Community Roots and Thriving Neighborhoods: The Spirit of Belonging at 1309 Madison

 

Is there a place in your neighborhood where community just seems to happen? Maybe it’s the daycare drop off, where you offer a warm hello to your neighbor. Perhaps it’s your church, where you share a cup of coffee after a service. Or maybe, like many, it’s the grocery store, where you bump into a friend, reaching for the same loaf of bread or carton of milk. These ordinary spaces can foster deep connections and thriving communities.

It was one of these everyday, ordinary spaces that started it all for Frank Thomas and Wilson Tate; two lifelong friends who would have a significant impact on our community. Their families, like many others, migrated from the South to Michigan in search of opportunity and a better life. The Thomas and Tate families settled in Michigan where the two came to work together at “Bi-Lo Grocery”, a Kroger-owned market on Jefferson Avenue in Grand Rapids. Bi-Lo closed its doors when Kroger left most of Grand Rapids in the early 1980s. Rather than seeing the store’s closing as a setback, the two men and their spouses saw an opportunity. Combining their entrepreneurial spirits and knowledge of the grocery business, they set out to start their own store. In 1983, Thomas and Tate purchased 1309 Madison (previous location of A&P Food Store, Eberhard Super Food Market and Madison Food Town) and refurbished the building, opening the first black-owned grocery store in the neighborhood, “Madison Food Center.”

Their new business thrived, catching the attention of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, where Frank Thomas served for twelve years. The sense of belonging in Madison Square was strong – so much so that neighbors continued to call the store “Food Town” long after Thomas and Tate opened their Madison Food Center. The grocery store proved to be a hub for community. By 1989, they needed more space and moved to 1226 Madison (currently the home of The Great Giant Supermarket), opening a new store on April 18, six years after their first. The business became Michigan’s largest black-owned grocery store. They operated the store until retiring in 2022.

When Thomas and Tate left 1309 Madison, the building continued its service as a community hub by becoming “Project Focus” for the Grand Rapids Child Guidance Center and Arbor Circle. In 2001, the building housed the African Center for the Madison Area Neighborhood Association as well the International Child Development Center, Majid Mohammad Mosque, the African Community Center, and Oodles and Noodles Childcare.

But like so many landmarks, 1309 Madison eventually fell silent. Since 2008, the building at 1309 Madison is closed, boarded, and used for storage by the current owner. However, that’s not the end of the story.

In March 2025, ICCF broke ground on a transformative new development at 1309 Madison and property across the street, 415 Adams, which together will bring 45 new affordable apartments to Southeast Grand Rapids. These new homes will not only provide safe, stable homes for local families, they will also carry forward the spirit of the community that has always existed at this address.

Prior to the groundbreaking, ICCF asked the neighborhood what this space needed, and in fall 2023, invited community members to gather for an open house. The feedback from neighbors and area nonprofits was clear: this should be a place where neighbors continue to connect. With that priority in place, the new building at 1309 Madison was designed to include a community room, providing a new space where residents can cross paths with their neighbors and create thriving community. Across the street at 415 Adams, a new play space will provide a place for neighborhood children to gather and grow.

For many, the return of life and activity at 1309 Madison is deeply personal. The families who once shopped at Food Town, worked at the daycare, or worshiped in the mosque will soon welcome new neighbors to this very same space. Locally owned and operated by ICCF Community Homes, the new apartments at 1309 Madison and 415 Adams will remain in the hands of the community, providing a testament to Frank Thomas and Wilson Tate’s legacy and a symbol of what’s possible when neighbors build together.