History

David and Andrew discussed Detroit for over six months while the city was still in bankruptcy, planning the approach and strategy of what would become Century Partners. When it started at full speed in February 2015, and again when David moved to the city that May, those initial months were intense and filled with uncertainty. It wasn’t until the team leased its first house in August 2015 that real confidence set in. All the boxes were checked: years of research on the city, a mission worth believing in, a sound investment strategy, some friends and family capital in the bank, and a few historic homes already owned on Atkinson Street. The unknowns were real. Would Detroit residents support this? Could reliable, cost effective contractors be found? But the one thing that was certain from day one was that this venture would change everything that came after it.

When the team first visited Atkinson Street in 2014, the value was clear even if the street wasn’t yet proven. The homes had a higher vacancy rate than nearby Boston Edison, and the occupied homes needed more exterior work. But the fundamentals were strong. The location sat close to a historic neighborhood, with highway access to Midtown and Downtown. There was reason to believe the vibrancy of Boston Edison could spread to Atkinson, the way it had for other streets sitting in the shadow of a more prominent neighbor. And the people living there, many of whom had been neighbors for decades, made the case in person.

Seven years later, Atkinson Street is known throughout Detroit for its assets and attractions. Residents enjoy the newly remodeled Gordon Park. Homeowners on the street have watched investment dollars go into formerly abandoned homes, and many have since repaired their own. The mix of legacy homeowners and a newer, more diverse generation created room for a business like The Congregation to thrive as a true neighborhood asset.

The North End captured the imagination of the team from the first visit in the summer of 2014. Its jazz history ran deep, home to clubs where singers performed on their way to international stardom. The pioneering urban farming work led by Jerry Hebron was already underway. Majestic historic homes lined the neighborhood’s northern edge along Arden Park, and momentum was building from the catalytic commercial investment along John R Street led by Steven Harris. There was no hesitation about getting involved. Over 25 units of housing have since been developed in the North End, and Co-Founder David Alade called the neighborhood home for two years.

The North End is now on track to become a defining part of Detroit’s revitalization. National arts organizations have commissioned murals from local artists throughout the neighborhood, building on its artistic history. The Black Food Security Network chose the North End for a cooperative owned grocery store built around food sovereignty. New mixed use developments are underway. Investing in a neighborhood means becoming part of its history, and the North End’s next chapter is one Century Partners intends to keep writing alongside it.

Atkinson and the North End taught a lesson that carried into everything that followed: real revitalization happens block by block, and it only works with a willingness to stay long after the ribbon cutting. After closing out the first fund, the work wasn’t done. A second fund followed, then a third, scaling the same approach without losing the same question at its center: does this neighborhood have real fundamentals, and is there a willingness to commit to it for the long run.

That question led to the Fisher Building on East Fisher Freeway, a project built to be more than a renovation. The goal was a living example of what mixed use commercial space could do for a neighborhood. Today the first floor is home to Rent Free Coffee & Community, a gathering space open to the public. The second floor is being built out as a coworking and event space for future members. The third floor houses Century Partners’ own headquarters, a deliberate choice to be in the building every day rather than investing in it from a distance.

Most recently, attention has turned to Eastern Market, a neighborhood with a history and character all its own. It’s early days there, but the approach is the same one that shaped Atkinson and the North End a decade ago: talk to the people who know it best, look for the fundamentals, and commit for the long haul.

Ten years in, Detroit still surprises. The work isn’t finished.