Imagine a place where families felt safe to live, a place where children would ride their bicycles down the street and play with their neighborhood friends. Let’s think back to a time when kids could walk to school and their parents wouldn’t have to worry about them returning safely. Let’s recall a time when eating quality food was only a trip to your neighborhood grocery store and there was always enough to go around. You may think back and remember your own childhood; a place called home that was filled with love and positivity. However, this beautiful memory that you are thinking of is only a dream for the residents of my city. This is only a dream for a city that has been filled with blight, violence and economic distraught. This is a dream for the residents who deal with the scarcity of basic necessities such as quality food and shelter. This is only a dream for the children who cannot get a basic education because their neighborhood schools have been closed and they cannot afford cross city transportation. This is a dream for all of the teenagers that have displaced anger with no positive support or outlets. While it’s nice to have beautiful dreams Detroit residents do not have the luxury of staying asleep. We are now in a state of change and rebirth, a state that will turn the dreams of many into an everlasting reality.
“Tell me your dreams and I’ll make them come true.” When faced with this question one usually thinks of material belongings or acquiring mass amounts of wealth. However, since childhood, the only thing I have ever envisioned was paving a way for those who come after me. My passion is to ensure that no child has to endure the struggles that I faced growing up in Detroit. My dream is to rebuild and develop the city by constructing 100,000 units spread across all Detroit and surrounding areas. These properties will consist of single-family homes, apartment complexes, townhouses and commercial lofts. To make this happen I need a strong team of individuals with a passion for real estate, I would need a strong mentor with years of experience, any form of advanced training along with a supportive real estate network. Of course, money will be needed as well but I believe that this is the least of our worries currently. I understand that this will be a task that could take years and possibly even decades but this is the only dream I have. If I spend the remainder of my life working towards this dream and prove to be unsuccessful, then my only request would be for someone as brave as I was to pick up the pieces and continue where I left off. Rebuilding the city of Detroit is my dream and this business plan is the foundation to make it become a reality.