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Detroit's
Mexicantown
Seeks
Federal
Historic
Recognition
Southwest
Detroit's
century-old
Latin
American
legacy
could
join
National
Register
of
Historic
Places
DETROIT
-
Detroit's
vibrant
Mexicantown
district
moved
one step
closer
to
federal
historic
recognition
this
week as
city
officials
prepare
to
formally
nominate
the area
for
listing
in the
National
Register
of
Historic
Places.
The
Detroit
City
Council
Historic
Designation
Advisory
Board
will
present
its
nomination
for the
Bagley-West
Vernor
Historic
District
at a
public
meeting
Thursday
at 4
p.m.,
marking
the
culmination
of a
four-year
effort
to
document
and
preserve
the
neighborhood's
rich
Latin
American
heritage.
The
proposed
historic
district
encompasses
both
sides of
Bagley
Street
and West
Vernor
Highway
between
16th and
Ferdinand
Streets,
including
beloved
community
institutions
like
Mexican
Village,
Tamaleria
Nuevo
Leon,
and
Xochimilco
restaurants
that
have
anchored
the
neighborhood
for
generations.
"We need
a Latinx
historic
context
study to
help us
uplift
our
stories
and our
impact,"
said
District
6
Council
Member
Gabriela
Santiago-Romero.
"Ultimately,
we will
have a
designated
Latinx
historic
site in
the
city,
along
with our
stories
captured
for
generations."
The
nomination
recognizes
more
than a
century
of
cultural
contributions
by
Mexican,
Cuban,
Puerto
Rican,
and
other
Latin
American
immigrants
who
transformed
Southwest
Detroit
into one
of the
Midwest's
most
distinctive
ethnic
enclaves.
Community
members
established
markets,
restaurants,
stores,
and
social
service
organizations
that
solidified
their
presence
and
created
lasting
institutions.
Community
Voices
Drive
Documentation
The
historic
district
nomination
grew out
of a
community-driven
project
funded
by a
2021
National
Park
Service
Underrepresented
Communities
grant.
City
historians
worked
closely
with
longtime
residents
to
collect
memories
and
stories
dating
back to
the
1920s,
when the
first
waves of
Latin
American
immigrants
began
settling
in the
area.
Those
oral
histories
were
compiled
into a
comprehensive
report
titled
"Survey
of
Detroit's
Latinx
Communities,
1915-1980,"
now
available
in both
English
and
Spanish
on the
city's
historic
preservation
website.
The
document
captures
decades
of
community
building,
from
early
immigrant
experiences
to the
establishment
of
businesses
and
cultural
organizations
that
continue
to
define
the
neighborhood
today.
"The
project
centered
on
community
voices,"
said
Janese
Chapman,
director
of the
Historic
Designation
Advisory
Board.
The
approach
ensured
that the
neighborhood's
story
would be
told
through
the
experiences
of
families
who
lived
it.
Benefits
and
Protections
If
approved,
the
National
Register
designation
would
provide
several
benefits
while
maintaining
property
owners'
rights.
The
honorary
recognition
opens
access
to state
and
federal
tax
credits
and
historic
preservation
grants
that can
fund
building
renovations
and
educational
programs.
Importantly,
the
listing
does not
prevent
property
owners
from
modifying
their
buildings
or
restrict
development,
addressing
a common
concern
in
gentrifying
neighborhoods.
The
National
Register
of
Historic
Places,
managed
by the
National
Park
Service,
serves
as the
nation's
official
inventory
of
historic
sites
worthy
of
preservation.
Over its
59-year
history,
the
register
has
recognized
more
than
100,000
locations
across
the
country.
Public
Input
Sought
Community
members
will
have the
opportunity
to
comment
on the
proposed
designation
and
learn
more
about
the
process
at
Thursday's
meeting,
which
will be
held at
the
Mexicantown
Community
Development
Corp.
offices
at 2835
Bagley
Street.
The
timing
of the
meeting
location
underscores
the
project's
community-centered
approach,
taking
place in
the
heart of
the
district
being
considered
for
recognition.
For
Southwest
Detroit's
Latin
American
community,
the
potential
designation
represents
long-overdue
acknowledgment
of their
role in
shaping
the
city's
cultural
landscape.
The
neighborhood's
restaurants,
markets,
and
community
organizations
have not
only
served
local
residents
but have
also
drawn
visitors
from
across
the
region,
making
Mexicantown
a
cultural
destination
that
showcases
Detroit's
diversity.
More
information
is
available
at
detroitmi.gov/hdab.
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