Good evening, everyone:

We are all looking forward with excitement and pride to the announcement tomorrow morning of the move of our headquarters to the Marygrove campus, together with the ambitious suite of investments in the campus itself and the broader Livernois/McNichols neighborhoods. I thought you would like to see the first few paragraphs of the press release that will accompany the announcement – it will be contained in its full version in tomorrow’s weekly newsletter:

Kresge Foundation Deepens Long-term Commitment to Detroit Neighborhoods

$180+ Million in New Investments Will Advance Resident-Led Vision for the Future of the Neighborhoods

Plans Include Relocation of Kresge Headquarters to Detroit

DETROIT, September 12, 2025 - The Kresge Foundation today announced a dramatic $180 million investment in the neighborhoods of Detroit. The announcement includes the foundation’s decision to move its headquarters from Troy, Michigan to the Marygrove Campus in Northwest Detroit.

“The announcement builds on more than a decade of investments Kresge has made in improving the quality of neighborhood life in Detroit,” said Kresge’s CEO and President Rip Rapson. “Those investments will continue across the city. But this constellation of commitments focuses on the neighborhoods in the Livernois-McNichols corridor, bringing the foundation’s total investments in the area to nearly $400 million. The investments are unprecedented in their magnitude, ambition, and long-term potential to leverage investments from others.”

Kresge will invest more than $180 million over the next five years in housing stabilization, home ownership, commercial corridor revitalization, public spaces enhancement, and financial support to residents and businesses in the Fitzgerald, Bagley, University District, and Martin Park neighborhoods. The investments will be grounded in extensive and deep community engagement designed to generate approaches that can be sustained over the long-term and that are rooted in honoring the desire of existing residents who plan to stay in the neighborhoods.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who spoke at the announcement, lauded the foundation. “The fact that we're able to be here today at Marygrove is possible only because of the Kresge Foundation's vision and the commitment Rip Rapson made seven years ago to this campus and to the people of Detroit.  There was never a doubt that Kresge is all-in for Detroit and today's announcement puts an exclamation point on it. This is where Kresge belongs, in the heart of the community it is doing so much to uplift and build." .”

Neighborhood Investments

During the announcement, Kresge pledged $50 million to fund initiatives that promote home ownership, home repair, wealth building, improvements in the physical environment, and rental assistance. “Residents of these neighborhoods have made it clear that promises for improved quality of life have been made time and time again, but too few have been kept,” said Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director of Kresge’s Detroit Program. “These investments are about bringing long-standing community aspirations to life,” she said.

Kresge’s initial commitments include the creation, in partnership with the Live6 Alliance, of a Resident Investment and Opportunity Fund, which will prioritize:

·       Vacant land stewardship, beautification, and side lot activation;

·       Resources for home maintenance, critical repairs, and accessibility improvements;

·       Property tax relief; and

·       Support for renters.

In addition, Kresge will invest in public spaces by completing the Ella Fitzgerald Greenway by extending it to the east to Livernois Avenue and by making enhancements at Ella Fitzgerald Park.

And the foundation will provide support to small businesses on the McNichols commercial corridor for interior and façade improvements and for marketing support.

Residents have actively shaped these investments through the Livernois + McNichols Neighborhoods Action Agenda process. Convened by Kresge, Live6 Alliance and the Marygrove Conservancy, with the support of Urban American City and the Detroit Collaborative Design Center, more than 100 neighborhood and civic leaders have helped inform the initial investments.

“Over the next year, we’ll invite more residents to engage in the process through community gatherings, block clubs, District 2 meetings and neighborhood association meetings,” said Live6 Alliance Executive Director Caitlin Murphy. Residents who wish to participate in the Livernois + McNichols Neighborhoods Action Agenda process are encouraged to sign up for the Marygrove Conservancy newsletter to receive updates

Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.

Rip

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