Contact:
Kathleen Achtenberg, MEDC
517.489.0557
[email protected]

Laura Kraftowitz
Founding Co-Director- The Hope and Imagination Foundation
313.288.9749
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 2, 2025

$75,000 goal to win matching grant through MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places initiative

Rendering Credit: The Hope and Imagination Foundation

LANSING, Mich. — A vacant lot in Detroit’s North End neighborhood will be transformed into a universally accessible community hub and cultural lending library to create Abby’s Art Park. This effort will be fulfilled through the anticipated success of a crowdfunding campaign that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and The Hope and Imagination Foundation announced today, which is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.  

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $75,000 by August 31st, the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places (PSCP) program. This project is utilizing the PSCP Universal Design and Accessibility Funding Extension to access an additional $25,000 for projects that achieve universal design and accessibility in their public space. For project details and to donate, please visit: patronicity.com/hopeandimagination. 

“Cultural connections in public space are what strengthen the very fabric of our neighborhoods,” said MEDC Regional Prosperity Managing Director Paula Holtz. “We are pleased to support and provide resources for Abby’s Art Park through our Public Spaces Community Places program.” 

Funding from this project will allow the HAI Foundation to create this community hub in a dense residential neighborhood in Detroit’s North End. The empty lot will transform into a vibrant gathering space anchored by a shipping container global lending library, a mural accessible to visually impaired folks, a universally accessible wooden patio, solar panels and a rainwater collection system, inclusive outdoor seating and tables, and tactile elements and appropriate lighting for all users. This space will be the first of its kind in Detroit — a place where international perspectives and local concerns come together, where neighbors can meet fellows, borrow rare books, participate in free programming, and build community across cultures.  

The project is working closely with Detroit Disability Power, the Disability Network of Wayne County, and local curator Taraneh Fazeli to build a space that incorporates beautiful expressions of universal design. Local furniture designer Surukotoga (Vivian Sanders) will build custom furniture and installations that incorporate universal design – flexible heights, wide clearances, tactile elements, and accessible pathways. The entrance features a zero-step entry with appropriate ramps, while the interior spaces include adjustable lighting and shelving that can be reached from any position. The outdoor patio and picnic tables will be also designed for wheelchair accessibility. The space will be programmed regularly including weekly woodworking workshops, open mic nights, creative writing workshops, and block parties to name a few. 

“The MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places matching grant is transformational for the Hope and Imagination Foundation as we prepare to create Abby’s Art Park,” said Laura Kraftowitz, Founding Co-Director of The Hope and Imagination Foundation. “This partnership with MEDC embodies our belief that communities flourish when we build bridges across differences.”  

Public Spaces Community Places is a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League and Patronicity, in which local residents can use crowdfunding to be part of the development of strategic projects in their communities and be backed with a matching grant from MEDC. Communities, nonprofits and other business entities can apply at https://patronicity.com/puremichigan. 

“Creating vibrant and thriving third spaces, especially ones that revitalize previously underused lots within a municipality, is crucial as we look ahead to Michigan’s future,” said Dan Gilmartin, Executive Director and CEO of the Michigan Municipal League. “This library and public art space will have a positive impact on the North End neighborhood, as well as all the residents and visitors who take advantage of it. This is what placemaking is all about.” 

The Public Spaces Community Places initiative started in 2014 with MEDC providing matched funding of up to $50,000 for community improvement projects throughout Michigan. As of May 16, 2025, MEDC has provided more than $14 million in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 411 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with more than $16.1 million raised from 75,061 individual donors. Communities have a 97 percent success rate in achieving their goals and earning matching funds.

Michigan Municipal League is dedicated to making Michigan’s communities better by thoughtfully innovating programs, energetically connecting ideas and people, actively serving members with resources and services, and passionately inspiring positive change for Michigan’s greatest centers of potential: its communities. The League advocates on behalf of its member communities in Lansing, Washington, D.C., and the courts; provides educational opportunities for elected and appointed municipal officials; and assists municipal leaders in administering services to their communities through League programs and services. Learn more at mml.org. 

# # #