taquerias and passed out 8,000 flyers, all toward a single goal: to increase construction opportunities for Hispanic contractors in southwest Detroit.
Major projects worth billions, such as the redevelopment of Michigan Central Station and construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, along with related I-75 work, are taking place in the neighborhood that has the largest Latino community in Michigan.
Yet studies showed that few of the skilled workers who live in and around Mexicantown are employed on those projects or have other wider industry connections.
Since 2019, at least 140 contractors in the area have responded to Espinosa’s efforts to build the Michigan Hispanic Contractors Association (MI-HCA). The group connects independent contractors and small construction companies with jobs, creating economic development in southwest Detroit, where the per median household income is $30,888, compared to the Michigan average of $57,144.