The Avenue of Fashion was one of Detroit’s most famous and elite shopping districts during the 20th century.

Like New York City'sFifth Avenue, the district was known for its specialty stores and small boutiques that sold jewelry, furs and high-end fashions. The district even housed branches of Detroit's original chains like retailer B. Siegl and Sibley’s Shoes.

But the district’s livelihood declined in the 1950-60s when many customers moved to the suburbs or went to shop outside the city, drawn by the convenience and novelty of places like Northland Center in Southfield, leaving the Avenue of Fashion behind.

Behind but not forgotten.

Today, boutiques, art galleries, spas and restaurants owned by Detroiters remain committed to the success of the community line Livernois at 7 Mile,the heart of the district, which stretches to 8 Mile.

And on Monday, Dawn Sanford, with a $55,000 award from Motor City Match, joined current store owners seeking to keep the district's history alive amid hopes of growth and change.

Sanford, a Saginaw native and barber in Detroit for 32 years, is opening Shears & Shaves Barber and Spa, a grooming and spa service she hopes will serve residents in the neighborhood. By choosing the Avenue of Fashion for her new venture, Sanford will continue to seek compassion through barbering, she said in a news release.

“My longtime dream of creating a neighborhood barber and spa where people and families come together for community and camaraderie has been realized,” she said of the project.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was among more than 100 people on hand for the grand opening.

“I couldn’t be happier to congratulate Dawn as she realizes her dream of opening her own business in Detroit,” he said. Programs like Motor City Match "are built to help longtime residents like Dawn turn their dreams of owning a business into reality so they can participate in our city's ongoing revitalization and create opportunities for others.”

Motor City Match is an effort by the city to revive retail storefronts on the city's old commercial corridors by matching landlords and entrepreneurs. Dozens of awards have been made since the program started in summer 2015.

The salon's grand opening comes as the City of Detroit invests in several neighborhoods, including the shopping district.

Construction crews are working to remove the median on Livernois that some businesses had said kept shoppers away when it was added a few years ago. Sidewalks are being extended for cafe seating and center turn lanes, new lighting and landscaping are being added, according to the City of Detroit’s website.

There also will be dedicated bike lanes.

"The Livernois Streetscape project represents a significant opportunity to create a more pedestrian-friendly retail destination in one of the city’s most historic and important commercial corridors,” said Council Member Roy McCalister in an online statement about the project when it was announced.

But construction is impacting shopping.

A few businesses, including Kuzzo's Chicken and Waffles, have closed either permanently or temporarily during the renovations. Kuzzo's co-owner Ron Bartell said in July that the restaurant had planned to shut down in August for extensive kitchen renovations, but the street construction caused them to push the timeline up.

“It was something we have been looking at for two years and the construction moved everything up fast,” Bartell said. “That construction is causing issues for everyone."

Candace Lee, owner of the fashion accessory store Motown’s Baglady, has been on Livernois since 2008.

“My inspiration comes from Detroit itself,” she said. “I represent fashion (and) I represent Detroit.”

She said the street was quiet and empty when she first moved in, but that new businesses started sprouting through the years. She said the new construction is having a detrimental effect on her community.

“Due to the mass amount of construction, it declined the traffic,” Lee said. “It has made sales drop and it is kind of a headache. My understanding is that construction won’t be finished until December, which has put a hard hit on Livernois.”

Similarly, the owner of Detroit Professional Racquet Services Michael Banks recalls a time when residents of close-by neighborhoods like Sherwood Forest, University District and Palmer Woods would come to the Avenue of Fashion to pay their bills, stroll and shop.

Banks has owned a storefront on the Avenue since 1985.

“I’ve been on the Avenue of Fashion almost 35 years. I’ve seen (stores) come and go,” he said.

He said the current construction on Livernois has affected many of the stores around him but he has not lost optimism.

“A lot of different businesses are coming on the Avenue of Fashion, which is good," Banks said. "That means you get a different kind of people coming through.”

“I plan on being here another 20 years,” he added.

Free Press staff writers Susan Selasky and John Gallagher contributed to this report.