The “Ann Arbor Observer” recently ran a piece on Zingerman’s and the prospect that they may expand into Ypsilanti. The story, I guess predictably, focused quite a bit on the challenges of doing business in Ypsilanti, with it’s high poverty rate, etc. Jean Henry, one of the principals pushing the project forward inside of Zingerman’s, recently submitted the following response to the paper. She was told that she missed the deadline for their next issue, so I thought that I’d run it here.

To the editor:

I am one of the people working with Paul Saginaw to develop a vision for a Zingerman’s project in Ypsilanti. While I am grateful for your interest in our nascent endeavor, I would like to clarify a few points. We are interested in doing business in Ypsilanti because the city is exciting and compelling with many under-appreciated assets, perfect turf for innovative, grass roots enterprise. Those with entrepreneurial drive sniff out potential where others see obstacles. Ypsilanti teems with potential. Your description of Ypsilanti mentioned only its poverty rate and median income. These often repeated statistics tell just one small part of the city’s story.

Exploring Ypsilanti for this project, I was immediately struck that much of what I miss about the “old” Ann Arbor had up and moved there. In Paul’s words, it is Brooklyn to Ann Arbor’s Manhattan. New immigrants, young innovators and even older creative class members can’t afford to live in Ann Arbor anymore. They move to Ypsi—- taking with them a diversity of culture, creative energy and economy-driving dynamism. Commercial rents are affordable for start-up businesses like VGKids, plus Ypsilanti still offers basic services and a hardware store downtown. The city itself has tremendous historical presence with a river running through it fronted by parkland designed by the Olmsted brothers. An independent, city-wide wireless network is in the works funded by good-will and cooperation not tax dollars. The Shadow Art Fair draws a capacity crowd away from Ann Arbor for truly creative and cutting edge commerce. Dreamland theatre produces edgy provocative puppet theatre from a storefront downtown. Growing Hope offers healthy food, education and empowerment from the fertile soil of community gardening. Only in Ypsilanti, could the idea of a bicycle-generated outdoor movie series take hold… first movie suggested, “Night of the Hunter” screened next to the river. Indeed, the very idea for a sliding scale restaurant did not originate with Zingermans, but in Ypsilanti with Paul Metler (also working on this project) at the now-defunct Oasis Cafe. These initiatives and others like them would have taken root in Ann Arbor when I first came here 25 years ago. From this perspective, the persistent dismissal of Ypsilanti by Ann Arborites begins to look like denial of what we have lost.

Even income and poverty statistics are somewhat misleading. Ypsi’s poverty percentage (not to mention its tax base) is drawn from a city population of just 22,000. The surrounding township population and median income are much higher. Within that, scope the poverty challenge diminishes. Within an entire county of close to 325,000 people and considerable wealth, problems of poverty and access in Ypsilanti start to appear surmountable. The city was originally a downtown hub for the larger surrounding region, drawing revenues from well beyond its own boundaries. If the city of Ypsilanti can function once more as intended, it can grow out of many of its problems.

The story of Ypsilanti’s downtown is the story of main streets across America. We miss them. Concerted efforts like Michigan’s Blueprints for Downtowns, in which downtown Ypsilanti is participant, are working to bring them back. Ypsilanti’s downtown has the capacity to serve the whole county as a unique, fun, exciting place to spend time. Part of our mission is to encourage the county as a whole to embrace the city, to help Ypsilanti move itself along for all of our sakes. Turning our backs solves nothing and sacrifices obvious potential.

I guess I’d choose the diverse community and dynamism of a shared bench to a lonely, over-stuffed armchair, no matter how comfortable, any day. My bet, our bet, is that others feel the same.

Thanks— Jean Henry, former owner Jefferson Market

From what I hear, our Mayor, Paul Schreiber, submitted a somewhat similar letter, and it will be published in their next issue.