Brown is an entrepreneur and native of Chicago with roots in West Bloomfield. In 2000, he moved to the area after buying a McDonald's restaurant in Southfield and building one in Detroit before meeting his wife, selling the locations and ultimately deciding that his future was with the boarded-up building on McNichols.

"We see the potential and opportunity," Brown said. "That's what most people don't see."

Marra said he has been approached by several people interested in his property, turning down proposals ranging from a mixed-use development to a medical marijuana dispensary.

"I'm opposed to big projects with big headlines because those projects don't last," Marra said. "It needs to be community-driven. (There is) more wisdom on the streets than you can get from consultants anywhere in the world."

Brown said he met with former Live6 co-directors Lauren Hood and Michael Forsyth (Forsyth is still working with the nonprofit in an advisory role) and they assisted in connecting him with the community and navigating his project through municipal hoops.

"They've just been a great resource and that's all we needed to get started," Brown said. "Hopefully going forward, that relationship will continue."

After opening Simply Breakfast, the partners plan to have the rest of the store white-boxed. Brown said Toarmina's Pizza has signed a letter of intent to open a store on the corner of San Juan Drive and he is in talks with a credit union interested in space. The partners hope to fill in the rest with a low-rent entrepreneurial club and possibly a fitness center and doctor's office.

Along with Brown's investment and the matching grant, they plan to fund the project with private investment and loans from Invest Detroit. Brown said the general contractor for the restaurant project is Pennington Construction, based in Petersburg, and the architect is Plymouth Township-based Foresta Architects.

Brown said he knows that while many may doubt the viability of his project, risks must be taken to help the neighborhood truly turn around.

"The opposite of faith is fear," Brown said. "Watch how many businesses come here after this."