Protecting Detroit's Historic Food District

Eastern Market Corp, the nonprofit that manages the Eastern Market food district in Detroit, is developing a set of protocols to uphold an ambitious set of principles, according to an article by Annalise Frank:

The list of a dozen points that's under development would address the 'core values of the market,' such as carving out 25 percent 'affordable' space for small businesses, and could determine whether or not Eastern Market supports a developer's project, said Dan Carmody, president of the nonprofit.

Frank adds more about the limitations of the system later int he article:

Eastern Market Corp. doesn't have the "ability to tell people how to run their business," he said, but it could use this protocol to score a building project in the market and decide whether or not the nonprofit will give support to the project in the course of city of Detroit approvals.

According to Frank, the Eastern Market, located in an historic neighborhood north of downtown is facing development pressure that local preservationists fear could alter the inclusivity and historic character of the market. "The district's growing pains came to a head this week when longtime fixture Russell Street Deli announced it would close in September due to a dispute with its new landlord, Nelson, over repairs and a proposed rent increase from $1,700 to $3,500 a month," according to Frank.