That's all the buzz in Brightmoor? Meijer, of course.

Residents of the 4-square-mile enclave in northwest Detroit say the addition of a superstore to the neighborhood will only enhance the urban revitalization that has taken hold in recent years.

Brightmoor isn't overrun with new commerce, but the new Meijer store (set to open in 2015), along with strategic investment-established businesses, is creating a certain energy.

"I expect a lot of development to come next year; generally, people are looking to see what Meijer is going to generate," said Soummer Crawford, vice chair of the Brightmoor Alliance.

The most stable pocket of retail exists at Lahser Road and Grand River Avenue, where Sweet Potato Sensations, the Redford Theatre, Motor City Java & Tea House and the newest tenant, Artist's Village, are located. TechTown Detroit, which has invested about $300,000 in the area, has been coaching these businesses and merchants toward stabilization and growth.

TechTown is best known for being a high-tech incubator attached to Wayne State University, but its smaller SWOT City program assists new and existing small-business owners across the city as a way to preserve — and grow — jobs.

Brightmoor has been hit hard by crime, blight and abandoned homes, poverty and a declining population. But a community-based effort to rebound has yielded positive results.

Community gardens are thriving in Brightmoor. Thousands of dilapidated homes and commercial buildings have been demolished. Homeownership programs are encouraging those with some do-it-yourself skills to rehabilitate the area's housing stock.

There's even a new effort by an Oregon-based human milk startup to establish a hub in Brightmoor to encourage African-American lactating women to donate their breast milk to other infants in need. The company wants to bolster low breastfeeding rates among black women living in poverty.

The idea may seem unconventional, but Brightmoor is building from the ground up, and a focus on the hyperlocal economy is appropriate there, said Michelle Welsh, director of marketing and communication for TechTown Detroit.

"We've been trying to fill any void that we can to help the community," Welsh said. "There are some struggles there, and social and civic engagement is important to this community. The business engagement is one part of the puzzle, but creating a community partnership is critical as well."