Appropriations Requests for : ACCESS - Innovation Center Project

1. Cosponsoring legislators:

No Cosponsors

Recipient Information

2. Intended legislatively directed spending item recipient:

ACCESS - Innovation Center Project

3. Physical address of legislatively directed spending item recipient and the intended location of the project or activity:

ACCESS: 2651 Saulino Court, Dearborn, MI 48120; ACCESS Innovation Center project: 13600 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI 48126

4. The recipient's employer identification number:

237444497

Funding Details

5. Requested amount of the legislatively directed spending item:

$4,000,000.00

6. What is the purpose and how does the legislatively directed spending item provide a public benefit that is an appropriate use of taxpayer money?

ACCESS is the nation’s leading organization committed to uplifting Arab American and MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) communities through direct services and innovative education, policy, advocacy and research programs. Funds are hereby requested to rehabilitate and expand the ACCESS Innovation Center, which will centralize the agency’s core educational, training, and research work under one roof. This will not only serve educators, students, entrepreneurs, and community members across northeast Detroit and Dearborn, but will lend itself to greater efficiency and collaboration between ACCESS’ different programs. The building, which was purchased last year, is located directly adjacent to the Arab American National Museum on the city’s primary bus line, which runs along the Michigan Avenue corridor linking Detroit to East Dearborn. The ACCESS Innovation Center will serve as a hub for our agency’s critical educational work generated by ACCESS’ Youth and Education department, National Network for Arab American Communities, Center for Arab Narratives, Business Development program, and Arab American National Museum. The new center will house office and classroom space designated for ESL services, entrepreneurship programs and workshops, capacity-building programs for our National Network for Arab American Communities, and research and convening space for the Center for Arab Narratives, which informs policies and services for Arab Americans and other immigrant communities at both state and federal levels. In addition, it will provide critical overflow for the Arab American National Museum’s growing education programs, which include comprehensive workshops, outreach, and trainings tailored to educators, students, and administrators. The total cost of the center is approximately $11.5M ($1.5M for site purchase, $9.6M for rehabilitation and additional square footage, and $400K for equipment and furnishings). The realization of this project will build long-term capacity for our organizational work, as we look to centralize offices and classroom space for critical public facing programs in order to meet the different needs of our growing communities in a comprehensive and holistic manner. ACCESS’ Youth & Education Department, which is currently housed in Dearborn’s South End, delivers year-round literacy, ESL, STEM skills, and career readiness programming in high-need communities across the region. The Center for Arab Narratives, housed at the Arab American National Museum, generates community-driven research that informs census data, voting rights, and mental and physical health policy issues that affect Arab Americans and other immigrant communities. Similarly, ACCESS’ National Network for Arab American Communities builds capacity and empowers its member organizations through trainings, networking, advocacy, and civic engagement resources. ACCESS also supports local economic development through business education and tailored technical assistance, enabling entrepreneurs to grow and thrive. Finally, the Arab American National Museum offers K-12 lesson plans aligned with Michigan’s educational standards, educator and administrator workshops, and cultural experiences that integrate Arab American narratives into classrooms. Since opening in 2005, the Museum has contributed to the community economic development of East Dearborn, as walking traffic has increased, and new businesses and galleries continue to emerge along the Michigan Avenue corridor. We are confident that this project will engender even more growth and engagement opportunities for our local neighborhoods, our staff, and ultimately, the city of Dearborn.

7. Has the legislatively directed spending item previously received or been awarded any of the following types of funding in the past 5 years?

✓ Yes: State Funding

Amount received: $1,000,000.00

8. Estimated time frame for completion of the legislatively directed spending item project:

FY

Additional Information For Nonprofit Corporations

9. Is the recipient a nonprofit corporation?

Yes

4. Officers and active members on the board of directors:

CHAIR: HUSSIEN SHOUSHER; VICE CHAIR: CHRISTOPHER KHOURY, MBA, MSc; TREASURER: RAMSEY ALJAHMI; SECRETARY: MUNA JONDY; AT-LARGE: RANA ELMIR, AHMAD M. EZZEDDINE, Ph.D., MICHAEL JUCHNO MEMBERS: IBRAHIM ALHASBANI; MOHAMAD BANDAR; HASSAN BEYDOUN; BARBARA BRESSACK; RASHA DEMASHKIEH; DR. BASIM DUBAYBO; MONA HANNA, MD, MPH, FAAP; OSMAN MINKARA; ROBERT RICHARD

Certification By Sponsoring Legislator

• "I certify that my immediate family members, legislative staff members, and I have no direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the requested legislatively directed spending item."
• "I certify that the intended recipient of this legislatively directed spending item is not a for-profit entity."
• "I certify that the information in this form is true to the best of my knowledge."

Senator Sylvia A Santana