Lafayette foods update!!!

DetroitPole · June-22-11, 02:26 PM

Wow, I will have to stop by next week on my way home from work! Will probably have to make it a regular routine, too.

**stasu1213** · June-23-11, 07:16 PM

Keep up the good work Lance. Now if I could only promote Lafaytte Park to the businesses downtown where the park itself could be put to good use. Just imagine BCBS play against GM in a baseball game at the baseball diamond in Lafayette Park. Other events could be held there by the city. Just keep the grass cut

**English** · June-23-11, 07:23 PM

Been there twice now. Great place -- wish the employees and owners well.

**gthomas** · June-23-11, 07:30 PM

Great idea! I live in the Lafayette park district and I always walk thru the park often to go downtown. All those beautiful apartments, lofts and condos surrounding Lafayette Park, why isn't the park being better kept up and well used? It reminds of Central Park in New York, as a matter fact it is called Central Park south of Lafayette st. It should be accessible and connected to the Riverfront/State Park to the south and Eastern Market to the north. Both ends are not pedestrian friendly...theres grafiti walls barrier off gratiot blocking Lafayette Park and Jefferson st being so wide, it needs a pedestrian bridge or something? When its the city property it can neglected as you can see, infrastructure need helps [[lighting/sidewalks)...Lafayette Park needs some LOTION!

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Keep up the good work Lance. Now if I could only promote Lafaytte Park to the businesses downtown where the park itself could be put to good use. Just imagine BCBS play against GM in a baseball game at the baseball diamond in Lafayette Park. Other events could be held there by the city. Just keep the grass cut

**gthomas** · June-23-11, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by English

Been there twice now. Great place -- wish the employees and owners well.

On my way up there now, I visit atleast 4 times a week.

**stasu1213** · June-23-11, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by gthomas

Great idea! I live in the Lafayette park district and I always walk thru the park often to go downtown. All those beautiful apartments, lofts and condos surrounding Lafayette Park, why isn't the park being better kept up and well used? It reminds of Central Park in New York, as a matter fact it is called Central Park south of Lafayette st. It should be accessible and connected to the Riverfront/State Park to the south and Eastern Market to the north. Both ends are not pedestrian friendly...theres grafiti walls barrier off gratiot blocking Lafayette Park and Jefferson st being so wide, it needs a pedestrian bridge or something? When its the city property it can neglected as you can see, infrastructure need helps [[lighting/sidewalks)...Lafayette Park needs some LOTION!

I had attended a meeting a couple of years ago. It was held by LP50. The discussion was about improvements that needed to be made at the park. There were talks about adding more sidewalks that lead to Anteitam. Razing the wall with the graffiti on it, and having a dog park within the park. I guess neither of the ideas had taken off. Lafayette Park is the only park that is located downtown but is being ignored. I know the area is on the historic registers list so not too many changes could be made. The tennis court had been neglected for years. I had always felt that the surrounding condos, coops, and apartment buildings as well as some of the businesses downtown should adopt the park, put funding in it for improvements and securities, and have events such as movie nights, baseball, basketball, or soccer games between businesses downtown, and ice skating in the winter months. The sidewalks should always be cleared of snow. This park should be paid great attention to. Shortsightedness, and lack of imagination from our city leaders and planners is the result of the neglect of the park. In any other city the leaders would had done something

**gthomas** · June-23-11, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I had attended a meeting a couple of years ago. It was held by LP50. The discussion was about improvements that needed to be made at the park. There were talks about adding more sidewalks that lead to Anteitam. Razing the wall with the graffiti on it, and having a dog park within the park. I guess neither of the ideas had taken off. Lafayette Park is the only park that is located downtown but is being ignored. I know the area is on the historic registers list so not too many changes could be made. The tennis court had been neglected for years. I had always felt that the surrounding condos, coops, and apartment buildings as well as some of the businesses downtown should adopt the park, put funding in it for improvements and securities, and have events such as movie nights, baseball, basketball, or soccer games between businesses downtown, and ice skating in the winter months. The sidewalks should always be cleared of snow. This park should be paid great attention to. Shortsightedness, and lack of imagination from our city leaders and planners is the result of the neglect of the park. In any other city the leaders would had done something

So true! Theres has to be another way we can run the park? We should come together and raise money for improvements to the park and others. That space next to Lafayette Park Foods is vacant, what was there? Looks like an old parking lot.? The city should give these vacant lots away to residents to be used for improvements. Then Lafayette Park Foods will grow and grow with being an anchor as the community market. We all benefits..

**Bagley** · June-23-11, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I had always felt that the surrounding condos, coops, and apartment buildings as well as some of the businesses downtown should adopt the park, put funding in it for improvements and securities, and have events such as movie nights, baseball, basketball, or soccer games between businesses downtown, and ice skating in the winter months.

That would be great but please understand that some co-ops already have monthly dues in the range of $600 to $1000+ per month [[on top of their mortgages) to maintain their little slice of Lafayette park. That amount is however inclusive of property taxes which should be administered such that the park would not be orphaned in the first place. I like that the park dosen't see much activity as I fear the creation of a Belle Isle II if Belle Isle ever implements an entrance fee. Facilities Downtown have greater security needs due to the increased weekend trafic and I'm not convinced that Lafayette Park the neighborhood ought to invite any attention to itself via the park absent a guarantee of enhanced security. The park as a destination would put more traffic on private walkways than most would be comfortable with. Perhaps if Lafayette Park were an extension of the State park system...

All that said, Lafayette Foods is great!

**stasu1213** · June-24-11, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by Bagley

That would be great but please understand that some co-ops already have monthly dues in the range of $600 to $1000+ per month [[on top of their mortgages) to maintain their little slice of Lafayette park. That amount is however inclusive of property taxes which should be administered such that the park would not be orphaned in the first place. I like that the park dosen't see much activity as I fear the creation of a Belle Isle II if Belle Isle ever implements an entrance fee. Facilities Downtown have greater security needs due to the increased weekend trafic and I'm not convinced that Lafayette Park the neighborhood ought to invite any attention to itself via the park absent a guarantee of enhanced security. The park as a destination would put more traffic on private walkways than most would be comfortable with. Perhaps if Lafayette Park were an extension of the State park system...

All that said, Lafayette Foods is great!

Incentives could be given to coops condos apartments and townhomes surrounding the park if they chip in to take care of the park. A tax break also. That way the owners of the coop, condos and townshomes buildings themselves would benefit. In 2008 the city had a baseball game played at the park. A jazz concert was put on in the parks that same year for the residence. It was once proposed to show movies in the parks but the city had fell on hard times. The sidewalks need replacing and shoveled during the winter months so that joggers and dog walkers could enjoy the park. In 1997 Mayor Archer had labled the Lafayette Central Park "The Greening of Detroit". That part is for the public.