About the LOVE Building

The LOVE Building is a hub for social justice and creative community, located in Detroit’s Core City neighborhood.  Serving as the home for Seven organizations.  It will offer community programming and flexible event spaces for the surrounding neighborhood and the city as a whole.  The LOVE Building is an auxiliary organization of Allied Media Projects (AMP).  

Prospective Projects & Initiatives

Annual Programming @ LVB (Events & Activities) - $300K

We as a team with support from our tenant partners and area residents have created a list of events and activities that we will spearhead and bring to LVB. We have estimated that ~$300k will be enough to cover all costs associated with making this happen for the year. In addition, we are experimenting with a program that opens up our space to residents and area non-profits free of charge as long as those events are free to the general public and align with our values and/or relate to our programming concentration areas of Health, Wealth, or Love.

Click to view more information about: LOVE BLDG Building Programming Ideas

NOTE: This is a growing list of ideas we’re considering & planning towards, with your input (and others) we will soon finalize a portion of these, which will then support us creating a schedule/calendar.

Lending Library (Equipment, Seeds, and Books) - $200K

We have created an inventory of all equipment held by LVB + Tenant Partners (and are now looking at AMP’s Sponsored Projects) so that we are aware of all that we have throughout our network. We are now identifying which equipment we all are collectively willing to lend/rent out with regularity to create an equipment library, we will similarly be doing the same for seeds and books. With $200k dedicated to this project we believe we will be able to buy additional equipment that will supplement what already exists across our network to create a robust library that will support creatives and producers of various media across Detroit.

Pocket Full of LOVE Park (CBA+) - $150K-200K

Activating the outdoors of our building by developing a terrace, a pocket park with amphitheater seating, and community-centric programming, which will provide a community gathering space for us, the Core City neighborhood and area residents.

• As of now we have a very small stretch of land on the corners of Grand River & 15th, we have spent a hefty amount to get electricity to the site so we will use it regardless, but the highest hope is that we will be able to get another parcel of land for a larger park, not so close to frequent/ongoing traffic

• Kwaku met w/ Detroit Land Bank Authority (Jamie Furst) on 5/3/24 and she submitted an inquiry for us to purchase 4642 15th St (tracking #: INQ-272303) which would be an ideal site for our park

• We are also exploring the acquisition of the large stretch of green land adjacent to our parking lot - currently owned by Designing Justice + Designing Spaces (DJDS) - we last met with them on 4/30/24 (see below External Projects to see DJDS’s current plans)

Click to view more information about: LOVE BLDG Pocket Full of LOVE Park - DTE Community Transformation Proposal

Financial Freedom for Nonprofits

Non-profit pooled fund - Initial Support ~$250K: We are targeting at least 20 non-profit organizations to begin (we currently have 11 that are interested/committed).

The General Idea: Nonprofits with excess unrestricted funds will invest ~10-20% of their respective excess dollars into a Cooperative Capital fund to invest in community-based projects (real estate, businesses, etc.)

• There are a number of nonprofits that have excess unrestricted funds sitting idly in bank accounts. (My 1st hand experience based on boards I’ve served on has allowed me to see that several nonprofits fit this profile and the range of excess funds has ranged from $50k - $1.5M)

• We will be searching for a foundation that can prospectively be a Guarantor, in the case of a non-profit having an emergency situation that necessitates them needing their invested dollars urgently, the foundation would take their respective position. If we can find a willing foundation to serve in this capacity we will standardize non-profits investing 20% of their excess unrestricted funds.

• Acquire established community-based enterprises (silver tsunami is main target) with strong-sound financials and at least 5 years of strong operating history

• Leveraging 5+ years of financials to apply a straightforward/fair acquisition price

• Use 10-20% of capital from community, rest of acquisition to be financed via loans (ie SBA 7a)

• Positive Free Cash Flows pay off loans completely in 3-4 years (baked into our acquisition price) and become long-term dividends for non-profits

• Choice Real estate projects: 

• 1-4 unit residential properties: rehab projects (DLBA/City-owned properties are main targets), post rehab properties will be placed for sale and/or rent. 

• Multifamily, mixed-use, commercial: Participate in capital stack. There are several mid-sized developments across Detroit that often have 10-15% funding gaps. These projects are typically deemed to be too small for CDFIs or other funders to participate in, perfect opportunities for us.

The LOVE SEA (Social Enterprise Accelerator) - ~$500K

Leveraging the Startup Studio model by further developing out The LOVE Building Team to consist of great people with the following 4 backgrounds (starting with 2 people in each):

• Marketing

• Operations

• Design (2 designers currently employed by us - where we’re currently experimenting with bandwidth, capacity, processes, structure, etc.)

• Technology

We will support capacity building of a few non-profits and incubate/work on social mission-aligned concepts with profit-making potential. Should any concept gain traction, we will spin it out of the studio and set it up as its own independent company (ie. LLC). Upwards of 20% of “equity” would be owned by non-profits (in reality it may be a revenue or profit-sharing arrangement as donations to non-profits) these prospective streams of income could overtime support non-profits sustainably building their general operating budgets. Phase 2 would involve a fellowship program for added human capital & capacity building (see below). Phase 3 would involve inviting promising social entrepreneurs into the studio where in exchange for 15-30% equity they would receive a team able to develop and execute on their concept per the traditional startup studio model. This setup could also support the operations (and prospectively management) of acquired legacy businesses via the non-profit pooled fund.

The “Commonwealth” Fellowship - $360K (Initial Cohort)

Imagine a Detroit Revitalization Fellows, Venture for America, Challenge Detroit like program however, whereas typical fellowship programs are 1 fellow to 1 organization, we’re imagining multiple fellows working together as a team servicing multiple organizations - agency/consulting style (non-profits, and early stage small businesses, startups) - this fellowship is inspired by this concept

• Michigan Central is interested in partnering with us around this. Black Leaders Detroit is also interested.

• CDAD, Co. Act, Build Institute may be other possible partners

The Culture Creators Series (LVB + WDET) - $360K

Overview: The Culture Creator Series is a multi-medium/multi-platform (website, show, podcast, events) series focused on shining a spotlight on Detroit-based talent within Music, Fashion, Fine Arts, and Food as to support the elevation of their careers, status, and celebrity.

Context: There is an abundance of talent within Detroit, however, many of our most talented are often not elevated enough to be able to fully support their professional lives and endeavors within the city. A recurring frustration expressed amongst our most talented is their feeling that they’re unable to break out within the city and consequently feel that they have to leave - moving to LA, NYC, Chicago, etc. in order to “make it”. 

In truth, there are many talented individuals within Detroit - if they grew up in any other major city doing the same thing they do here, they would be more established or even well established local celebrities. This series is aimed at fundamentally changing this current reality and sounding the horn to all that Detroit is a destination where the most creative and talented are appreciated as well as celebrated and that you can start, grow, and thrive here.

Click to view more information about: The Culture Creators Series (WDET + LVB) Project