Episode 98: Joe Louis Greenway Partnership

LEONA CELEBRATES THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE JOE LOUIS GREENWAY AND PROMOTES THE MANY ACTIVITES FOR ALL AGES AND INTERESTS.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Light Up the D, focus on what's happening
in our community from the people who make it happen.
Here's your host, iHeartMedia Detroit Market President Colleen Grant.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good morning and welcome to another episode of Light of
the D. I'm your host, Colleen Grant. Thank you for
joining me today. I'm excited because I get to speak
with Leona Medley. She's the executive director of the Joe
Lewis Greenway Partnership. She's a transformational leader and a proud Detroiter,
driving equity, access and opportunity citywide. She has led impactful

(00:38):
initiatives connecting neighborhoods, creating public spaces in amplifying community voices.
Speaking with me today about the Joe Lewis Greenway Partnership,
which you can learn more about at Jlgpartnership dot org.
Please join me in welcoming Leana Medley. Leana, thanks for
joining us. Thanks so much for having me. I'm excited
to be here.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Did I say Leona the first time?

Speaker 4 (01:00):
So I always tell people there are two acceptable pronunciations,
and you got them both.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Well, We're going with Leanna because I know that's what
it is.

Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yes, my dad will be so happy.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
Leanna, thank you for joining us today, Thanks for having me.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
So why don't we tell everybody what is the Joe
Louis Greenway Partnership and what is your role there?

Speaker 3 (01:19):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:20):
So, the Joelu's Greenway Partnership is a nonprofit of five
oh one c three that was started in twenty twenty
two and we are the private partner to this large
scale public space project that is connecting the City of Detroit,
Highland Park, Hamtramck, and Dearborn.

Speaker 3 (01:41):
So is that private not large large large area. It's big,
it's big, it's huge.

Speaker 4 (01:46):
So as a private nonprofit, we support the fundraising, we
support the marketing, the communication, but most importantly the programming
and the operations of the Joluis Greenway along with our
municipal partners like the City of Detroit will be working
with Highland Park, Hamtramck and Dearborn. So we get to
do a lot of really great work working across multiple

(02:08):
cities here in southeastern Michigan. And what I really like
to tell people about the partnership the nonprofit we're partner
to the project, and the project is really about the
people and it's about the community. It's about the residence
of those cities. It's about the residents of this state
having really beautiful green spaces in neighborhoods, and so we

(02:30):
get to do a lot of phenomenal fun work.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
Well, let's talk about the spaces. So Joe Louis Greenway.
When you hear that, you know you conjure up all
sorts of different ideas.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
What does that mean?

Speaker 4 (02:42):
So I think the best way to start with most
folks is in our region. I think most people are
familiar with the riverfront. So if you think about the riverfront,
and you think about the the Quender Cut on the
east side of the riverfront, and then you think to
the West Riverside Park, So those are really two great
public space amenities that operate as a transportation network. It's

(03:05):
a great place to go walk and jog and bike.
You can go out there and watch people do all
those beautiful things. Well, now the Joe Louis Greenway is
taking those sections of the riverfront and extending north into
the neighborhoods, into the community.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
You can just think.

Speaker 4 (03:21):
About extending this beautiful, world renowned riverfront now into the neighborhoods.
So if you're on the de Quinder Cut, which we're
not far from right the de Quender Cut ending at
mac the Joe Louis Greenway will continue it north and
you'll be able to connect going north from the dew
Grinder Cut through Highland through ham Trimick around through Highland

(03:44):
Park into Detroit. You'll connect to the west side of
Detroit into Dearborn to southwest Detroit and then back to
the Riverfront. And when we're all set and done, now
instead of just the riverfront and those that beautiful riverfront,
we have this big loop that next four cities in
about twenty three twenty four neighborhoods just in Detroit along

(04:06):
So it is, you know, one of, if not the
largest public space projects in our region, being led by
the City of Detroit with the support of all of
these other municipalities, Highland Park, hamp Trainment and Dearborn.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
How did it come about?

Speaker 4 (04:24):
So, you know, for the better part of twenty years,
you know, there has been discussion and a desire in
our region to have this multi modal, non motorized transportation network.
How can we connect people around our region not buy
a car?

Speaker 3 (04:43):
And it's an interesting idea.

Speaker 4 (04:45):
Because we're to motor city right, we put the world
on wheels, but now we wanted to talk about ways
to get people around. And I think it's also important
for folks to realize while we are the motor city
and we did put the world on wheels, we also
are a city in which, for a long time it's
been difficult for people to have a car.

Speaker 3 (05:05):
Right.

Speaker 4 (05:05):
There have been all sorts of costs that make it prohibitive,
whether it's insurance costs, just the cost of purchasing a vehicle.
Upwards of thirty percent of Detroiters don't have a vehicle
and are using other modes of transportation to get around. So,
you know, it's had a number of different names over
the course of twenty years. The Inner Circle Greenway really

(05:27):
the America Rescue Plan and Infrastructure dollars along with some
other public funds allowed for this twenty year long idea
and dream to come to fruition. And so the City
Detroit started it with two years of community engagement, going
out engaging with residents talking about this idea, saying we

(05:49):
now have the resources to bring this to reality and
what does it look like? And the most beautiful thing
about the Joe Louis Greenway and the work that was done.
It's really rooted in community, from the iconography, the branding,
the name, even the selection of the route. The City
of Detroit's General Services Department went out and met with

(06:12):
hundreds over a thousand, thousands, you know, of residents over
one hundred and sixty community meetings over the course of
those two years, talking about everything from language and what
a project like this would mean. And so it's the
first of it's kind that is going as fast as
it's going the City of Detroit. By the end of

(06:33):
next year, we'll have a significant portion of this built.
We started with the opening of the Trailhead, which is
one of the first new parks to brand new parks
to open in the City of Detroit, meaning you know,
it's not a park that was renovated. It is a
brand new, ground up park. And it is West Warren,

(06:55):
its borders Dearborn and it's a few beautiful park that
since it opened on Halloween twenty twenty three, there have
been over one hundred thousand visitors to the Joluis.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
Greenway in that area. Wow.

Speaker 4 (07:12):
Yeah, And so you know, and it's right in a
neighborhood and it's bringing so much hope and attention. It really,
this project really is a example of every neighborhood has
a future right and Mayor Duggan has talked about this
quite a bit, and this is one of the projects
that has had unanimous city council support in the City

(07:36):
of Detroit. We've had tons and tons of resident support
and we continue to have that to this day as
this project is being built. So you go out today,
so you know, if your listeners, if you want to
say where is it, if you put eight zero three
four West Warren in your GPS, you will go and
it will take you to the Joluis Greenway and you

(07:57):
will be in awe. You will be like, oh my god,
where did this come from? And this beautiful park right
in the neighborhood that has kids playing and so interesting.
I say all the time before this, you know, we
go out there and we program, and now it's every day.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
You know.

Speaker 4 (08:11):
I started in this role in April of twenty twenty three,
and when I go out to the Greenway, I always
ask myself what did these families do before this park
was here? You know, there's so many children and families
of all nationalities, of all cultures and backgrounds that converge
upon this place. I asked myself, before this was here,

(08:34):
what where did they go? Because the land was felled
with debris and contamination. I mean in the first you know,
mile or two of the Greenway, the city Detroit cleared out,
you know, upwards of twenty thousand dumped tires.

Speaker 3 (08:51):
Twenty thousand tires.

Speaker 4 (08:53):
Right, and I'm probably low balling the number just so
that you know, but I mean you would go out
to this neighborhood and this is you know, this isn't
all industrial. I mean, these are homes. And so the
Joeluis Greenway in this section was an old rail line.
And so if you think about the way our cities
were built, there are a lot of trains and these

(09:13):
trains went through neighborhoods, right. And so now we've taken that,
you know, this Rails to Trails project, right, And so
there's been a lot of funding over the decades to
turn these unused old rail lines into usable green space.
And so today you can go out and look at
this two lane you know, multimodal pedestrian, non motorized path

(09:38):
that starts with this beautiful park and you see seniors
out there today's Monday. We had a fitness program out
there this morning for seniors where they're out on the
Greenway in the neighborhood doing aerobics.

Speaker 3 (09:50):
And that's what we are there to do.

Speaker 4 (09:52):
We're there to program and make sure that folks can
come out and have a great time.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
Let's talk more about the programming that's taking place since
you mentioned that, I love that.

Speaker 3 (10:00):
What's what is Monday? Yes, yes, yes, it is seniors.

Speaker 4 (10:07):
So you know, I'm happy to share that we are
constantly thinking of ways in which to activate and program
this space. Again, it's new, and so while it does
have a trailhead, which is much like a park, it
has this beautiful crazy playscape.

Speaker 3 (10:22):
It's like forty feet tall, four or five stories high.

Speaker 4 (10:25):
I tell people all the time, you know, adults come
through and they're like, oh my god, can I get
on it? I'm like, you can, But it's like designed
for a normal size twelve year old.

Speaker 3 (10:34):
I don't know. It's hard to resist. That's what's hard
to resist.

Speaker 4 (10:37):
So it's like, you know, four or five flights of
climbing and gymnastics to get up, and then you have
this long tube that you have to come down as
I tell people all the time that I hear you know,
grown men screaming coming out of this tube, so you
can get me imagine getting stuck. Yes, there was someone
who got stuck one night. But yeah, So when I
think about our programming, we are focused on making our

(11:00):
program programming family friendly, free and as inclusive as possible.
And that is a moving target for us because we're
constantly learning about what inclusive means.

Speaker 3 (11:12):
And so you know, it starts with language inclusivity.

Speaker 4 (11:16):
How do we make sure that as we are developing
programs that you know, folks who speak different languages or
are in the death of heart of hearing community can
access our programming. Or they may speak Arabic, or they
may speak Spanish. And so you know, we started as
a as a new nonprofit with language inclusivity. Even from
our signage, all of our signage, all of our flyers

(11:39):
are translated into multiple languages. We've had sign language interpreters
out at events.

Speaker 3 (11:45):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (11:45):
And then you know, we're also thinking about you know,
I told you about seniors today. So how do we
make sure it's program programming that's not only free, but
that's you know, designed for different demographics and different groups
so we have you know, senior programming. We have you know,
FA family programming with a family yen nights as a
family yoga, and we see parents out there with babies

(12:06):
doing yoga. We see seniors out there in their seventies
or eighties coming to do that yoga.

Speaker 3 (12:12):
Again, we make it free.

Speaker 4 (12:13):
We work with local programming partners to make sure it's free.
We have large scale events we have whether it's a
back to school event. We had a DJ event where
we worked with Canvas Detroit and we brought out all
these great detroiters and did this you know kind of
DJ event.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
We make it free. We bring food out and kinden.

Speaker 4 (12:36):
It's been interesting in my two years, you know that
I do find that making things free is important because
it increases access. We are, you know, in some interesting
times for families, and we want to make sure that
in neighborhoods people are not necessarily always having to choose
between you know, do I pay this bill or can

(12:59):
my kid go to this fun event around the corner
up the street.

Speaker 3 (13:02):
Right.

Speaker 4 (13:02):
We always want to make it accessible for our community,
and it's important that our funders and our partners have
allowed us the opportunity to make sure that that happens.
We have a skating event, so we skate on the Greenway,
So we work with Motown Roller Clad.

Speaker 2 (13:17):
Hold on, when is this happening? So I was a
roller derby queen.

Speaker 4 (13:25):
Oh, we have a lot of derby girls that come
to our skating event. So it's on Saturdays. I have
to look at the schedule if we have another one.

Speaker 3 (13:38):
Let's tell everybody.

Speaker 2 (13:39):
You can find everything that's going on at JLG Partnerships
their partnership one show.

Speaker 4 (13:44):
Yes, JLG Partnership dot org. Right, yes, you can go
to our website. All of our programming, all of our
events are there. Again, it's free. Here's here's the great
thing that we did in partnership with Motown Roller Club. Uh,
they also have skating on the riverfront, so if you
missed ours, you can catch them on the riverfront as well.
But this time around we work with them again because
we're in a neighborhood, right, and we're always thinking about

(14:07):
ways to ensure that the barrier to entry to these
opportunities is very low, like right, And so we know
we're in a neighborhood and we're doing this skating event,
and we said, well, maybe kids don't have skates, and
so we partner with them and we purchased twenty five
pairs of skates that they actually rent out for free

(14:28):
every time they host our event. And what we found
out as soon as we start doing it, we need
it more.

Speaker 3 (14:33):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (14:33):
I mean families would be standing in line coming up
to the free skating event to get skates for their kids.
And these kids would I mean, they might be in
a size four and they're like, well, all you guys, eight,
I'll take it. You cannot skate in an eight And
they're like, yes, I can. And the skating event starts
with free roller skating training, So for the first hour

(14:56):
we have an instructor out there teaching people of all ages,
kids on a to seniors how to scape. And we're
doing that right on a greenway, right in a neighborhood.

Speaker 3 (15:04):
Wow, wonderful.

Speaker 2 (15:06):
So you know, just because you had mentioned you needed
more skates and you are a nonprofit, there's somebody who's listening.
It's like, this is totally my jam, and I want
to help. How would somebody help if they wanted to, Yeah,
source you or a volunteer.

Speaker 3 (15:19):
How can people get involved? Again?

Speaker 4 (15:20):
Our website, we just launched our new version of our website,
and that contact form goes right to me. Right, I
get that, And so if they go on our website
they can fill out that contact form. I'm under contact
us again. It's Jlgpartnership dot org. You can go to
contact us and just put in there what you want,
like what's your jam. Do you want to volunteer?

Speaker 3 (15:40):
We need you. Do you want to donate some money?
We need you.

Speaker 4 (15:43):
Do you want to look at being a programming partner
with us because you have this really great fitness or
youth program or senior program.

Speaker 3 (15:50):
We need you. So you know we are again.

Speaker 4 (15:54):
We launched in twenty twenty two and everything that we
have done, from building the website to talking about our
work has been something that we've been building from the
ground up. And we're always looking for new partners. Are
you a vendor and you gotta lemonade business or you
got a you know truck, a food truck or something
like that, and are you registered with the city of
you trade? We want you at our events. We want

(16:15):
to work with you. We'll be doing a we're calling
this pink O Ween and so we have merged two
of our really great events that we did for the
first time last year our breast cancer and Halloween, and
so we're going to do a breast cancer Halloween event

(16:35):
on the Greenway. Wow, tell us about it. So we
are we're a small team. We just hired someone today
and so we're a team of five. And you know,
again it's a it's a trail, right, it's a path,
and so it's a perfect place to do walking events.
But it's going to be October, so we also have,
you know, Halloween, so what better way to really we

(17:00):
honor and recognize the month of breast cancer Awareness Month
and merge it with Halloween. We haven't finalized the date yet,
but again it will be on our social So also
check us out across all social media platforms, whether it's Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn,
TikTok were We're there all the time. But the idea is,

(17:21):
how do we incorporate a really fun event.

Speaker 3 (17:25):
With something really really serious.

Speaker 4 (17:27):
I myself had a breast cancer scare in twenty twenty
four and so you know, going through that process, you know,
going to the doctor, getting a you know, mammogram that
came back with something and you experienced just a moment
of you know, dread until it comes back otherwise. And
so we did a breast cancer walk the first time

(17:49):
last year and it was great calling We had this
really beautiful bell ringing ceremony where the attendees of our
event after we did our walk, got to come up
and ring a bell. It was ring a bell and
share a name, share a story about you or yourself
or your loved one that has been impacted by breast

(18:10):
cancer or any cancer. And I can tell you it
was just so cathartic, it was so emotional, but it
was what we needed in that public space. And so
this year we're going to do it again and we're
just going to merge it with Halloween and so we're
calling it pink O Ween.

Speaker 3 (18:28):
I love it. What's today? We don't have a date
just yet.

Speaker 4 (18:31):
Okay, yeah, yeah, I mean it's coming though, So check
us out once we get all of the things finalized.
We're getting through a couple of last minute plans, but
it'll be on our website and we will make sure
we blast it out and we want people to register,
We want people to come out. We'll have community partners,
our residents will be out there tabling. We work with
you know, the churches, the nonprofit, the other nonprofits, the

(18:53):
block clubs, they'll be tabling, handing out candy, and we'll
get out there and we'll walk the green Way and
honor and celebration of the life of people who've been
impacted by breast cancer.

Speaker 2 (19:05):
That's great, hey, you'd said Detroit, Dearborn ham Trammick Highland Park.
And we've talked about twenty three to twenty four neighborhoods
that it's ultimately connecting. How big are we talking? Like
how many are we miles? Miles and miles, and when
it all connects with everything in the riverfront front too,
like what are we looking.

Speaker 4 (19:24):
At right now? We are saying twenty nine plus miles? Wow,
it is linear trail. And so when we say twenty
nine plus miles, it includes a little bit of the
riverfront that's in that it also includes existing bike lanes.
So when we made this loop, you know, we talked
to residents and we engage with residents. It was how

(19:46):
do we create a network. And I tell people, you know, Collieen,
you really need to come out and do a drive a.

Speaker 3 (19:51):
Wound with me, So we should do that so you
can fact.

Speaker 4 (19:53):
Okay, great, So we're going to plan that so that
you can actually see it, because when we talk about it,
it's hard to fathom how long twenty nine miles is
when you're thinking about a you know, non motorized trail,
right right, it's pretty big. And so when you think
about the fact that it's not just the newly constructed

(20:15):
we do have what is what we're building the newly constructed,
but we're also using existing bike lanes and arteries to
make this loop. And one of the reasons that was
important for residents is because they wanted to make sure
that this trail passed by some really important like anchor
institutions and cultural places and schools and things like that.

(20:36):
And so, you know, as the community engagement was happening
with the route, residents were really vocal about where it
should and should not go and the reasons why it
should go certain areas. So you know, on the west
side it goes right by Noble Elementary School. Well, that's
really important because now this creates another safe path for

(20:57):
kids who are going to and from school to get
to school. And then we get to encourage more biking
and we get to talk about bike infrastructure at our schools.
And access to bikes for students that are traveling to
some of these schools. So you know, we could have
bypassed Noble to make it a more direct trail to
something else, but why right, we want to connect it

(21:20):
to neighborhoods. We want to connect it to where people are.
And so, you know, when we talk about thirty miles,
residents were really adamant about where this trail should and
should not go.

Speaker 2 (21:31):
And rightly, so it sounds like it benefits, like you said,
all age groups and different different ethnicities and people of
all ages, and it's what you're trying to accomplish.

Speaker 4 (21:43):
So yeah, there's a term in the framework book that
people can get from our website or they can go
right to the city's website. But it's a community design
vision and that's really what this project is. It is
the culmination of you know, the kids for decades fighting
for this and residents really standing up and saying that

(22:05):
we want this. You know this where the trailhead is,
the Wes Warren, you know, the residence in that neighborhood
fought for that project to start in their neighborhood.

Speaker 3 (22:15):
They said, we want this here.

Speaker 4 (22:17):
You know, they went out, they started a nonprofit Greenway Heritage.
They hosted community events, They did a fall harvest event
to really educate their neighbors about what this would mean
for the neighborhood. And they got behind it and still
continue to stay behind it to this day.

Speaker 3 (22:32):
That's wonderful. I love it.

Speaker 2 (22:34):
If you're just joining us. Our guest today is Leanna Medley.
She's the executive director of the Joe Lewis Greenway Partnership.
So let's talk about you. Yes, Leanna, what's your background?
How did you end up with the Joe Lewis Greenway Partnership.

Speaker 3 (22:46):
Man, it's so crazy.

Speaker 4 (22:48):
I think that, you know, being here and the first
executive director for the organization is the culmination of, you know,
twenty five years of community development work. I started my
career working in big box retails. So I worked for
Home Depot for about seventeen years.

Speaker 3 (23:07):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (23:08):
Yeah, And you know, with that time at Home Depot,
I spent a great deal of my time working on
projects funded by the Home Depot Foundation, where we deploy
you know, millions of dollars in to Michigan into community
organizations and nonprofits. So I did that for my entire

(23:28):
time there, worked on hundreds of community based projects. Left
home Depot, went and worked in worked at Bedrock Detroit,
so worked for a developer and dead Also it's of
really phenomenal work there working on community engagement, strategic partnerships
and diversity, equity and inclusion. And then I got called
to apply for this job. It wasn't on my radar.

(23:52):
When I did, I was like, this is where I
should be. I mean, when I told everybody, this is your.

Speaker 3 (23:57):
Job, sounds amazing it was They were like, it sounds amazing.

Speaker 4 (24:01):
And I was just honored to be asked to put
my name in a hat into interview. And when I
got the job, it's just been for me a dream
job ever since. I get to work in the community
and the city that I love. I get to work
with other cities that I know really well, but I

(24:22):
get to learn about them in a different way. And
then I get to, you know, work on this massive,
you know, once in a lifetime transformational project for our
read guentification.

Speaker 2 (24:32):
People like the memories people will have from what you're creating.

Speaker 3 (24:35):
How exciting is that?

Speaker 4 (24:37):
I can tell you know, in the short time that
we have been programming, I can tell so many stories,
but one is of a young man. I'm not going
to give his name, but my first encounter with him,
you know, he was on the Greenway and these kids
were acting a little ruely and they kicked over the
garbage cans and I went and I was like, you know,
you even need to pick that garbage can up, and
I mean, he just went berserk. He was just, you know,

(24:59):
just truly and disruptive. And I was like, man, this
kid is terrible, and so, you know, we left and
I didn't say anything. Well about two weeks ago, I
had one of my board members out on the Greenway
and we were doing a tour with their team, and
this very same young man was out on the Greenway
and he came over and he said, you know, you're
my favorite manager up here, right And I said, I know.

(25:22):
I said, well, my boss is coming, so do you
think you can stay? And stay a couple of words,
and he said, well, I'm too shy. I said no,
but it's my boss. He said, are you gonna get
a raised? I said, depending on how good you talk.
But he stayed and he said just a few short words.
But it was the most beautiful transition from where I

(25:44):
met him to where he was today and now one
of you know, my biggest supporters out there. He comes
up to the Greenway every day. He helps pick up
trash and clean up. I mean I can ask him anything, obviously.
I mean I asked him to speak before a group
of adults about his experience as a thirteen year old
on the Greenway and he did. And so those are

(26:05):
the things that make this work fulfilling. I don't believe
that work has to be your passion. I believe it
can be. Unfortunately, I get to wake up and my
work is.

Speaker 3 (26:17):
Oh gosh, that's a great story.

Speaker 2 (26:20):
Yeah boy talking about really being part of somebody's growth
and their life.

Speaker 4 (26:24):
Man, I mean I get to see and it's so
funny because after he said his like two words, I
mean he literally said two words, he took off running.
And so I was headed out of town and I
called one of my managers and I said, hey, I'm leaving,
and I told her what happened. And I said, when
you see him, if you can go, get him a
gift card for me and just tell him I said,

(26:44):
thank you. Like he just does not understand how much
he paid me for doing that, Like how much he
gave to me from the first day I saw him.
And that's why we do it right, for those individual
stories to come to lights that this young man has

(27:06):
a safe place to come. We are now programming with
Chess and we were talking my team was talking about
the chess that we're now having out there and the
chess instructor just being able to connect with these young people.
I mean, it's a challenging time in our city right now,
and we're constantly thinking about how do we create experiences

(27:30):
where young people get to see themselves doing something different.
I mean we're thinking about I have a partner that
reached out about getting we call them those little ac cars,
right so that you know, like what can we just
expose these kids to that will put them in a
place of joy and happiness and abundance, that will give

(27:55):
them something else to think about. And so we're constantly
thinking about that. I mean, we bring out, like jinga
life size connect for we have a partner come play
Detroit that just comes out there and you know, we'll
throw a football around with the kids, and so that
begins to be you know, in him is the thing
that's in my mind every day about what can we

(28:17):
do to create more experiences for him so that he
can see himself outside of whatever his current condition is.

Speaker 3 (28:26):
Right, Yeah, well amazing.

Speaker 2 (28:28):
Who are some of the key partners you work with
and how do they make projects happen?

Speaker 4 (28:32):
Yeah? I mean so I would start with our cities, right, So,
the City of Detroit, the City of Dearborn, Hinland Park,
and ham Trammick. You know, I spend a great deal
of my time working with those cities because for us,
it's important that we build it. Then it goes to
our community partners, working with the residents, the block clubs,

(28:52):
the neighborhoods, associations, the churches. You know, those are really
the connectors for us to make sure that as we
think about our programming, it's reflective of what they want
to see. Our funders have made possible for us to
be able to do this work, for me to be
here and to build a team, you know. So whether

(29:13):
it is you know, Wilson Foundation, Davidson Foundation, the Gilbert
Family Foundation, Hudson Weber, you know, song Night, you name it.
We have a lot of really great supporters and one
of the reasons they support this project is not just
about the physical public space. It is about the potential
for this public space, this built environment to really have

(29:36):
a tangible impact on the lives of people, and not
just because they get to go out and sit and
people watch or come to an event, but also how
do we think about the actual economic mobility that this
public space can have on the lives of residents and
the people who live in the neighborhoods that surround it.

(29:57):
And we've seen it happen in other greenway projects, right.
The one thing that we have done differently in this
region is we have really intentionally thought about how do
we mitigate displacement, how do we mitigate gentrification while encouraging
economic development that is focused on residential retention and the

(30:22):
growth of the people who live there. Right, So, we
want the neighborhoods to advance, but the advancement includes the
people who are there right right. And so for us,
it is the public space and the built environment is
really the conduit or the vessel for us to make
sure that the residents there have an opportunity to actually
tangibly benefit.

Speaker 3 (30:43):
From years and years to come to, years and years
to come.

Speaker 4 (30:46):
Right. So, as we begin to think about how do
we repopulate some of these commercial corridors that have been
overrun with you know, industrialization, these you know, large scale manufacturing,
you know, things that are happening in some of our neighborhoods.
How to and so, you know, the City of Detroit
did a planning study. So while we were you know,

(31:06):
the City Detroit was building it and designing it, they
were also saying, Okay, now we need to do Now,
we need to talk to residents about what's important to
them from an economic impact perspective and what we need
to focus on, which is completely different than other cities
that have done this. You know, you can look at
Atlanta and the Beltline, which is a beautiful place, but

(31:27):
you ask yourself, where are the residents that used to
live there?

Speaker 3 (31:31):
Right?

Speaker 4 (31:31):
Where have they gone? They have been dispersed right right
and here, and that we don't want.

Speaker 3 (31:35):
That, Nope.

Speaker 4 (31:36):
And so the City of Detroit you can find on
the City of Detroit's website the JLG planning study, again
led by residents, supported by the city. Residents engaging their
neighbors about what do you want to see happen from
this project and what do you not want to see
happen from this project? So, you know, and we get

(31:58):
calls from all around the country read people asking us
how are you doing this? Because we want to make
sure that we build the beautiful thing, but we retain
the residence and residence then benefit from it.

Speaker 2 (32:10):
So the address where you should start your journey with
the Joe Louis Greenway is eighty thirty four Yes, West Warren.

Speaker 3 (32:19):
Yes, put it in your GPS. Good is it? And
get a walk in. My friends, that's walking. Be careful
on that slide.

Speaker 2 (32:28):
Our guest today is been Leona Medley, executive director of
the Joe Louis Greenway Partnership. What a joy and boy
oh boy, can we not wait to see what happens
over time with us.

Speaker 3 (32:36):
Thank you so much for joining me. Thank you Collen
for having me.

Speaker 1 (32:40):
This has been light up the d a community a
fairs program from iHeartMedia Detroit. If your organization would like
to get on the program, email Colleen Grant at iHeartMedia
dot com. Here are all episodes on this station's podcast page.