Spring has sprung in downtown Detroit and soon our students will be back outside learning and playing in our outdoor space. The Downtown Boxing Gym is proud to announce we’ve received a $17,000 grant from Detroit Future City to build what’s called an Organic Bowl Lot Design in our yard.
So, what’s an Organic Bowl Lot Design? Good question!
“The Organic Bowl Lot Design occupies a double lot and is perfect for a neighborhood group that wants a space for community gatherings, picnics, or a place for children to play,” reads the Detroit Future City website. “The design includes a large open area just below street level, providing separation from traffic, and doubling as green infrastructure… This lot design requires a professional for several steps of installation.”
Once it’s ready, this bowl-shaped design will mitigate stormwater runoff from our building while also providing a beautiful green space for our students and the community. Detroit Future City awarded nine Detroit-based grassroots organizations a total of $97,000 to support the implementation various lot designs. The Downtown Boxing Gym is excited to be one of them.
“We are thrilled to partner with Detroit Future City to begin to implement the first part of a robust design for our exterior space,” says DBG Development Director Carolyn Geck. “The Organic Bowl Lot Design will create a beautiful green space for our students to enjoy while providing opportunities to learn about storm water mitigation and sustainability.”
Now in its fourth year, this grant program provides technical assistance, education and funding for Detroiters to transform vacant land into intentional, productive and well-maintained landscapes. The 2019 grantees are receiving funds provided by the Kresge Foundation for lot design implementation, maintenance and educational programming.
“In 2019, the Working with Lots Program focused on finding the ideal organizations to implement eight unique lot designs that have not yet been installed, to serve as built examples for others to learn from,” says Sarah Hayosh, DFC’s Director of Land Use and Sustainability. “We were looking for partners that are able to use this opportunity to build on work they have already been doing in their neighborhood, and for projects that connect to a larger community-led land transformation vision.”
Congratulations to all of our Detroit neighbors who received grants this year. Keep an eye out for updates as we build and grow.