Chadsey/Condon focuses on small victories in turnaround efforts

To an outsider, the neighborhood blocks surrounding Warren and Livernois avenues near the Jeffries Freeway and Grand Boulevard might appear to be just another struggling section of Detroit. But to residents of what’s known by The Skillman Foundation and its partners as the Chadsey/Condon community, the area is a city symbol, proud of its landmarks and history.

From the legendary Kronk Gym that produced multiple world champion boxers to the recently demolished Charles E. Chadsey High School that helped birth NFL and NBA stars (as well as the neighborhood’s name), Chadsey/Condon’s heritage is distinct. In recent years, however, the community has struggled not only with larger, citywide issues of crime, vacant housing and recession, but against an enemy that threatened to prolong the harmful epidemics: apathy.

Chadsey/Condon Community Organization (CCCO) is chipping away at the status quo of neighborhood deterioration in efforts to improve the quality of life for about 30,000 Southwest Detroiters.

“My focus has been on increasing the visibility of the organization and in building the organization’s capacity,” says Tracy Lewis, who heads the CCCO.

There was a sense of “burnout” among some board members and organization supporters who felt they’d attended “meetings upon meetings” without measurable progress, Lewis adds. Since becoming CCCO’s executive director in early 2011, Lewis says that she’s attempted to re-focus the organization toward achieving “small victories.” With nearly half of 2011 still ahead on the calendar, supporters call Lewis’ efforts, so far, a success. Chadsey/Condon’s accomplishments this year include:

• A spring retreat to Wayne State University’s McGregor Memorial Conference Center where about nine CCCO board members convened to revise their mission statement and strategic plan.
• A CCCO open house and “re-introduction to the community” that attracted about 200 people to Chadsey/Condon’s Boys & Girls Club on Livernois. 
• Helping to provide about 20 Chadsey/Condon students with new shoes and books for school. 
• Voluntary clean-up of two neighborhood parks. 
• Sponsoring a family giveaway of gently-used clothing at New Starlight Baptist Church. 

With support from such partner agencies as Southwest Solutions, Prevailing Community Development Corp. and Alternatives for Girls, Lewis says the work of neighborhood improvement has been a joint effort. As an outgrowth of Skillman’s Good Neighborhoods program, which emphasizes grant funding and mobilizing support in the six regions of Detroit that have the city’s largest population of children, the CCCO is grateful for the Foundation’s backing. Adds Lewis: “But we don’t want to become completely dependent on Skillman in moving the community forward into better circumstances.

“There’s always the goal of what we can do to help our children in the community, with all sorts of different views, naturally, about how to reach the goal.”

Of the CCCO’s four action committees – healthy and safe neighborhoods, youth and economic well-being, youth programs, and school and educational improvement – three impact Chadsey/Condon’s estimated 11,000 youth more directly than other residents. The organization’s goal of tearing down abandoned homes is directly tied to its support of a location for Munger school, which is scheduled to re-open. Some would like Munger to receive students again at its current site of Martin and McGraw, but since Chadsey’s demolition, most neighbors are also concerned about where Munger graduates will continue their education, Lewis says.

“We’ve been advised that it’s going to re-open as a K through 8, but many of the residents have spoken vehemently against it opening as a K through 8 with no discussion of what will happen to the eighth graders,” she says. “The residents don’t want them to be bused to Western [high school]. The conversation has included what we can do about getting another high school in the area.”

Meanwhile, the neighborhood plans to keep “stepping up” its clean-up efforts, Lewis adds. A collaboration with Core City Neighborhoods to get rid of debris in the area between Jeffries and Grand Boulevard drew about 30 people, and CCCO hopes that a July 23 effort will attract as many volunteers, or more.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, and to keep everybody inspired, we’ve got to have some checks in the ‘win’ column,” says Lewis. “Beautification is not easy, but it’s very visible.”

Chadsey/Condon will likely get a boost in the visibility department from the popular volunteer program Summer in the City, whose members are on board to collaborate with residents and paint a mural at a site to be determined. Summer in the City emphasizes Detroit neighborhood activism in the categories of “paint” to create brighter images, “plant” to increase green space and “play” to provide children with activities.

Ben Falik, Summer in the City’s founder, says the CCCO and Chadsey/Condon residents are a deserving group, who Summer in the City volunteers are eager to assist.

Adds Falik, “I think it’s a great organization and a great community, and we’re looking forward to working with them.”