Bank Suey

In 2014, Alissa purchased a building in the center of her neighborhood to transform it into a community space.
The Shelton family spent 2 years restoring the interior of this historic 1920s Bank building, including plaster ceilings, unearthing historic tiles, and restoring historic fixtures.
Alissa programmed and curated over 350+ public events, exhibitions, and workshops. Now, the building hosts the cooperatively-led bookstore Book Suey. In 2022 Shelton and Anderson led an extensive intervention towards exterior restoration, cleaning and repairing the pre-cast limecrete exterior.

See Banksuey.com to learn more!

Founder, Redevelopment, Curator

Detroit Future City

Detroit Neighborhood Housing Compact

Alissa managed the Detroit Neighborhood Housing Compact, a cross-sector initiative of 80+ stakeholders working to expand the availability of quality, affordable housing in Detroit neighborhoods.

She curated and led monthly learning sessions for housing practitioners: facilitating targeted work groups, co-creating tactics to improve and create research on Detroit’s housing system, and organizing around policy solutions.

See DFC’s website to learn more.

Università Iuav di Venezia

After 12+ years working in the field, Alissa decided to return to accademia and move to Venice Italy for IUAV’s master in urban planning for transition.

Master's Candidate

THIS SITE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION MORE COMING SOON

To learn more about Alissa’s other work get in touch!

Learn more!

Brick + Beam Detroit

Executive Director

Shelton was the first Executive Director at B + BD, a program which grows capacity and community around home repair and building rehabilitation.
During her time at the org, Shelton produced over 38 classes, with over 900 participants. B+BD strives to make the skilled trades accessible through low-cost hands-on programming and online resources. She expanded B+BD’s work, hosting the first series-style class: a wood windows intensive, and delved into new issues of systemic property challenges, such as property tax appeals. Learn more about BBD here!

IncDev Alliance

Director, Training & Alumni Relations

Incremental Development Alliance is a national non-profit championing a generative real estate model: places are built and maintained by the people who live there.

Shelton led IncDev’s workshop series, delivering a training series with local partners (CDCs, municipalities, block clubs, activists, small businesses etc.)
Key Communities: Memphis, Oklahoma City, Peoria, Atlanta, Houston, Asheville, Miami, Kansas City, Salt Lake City, South Bend, Detroit/Highland Park.

Projects