young and came from near and far.
A few political candidates showed up to help. Latisha Johnson pitched in to clean up one of the yards. M. L. Elrick sent a team of volunteers. Toson Knight brought some refreshments, and Anthony Adams and Scotty Boman ate them. MorningSide officials Eric Dueweke (President), Twiana Odom (1st Vice President), Sharon Gray (Secretary), and Andrew "AJ" White (Director) also showed up to support the cause.
You may wonder, "Why would a Black man, raised in the inner city of Detroit, start a non-profit organization and name it Emerald Isles? Moreover, why would he become an urban farmer so late in life? All excellent questions. Would you believe me if I told you that my ancestors immigrated from Ireland, where they were potato farmers, and changed their name from O'Grady to Gray? Well, actually, they didn't, but now that I have your attention, let me tell you a little about how and why I started Emerald Isles CDC.
In the summer of 2019, while walking my dog Sam in the medians of East Outer Drive (a Wayne County road). I imagined how nice it would be if the medians were lush and green with vegetation like those along the Moross Greenway. I shared my vision with my friend and neighbor, Latisha Johnson. She offered to introduce me to our Wayne County Commissioner, Tim Killeen. I was pleasantly surprised when Latisha and I arrived at the meeting. Commissioner Killeen had invited Ms. Beverly Watts, Mr. William Bantom, and Mr. Andrew Kandrevas executives from the Wayne County Roads and the Wayne County Executive's Office. To make a long story short, they liked my pitch and referred me to an operative to work out the details. Unfortunately, due to the cost of permits, architectural renderings, and engineer certifications, the startup costs were too high. I settled for adopting a mile stretch of East Outer Drive from Mack Avenue to Chandler Park Drive. The Adopt-A-Road program requires a commitment to pick up debris from the medians three times a year. Our inaugural cleanup was in the fall of 2019, and Latisha was one of the first to volunteer. If you would like to volunteer, our 2021 dates are the first Saturday in May, August, and October, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. We meet at the Jefferson Branch Library, located at 12350 East Outer Drive, Detroit, Michigan 48224.
Emerald Isles CDC volunteers picking up trash along the medians of East Outer Drive. Image courtesy of Emerald Isles CDC
That fall, I also established a non-profit corporation to raise the required funds to pursue my vision to beautify the medians. I named the organization Emerald Isles Community Development Corporation. Emerald represents the sustainable and beautiful green plants that I envision beautifying the medians (isles) throughout our community and one day the entire city. I expanded the vision to include other neglected spaces, such as the 40,000 vacant lots and houses owned by the Detroit Land Bank Authority (DBLA), many of which are in our community. Our vision is "To build community by transforming neglected spaces into beautiful and productive places." So now you know how Emerald Isles CDC got its name. Your life is now complete.
In May of 2020, we purchased four vacant lots at Haverhill and Cornwall streets, where we established Emerald Gardens MorningSide. This USDA registered urban farm includes:
A sweet cherry tree orchard
A market garden
A natural habitat for pollinators (and people)
The outpouring of support from the community has been tremendous. Family, friends, and nearby neighbors have helped us clean the lots and plant over 500 native plants that attract butterflies, birds, bees, and people. Cheryl English, Advanced Master Gardener and owner of Black Cat Pottery, helped me select the native plants. Detroit Future City provided most of the funding and technical assistance. Impact Detroit funded four redbud trees. The Greening of Detroit provided volunteers and donated four large Hawthorn trees that they planted as well. Last but not least, the City of Detroit planted four white flowering crabapple trees in the berms on Cornwall and will soon plant four shade trees in the berms on Haverhill. The city also replaced several damaged sidewalk slabs, making it a safer and much more attractive environment.
Before and after. Image courtesy of Emerald Isles CDC
This summer, we will collaborate with the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) and Bethany Lutheran Church to address food insecurity in our community. We have hired a Summer AmeriCorps Member to assist Bethany Lutheran Church with its bi-monthly food pantry and to help us establish the market garden. The produce from the market garden is intended to be sold at farmers' markets. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are dedicating the garden to the community. We will share the produce with volunteers and people in the community who need fresh, nutritious food. We will also host a Lunch & Learn to Garden on Wednesdays during June and July.
We are pleased to serve the people of this beautiful community, and we look forward to doing so for many years to come.
Be well and stay safe,
Gary Gray