DETROIT — The Arab American and Chaldean Council (ACC) has opened the doors to its newest building dedicated to culture and social services, part of an effort to rejuvenate a Seven Mile neighborhood.

The new 13,000 square-foot Artisana and Adult Learning Center on Seven Mile Road near John R. Road in Detroit has opened its doors to the public. The building is across the street from the ACC Youth Recreation and Leadership Center and next to ACC’s Detroit Headquarters. The group broke ground on the building in July, 2007, beginning the third phase of ACC’s Seven Mile Project. PHOTOS: Khalil AlHajal/TAAN

A grand opening ceremony for the Artisana and Adult Learning Center, located at 55 West Seven Mile Road, is scheduled for 2-4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27.
“It turned the neighborhood upside down,” said ACC artistic and cultural consultant Hashim Al-Tawil, a local artist and university professor. “This is very positive. It will impact the people living there in a positive way.”

The new building is next to ACC’s Detroit Headquarters and across the street from the ACC Youth Recreation and Leadership Center.

The two-story center is to house a gallery display area, a Middle Eastern-themed café and individual workspaces for artisans on its first floor.

Al-Tawil said the space is intended for artisans who do traditional, ethnic works like calligraphy, woodwork, musical instrument crafting, ceramics, metalwork, textiles and jewelry.

“This type of work is not being promoted or preserved enough,” he said.

He said artisans will submit their work to a committee that will decide on providing them individual work booths, exhibit space and sales space in the center’s gift shop.

Seminars and classes led by top artisans will also be offered.

The first floor of the building is to provide individual workspaces for artisans who do traditional, ethnic works like calligraphy, woodwork, musical instrument crafting, ceramics, metalwork, textiles and jewelry.

Al-Tawil said the programs target not only Arab and African Americans who live in the neighborhood, but also Hispanic, Native, Asian and other Americans from throughout the region.
“There are really no boundaries,” he said. “This is the first and only place in Metro Detroit that offers this kind of service.

The center’s second floor is committed to social services and adult education programs.

ACC representatives guide people through Department of Human Services and the city of Detroit programs, with the goal of helping people who depend on public assistance to achieve independence, said case manager Ibtisam Kenaya.

ACC clients use a computer lab on the second floor of the new Artisana and Adult Learning Center, dedicated to social service programs like job training, financial workshops, continued education classes and placement testing.

The center houses a computer lab, a conference room, program offices and space for skills programs, job training, classes, financial and cultural workshops and placement testing for continued education.
The group started construction on the 13,000-square-foot building in the summer of 2007.

Monday’s grand opening will also celebrate the completion of the first phase of ACC’s Streetscape Improvement Project. Funded by the Michigan Department of Transportation and Wayne County Parks and Recreation, the project provided sidewalk improvements, brick pavers, street trees, planting beds, trash receptacles, park benches and crosswalk specialty pavers.

The group says the purpose of its Seven Mile Project is to attract people to the neighborhood, improve safety and quality of life and to provide an educational haven for youth in the area.

Al-Tawil said the project could serve as a model for programs in other struggling Detroit neighborhoods.

“This is only the beginning,” he said.