Our Mission
Preserve
Promote
Enrich
Our Story
In 1989, a group of Latino community leaders, with expertise in business development and training, unified in the mission to create a Latino-owned and operated agency—MexicantownCDC. Informed by its guiding principle “A strong ethnic identity equals a strong economy”, MexicantownCDC would train community residents in entrepreneurship to resume economic ownership of community businesses and empowerment of community residents that had been severed with the construction of the I-75 freeway in the early 1960s.
In 2007, MexicantownCDC became a leader in the revitalization of Southwest Detroit with the $17.5 M development of its Welcome Center and Mercado buildings and outdoor plaza, honoring Latino contributions to Detroit and Michigan.
Its high-quality, affordable retail space and popular Mexicantown LatinoCultural Center/Art Gallery/community meeting space, housed in the Plaza DelNorte building, ensure Southwest Detroit’s access to economic and cultural growth. Four thousand individuals currently flow monthly through the MexicantownCDC campus, conducting business with the State of Michigan’s Welcome Center, the Secretary of State offices, the DTE Energy payment center, the Detroit Works Career Center and the Southwest Economic Solutions’ offices.They also interact with the Gleaner’s of Southeastern Michigan Food Distribution hub and with a number of non-profit organizations providing services housed inthe Mexicantown Mercado building.
Our Team
Board of Directors
Dr. Fern Espino
Chairperson
Mr. Raul Soto
Secretary
Mr. Andy Gutierrez
Treasurer
Mr. Michael Kaszubski Board Member
Meet the Team
Raymond Lozano
Executive Director
Georgina García
Operations Manager
Vanessa Mccartney
Office Manager
Chavon Herndon
Finance Manager