2022 Year End Letter

Once again, we are overjoyed to announce that every donation we receive between 12/01 and 12/31 will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a generous donor (up to a grand total of $10,000).

We are pleased to report as 2022 comes to a steady close, that Preservation Detroit has wrapped up another successful year of advocacy and tours. None of our good works would be possible without generous donations to fund our mission and our operations by supporters like you.

2022 was a busy year for advocacy:

  • We continued to advocate for sensitive and sensible redevelopment for the Brodhead Armory, which passed the Historic District Commission in September.

Preservation Detroit also realized a number of smaller successes as well:

  • Supporting the Detroit Sound Conservancy’s application for preservation funding to rehabilitate the Blue Bird Inn

  • Nominating candidates for the Detroit Historic Districts Commission

  • Welcoming Jamon Jordan as Detroit’s first City Historian

  • Working with the Michigan History Center to respectfully activate the relocated Julia & Ulysses Grant Home in Eastern Market

  • Supporting the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Act Renegotiating the City of Detroit’s Programmatic Agreement with a number of other stakeholders

  • Working (albeit unsuccessfully) to reach a compromise to save the administration building of the AMC Headquarters Complex on Plymouth Road

  • Supporting MDOT and City of Detroit efforts to raise I-375 and restore long-severed neighborhood connections

  • Meeting with students from the University of Groningen to discuss the beleaguered status of non-profits in Southeast Michigan

  • Kicking off efforts encouraging the City to adopt a Preservation Plan to protect all of its irreplaceable historic resources

In 2022 the Board saw the departures of Dan Austin and Timothy Boscarino. Both have taken positions with the City of Detroit Planning Department, and we wish them success and happiness in furthering Historic Preservation from within city government.

Looking forward into 2023, we continue to advocate on your behalf as the State unrolls a new Historic Tax Credit Program, the City rewrites its Zoning Ordinance, and the State explores sensible restrictions for temporary rentals like AirBnB. We have already positioned ourselves in these discussions to support sensible protections for our Historic Districts.

Preservation Detroit's renowned tours program built upon last year's successes. Our volunteers directed 21 weekends of regular tours, conducting nearly 60 separate Saturday tours, serving over 300 guests. 

In late summer, we restarted our popular bicycle tours program with a Shore 2 Shore ride on August 7th and a Ghost Signs Discovery ride on September 11th. We also hosted over 20 private tours. And were key partners for a special week-long bus tour for 30 guests from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in September. Additionally, one of our past board members presented a session on the History of Detroit at Beaumont Dearborn's year-end meeting for nearly 200 of their staff. The season culminated in October with 5 solid weekends of Cemetery Tours - selling out all 6 dates completely. We were proud to fete our hard-working guides at Z's Villa on Monday November 7th, to express our profoundest thanks for their exceptional efforts this year.

We're looking forward to more and better in 2023 and hope that you will join us in supporting that mission to preserve the fabric of Detroit that we all treasure and love. We truly value your partnership in this effort, and we couldn't accomplish half of what we do without your yearly gifts.

Preservation Detroit's Leadership

Devan Anderson, Board President

Melanie Markowicz, Executive Vice President

Richard Summersett, Treasurer

Jeff Richards, Director

Mark Hall, Director

Tanya Stephens, Director

Samantha Ellens, Preservation Associate

Jeff Richards