Detroit Horse Power Purchases 14-Acre Property from DPSCD; City Approves Site Plans
Nonprofit organization set to break ground this fall on the largest urban equestrian center in the country, serving Detroit youth through the power of horses
[DETROIT, MICH., June 12, 2024] — Detroit Horse Power is now two steps closer to its goal of building the country’s largest urban equestrian center in northwest Detroit.
On Tuesday, June 11, the Detroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education unanimously approved Detroit Horse Power’s purchase of a 14-acre site at Fenkell and Linwood, formerly the home of the Paul Robeson School, which was demolished in 2012 after a fire destroyed the building in 2011.
Additionally, site plan approval was granted by the City of Detroit’s Building Safety Engineering and Environmental Department, effective June 5. This represents a significant milestone as the City of Detroit embraces Detroit Horse Power’s innovative land use proposal as a result of years of engagement with local government and the Hope Village neighborhood.
The site will be the home of Detroit Horse Power’s new 26,395-square-foot urban equestrian center serving youth in Detroit through field trips, summer camps, and after-school programs, complete with stables to accommodate up to 17 horses, an indoor riding arena, outdoor riding spaces, paddocks for the horses to graze, as well as classrooms and community space.
“When we set off on this journey to do something so out-of-the-box as include horses in a Detroit neighborhood to serve young people, there was no guarantee that we’d be able to secure an appropriate site in a neighborhood that wanted this to be a part of the community’s future,” said Detroit Horse Power founder and executive director David Silver. “To have these major foundational milestones achieved is something we’re very proud of. It’s affirming to have put in a lot of work and be one step closer to the organization’s ultimate vision and providing a future that kids in our community deserve. We’re committed to reaching our long-term goals to deliver great outcomes for Detroit’s youth.”
Detroit Horse Power was founded in 2015 and uses the power of horses to instill critical social-emotional skills in Detroit’s youth between 11-18 years old, currently at partner horse facilities outside the city. By combining classroom-based lessons with trips to regional equestrian facilities, its programs aim to instill valuable PERCS skills – Perseverance, Empathy, Responsible risk-taking, Confidence, and Self-control – to help prepare students to become successful adults. The organization annually serves more than 100 kids through after-school programming and summer camps, which emphasize social-emotional learning that supports positive academic and life outcomes.
Those programs and their reach are set to expand significantly through the construction of the new facility, which will turn 14 acres of vacant land into a community asset that strengthens the fabric of the environment that youth in the surrounding neighborhoods grow up in. In turn, it will also eliminate blight, raise property values, and encourage other forms of investment, which will contribute to safer, more prosperous Detroit neighborhoods.
The organization has raised $5.2 million, with another $1.4 million pending, toward its $11.4 million capital campaign goal. Leading capital support has come from the State of Michigan, Kresge Foundation and Meijer Foundation.
Detroit Horse Power plans to break ground this fall with its partners at McIntosh Poris Architects, L.S. Brinker, Wick Buildings, and Ethos Development Partners.
For more information, visit www.detroithorsepower.org.
