Share

Home

Welcome to the 18th Street

 

Design Build Green Hub

01

About the 18th Street Design Build Green Hub

The project is the conversion of a Queen Ann house in Southwest Detroit into a design-build green hub. We will develop programming to provide workshops, training’s, consulting and advocacy from the hub for navigating built environment processes for small minority contractors and local residents with community projects.

The hub is located in the Hubbard-Richard neighborhood in District 6, an area earmarked for over $800 million investment over the next 5-10 years, including the development of the neighboring Michigan Central train station by Ford which is expected to attract over 5,000 new residents to the area. In addition,  nearby Gordie Howe Bridge estimated at $5.7 billion.

The shortage of skilled trades workers and broken industry pipeline is one of many barriers in building an equitable city. Inclusion, mentor-ship and access give residents more than a job, but career pathways into livable wages. Community hubs play a major factor in centralizing and accessing opportunities and information for those disenfranchised so they can benefit economically from development taking place locally.

With this in mind, we understand our strength is in sharing our knowledge of design-build processes, facilitating collaborations, and supporting community organisations and local stakeholders.

To address barriers, we will co-create and host educational workshops on navigating construction and design-build.

Programming will be delivered by ‘Detroit Future Ops’ (DFO), a social development arm of AGI. DFO will build capacity in the construction industry using a “bottom up” approach guiding local businesses owners and elevating them so they can grow and take advantage of incoming investments.

The hub will demonstrate and showcase how the process of inclusive-design can engage residents respectfully while being sensitive to the community culture that already exists.

We engaged local residents in opportunities to share their stories, recording local narratives to preserve history, and sharing design ideas. Once in operation we will continue this reciprocal learning that has made the development process part of the property’s own narrative.

02

Our Team

Luis Ali Founder / City Builder / MSgt Click Here To Learn More Tanya Saldivar-Ali Place Maker/ 2nd Generation Entrepreneur/ Speaker Click Here To Learn More Rachel Harb Project Manager / Education Coordinator / Grant Writer / Event Planner Click Here To Learn More Seann Lewis Entrepreneur/ VR Specialist/ Bunker Lab Buddy Click Here To Learn More Nathan Wight Architect / Entrepreneur Unfolding Architecture, PLLC Click Here To Learn More Marcela Did Alcade Interior Designer Click Here To Learn More Kevin McNeely Cool Dude Click Here To Learn More Esteban Cabello, PE, FASPE Mechanical Engineer Engineer / Educator / Author Click Here To Learn More Eddi Gonzales Creator/ Graphic Designer / Entrepreneur Click Here To Learn More
03

Tours

Tour of construction using 3D Scan

View Project

“If These Walls Could Talk” Preview is now open! Full Exhibit coming soon.

View Project

First Site Tour using photospheres

View Project