A bathhouse for women to steam, receive messages and heal could soon take shape in the city – if the Detroiter behind it can raise $340,000 in the next few months.
I’Sha Schultz-Spradlin said the vision came to her in 2019 after working for several years as a massage practitioner at The Schvitz, a nearly 100-year-old bathhouse in Detroit’s North End. She said some of her female clients expressed that they weren’t comfortable in the co-ed space.
“I was feeling almost guilty of opening women up in that space,” said Schultz-Spradin of the Russian bathhouse, which has historically been a predominantly white, male space. For much of its history, it was regarded as a men’s club that allowed women to attend one night of the week, or on couples nights. “So it was like ‘I need to open a space for myself.’”
She began traveling around the world looking at bathhouses in places like Bali, Iceland, Italy as well as Korean spas in New York and scouting for potential buildings in Detroit to house the project.
Today, Schultz-Spradlin has a $1.5 million plan for the Black Moon Bathhouse, which includes renovating the former Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church on the east side with steam rooms, infrared saunas, somatic bodywork, herbal products, a greenhouse, and other wellness services. Using the building’s kitchen, the bathhouse would host food pop-ups inside, and have food trucks pop up in the parking lot.
Schultz-Spradlin has signed a 90-day agreement with the church to purchase the building and five lots, including a parking lot, for $253,000.
To date, the Detroiter has raised $60,000 toward the project through an entrepreneur fellowship for women from Detroit nonprofit BasBlue, $5,000 from an online crowdfunding platform, and contributions from an angel investor, an individual who invests in early startups in exchange for equity in the business.
But to secure a $1.5 million dollar loan for her full vision, Schultz-Spradlin needs to fundraise $400,000 within the next three months before the loan offer from Huntington Bank expires. If she doesn’t secure the funding by then, she’d have to apply for another loan that could have different terms.
On Friday, she was one of three finalists competing for $10,000 at the Colours Pride Awards Gala at Motor City Casino. The competition, hosted by the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce, seeks to “raise grant funds for newly certified LGBTQ-owned and operated businesses and increase training and resources for young entrepreneurs in metro Detroit.”
Jennifer Adderley was a client of Schultz-Spradlin, who visited her multiple times per month at The Schvitz for platza– a massage technique in which a practitioner lightly hits birch or oak branches on a person’s body to stimulate blood flow.
“I made it a point to visit when I knew she was going to be there because of her incredible healing skills and ability,” said Adderley, who has donated to the fundraising campaign.
Adderley is supportive of the bathhouse idea because of its focus on inclusivity and safety.
“It’s a space where people can actually be comfortable in their own skin and sometimes it’s one of the hardest things to achieve in day-to-day life,” she said.
Black Moon Bathhouse intends to host co-ed days, but would primarily focus on serving women and nonbinary people in the queer community, said Schultz-Spradlin, noting the importance of preserving spaces for the LGBTQ+ community amid a decline of spaces, like LGBTQ+ bars.
Schultz-Spradlin, who works full-time as a senior development associate at the Ruth Ellis Center, said that even with the funding gap, she’s confident her vision will become a reality.
“It’s going to happen,” said Schultz-Spradlin. “It might not happen within the 90 days, but I feel very confident it’s gonna happen.”
To learn more about the project or donate, click here.
Editor’s Note: Jena Brooker is also a member of the BasBlue fellowship.
Source: bing.com
