Howard Family Bookstore, an all-ages bookstore, coffee shop, and community space, will open in Detroit, Mich., next year, the Detroit Metro Times reported.
 |
|
| Jerjuan Howard outside the future home of Howard Family Books | |
Bookstore founder Jerjuan Howard purchased an abandoned building on Puritan Avenue in westside Detroit earlier this year and is at work renovating the property. He plans for the space to resemble an art gallery in its design, and along with books, Howard will sell coffee, tea, juices, and flowers from a local flower garden.
The building will have a rooftop seating area, and Howard's event plans include adult spelling bees, poetry nights, comic workshops, and more. One of the store's more unusual features will be a virtual reality room where customers can see what that part of Puritan Avenue was like in the 1950s, when the city was still booming.
Noting that there are five schools within a mile and a half of the store, Howard told the Metro Times that bringing in young people is one of his main goals with the bookstore. He also wants to help boost literacy for all age groups.
"I want it to be a space where people can come, meet, and talk amongst each other, to discuss plans for their area," he said. "I want it to build community, increase literacy, and become a neighborhood hub."
Prior to founding Howard Family Bookstore, Howard created a neighborhood nonprofit called the Umoja Debate League, which helps teach public speaking skills to local youth, and he helped with the creation of another community space called Umoja Village.
"People think that they have to just accept the conditions of an area, abandoned buildings, blight, or whatever they might have an issue with, but they don't have to accept that," Howard said. "We can change our conditions if we put our heads together."
Howard hopes to have the bookstore open by early spring 2025.