Midtown "Central Park" Concept

[gthomas]

There's huge plots of vacant land bounded by Selden st. to the north [[Wigle Park), Third st. to the east, Fourth st. to the west, and Temple st. to the south. I ride my bike through there everyday and I see it use to be several parks there, was thinking of connecting it. It needs a major cleanup, trash removal, and man-power. I see a Organized Community Park ran by the residents of Midtown, it can bring the community cohesiveness for several new housing development[[s) in recent years and present in the area now [[Midtown Place, Woodbridge Estates, and Cornerstone Estates).

I notice more kids in my neighborhood more than ever this year so far. It will be great to see a "Gated" family park with benches, lush-landscaping, education program through the park, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, playground equipment, lawn areas, food court, small water feature [[for kids in summer month's), and a Dog Park. It will be safe, secured, equiped with security camera, well-lit, and cleaned.

Is there someone[[s) to contact to organize such thing, the only way to take my neighborhood back from drug addicts, violence, and illegal dumping is to create a place they're not wanted or feel uncomfortable around.

I believe man-power over politics..if we scream loud enough I think it's possible. If a huge number of resident in Midtown come together and create a concept, man-power, and donations.. anythings possible.

I've work with Greening of Detroit several times, also I have close tieds to several developer's and landscaper's who would love to do it on a volunteer bases, especially for the kids. The city would'nt have to worry about maintanence or cost, the only thing they will have to do is electrical work for installation of lights. Is this possible or is this too far-fetched..?

[gthomas]

http://www.uli.org/AwardsAndCompetit...anderWall.ashx

[Detroitnerd]

The breadth of the public spirit driving this proposition astonishes me.

[DetroitPlanner]

The biggest issue you're going to run into is funding. The Mayor has announced closing most of the current parks and rec centers. I doubt there is much political will to build another.

On the plus side, Midtown Loop is in the process of being completed and this would link well into it. A complete review of the area needs to be done first. Are there vital resources in the area? How about historic buildings?

Thirty plus years ago I had a similar idea as a young draftsman in High School. Things have changed quite a bit in this area since then. Surprisingly, most of it has been for the good. This area used to be a real dump back then.

[rex]

Imminent domain all of those old tenement/hotel/apartment buildings in the area that attract the transient and addict crowd. Pull out the streets and make it a park. Didn't I read or hear something about a hockey arena around south cass on the North side of the freeway? Illich or whoever buying up property around there... So a park and a stadium

[Gistok]

Interestingly enough the concept of a private "public" park within Detroit goes against the grain of many Detroiter's of all walks of life [[euphemistically speaking)... but in London's Bedford Estates posh part of the city, there is a private park that is available only to the upmarket residents of the town houses surrounding the square [[for an annual fee).

This helps maintain the park [[the fee that is), and keeps the riff-raff out of the park for the neighborhood residents to enjoy undisturbed....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Be...er_in_1966.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford_Square

Of course this seems rather elitist to many folks here.

One of my favorite parks in Detroit happens to be Grand Circus Park. However I usually avoid it, unless I have to traverse it from the NW to the SE. It's almost like playing a gave of Pac-Man, where you choose your route carefully so as not to run into any panhandlers, if possible. A brisk pace always helps.

[corktownyuppie]

Of course this seems rather elitist to many folks here.

The fact that it seems elitist is part of the problem. I'm in favor.

[Ravine]

The fact that it seems elitist is part of the problem. I'm in favor.

Unless I mis-understand you, I quite agree [[although I have no stance in re: the park idea itself.)

The ones who would most vigorously wail & gnash their teeth are the ones who also would be the most likely to feel perfectly OK about raising hell in such a park and leaving their goddam trash all over it, so fuck 'em.

[Jason]

That doesn't look like a bad spot for a good park, but the entire west side, and the corner to the north east don't have very good buildings, so even if the vacant land on the other sides of the park were developed, it still wouldn't be a strong urban park.

It's a shame all of those big sites in midtown have been developed so poorly. The projects have enough units that if they arranged them better, new, quality urban spaces could have been created, but instead it's all dumpy suburban development. I'm not sure if the city requires those kinds of site plans [[because all development like that in Detroit has almost the exact same pattern), or if the developers are doing it because they don't know how to do anything else.

[Modusvivendi]

Interesting proposal. Detroit needs more people like the OP.

And yes, the private park concept is not uncommon in London. I used to live in the earls court / south kensington area and there were tons of them. They all seemed very well maintained. Thereagain, even the public parks in London are immaculate.

[Ravine]

You must mean the Canadian London, eh?

[gthomas]

So what is there to do in order to get something done? I'm not about to sit back behind this keyboard and complain for years, like most on Detroityes. Money is an issue, but if every Midtown resident and businesses donate money, supplies, and man-power I think it can be done without taxing or other intities. The resident of Midtown will come together to create a concept, costs, maintanence, construction [[if possible)..theres no infrastructure in the concept area, but trash and crack addicts. Zoning may be a concern, that's about it..I believe?

I want to come together and have a public meeting in Midtown soon to discuss more, if your interested or know any specific steps in order to make this happen contact me : gtrip313@yahoo.com

We can use re-claimed wood for benches or other playground equipment, contact Lowes or Home Depot to see if they can donate anything. I'm going to call Greening of Detroit to see if they can donate trees, shrubs, evergreens, flowers..etc

There's plenty of designer's [[including me), architect's, gardner's..etc that are resident of Midtown who would'nt mind helping this come to fruitions. It's a start..

[illwill]

gthomas,

I always tell myself, when [[or if) I return to the Detroit, you'll be the first person that I contact once my boots hit the ground.

A real person of action!

[corktownyuppie]

Unless I mis-understand you, I quite agree [[although I have no stance in re: the park idea itself.)

The ones who would most vigorously wail & gnash their teeth are the ones who also would be the most likely to feel perfectly OK about raising hell in such a park and leaving their goddam trash all over it, so fuck 'em.

Yes, Ravine, exactly

[gthomas]

Interestingly enough the concept of a private "public" park within Detroit goes against the grain of many Detroiter's of all walks of life [[euphemistically speaking)... but in London's Bedford Estates posh part of the city, there is a private park that is available only to the upmarket residents of the town houses surrounding the square [[for an annual fee).

This helps maintain the park [[the fee that is), and keeps the riff-raff out of the park for the neighborhood residents to enjoy undisturbed....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Be...er_in_1966.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford_Square

Of course this seems rather elitist to many folks here.

One of my favorite parks in Detroit happens to be Grand Circus Park. However I usually avoid it, unless I have to traverse it from the NW to the SE. It's almost like playing a gave of Pac-Man, where you choose your route carefully so as not to run into any panhandlers, if possible. A brisk pace always helps.

Interesting, now I can see some rowhouses, brownstones, lofts..etc. east of my concept area, Cornerstone Estates is to the west. Then the concept park will be surrounded by housing and not crack addicts and trash.

NSO will be re-locating the area once the "Yellow Page" building is finished. That will tackle the wondering homeless people in the area. It's a start to connect Downtown to Midtown. Then ChinaTown district can be re-created east of this development from Cass to Third st, off Peterboro st.

[gthomas]

Thanks, Illwill..I'm a young, concerned citizen who decided to stick this out, while most of my friends left for already developed cities. They don't have the vision as I do, I feel my purpose of life is to make a difference. I just moved back to Detroit 3 years ago from college in Oklahoma to make a difference, not run from my city problems. I was very piss on how rural Oklahoma was developing there city, with less resident and money. Go check out Oklahoma city..is surpassing us quickly.

I'm not just about talk, I'm about action..you can see my work in other cities like Chicago and Oklahoma..why not my hometown Detroit?

gthomas,

I always tell myself, when [[or if) I return to the Detroit, you'll be the first person that I contact once my boots hit the ground.

A real person of action!

[Bham1982]

Imminent domain all of those old tenement/hotel/apartment buildings in the area that attract the transient and addict crowd. Pull out the streets and make it a park.

Detroit has been doing this for 60 years now. Trying to tear out blight and old buildings useful to the poor. Perhaps we try something else.

[iheartthed]

Detroit has been doing this for 60 years now. Trying to tear out blight and old buildings useful to the poor. Perhaps we try something else.

I agree with this comment.

I'm also not sure how a private park fits in with the goal of revitalizing the city. That London has a private park in an affluent neighborhood is pretty irrelevant since London also has a ton of public spaces that are designed to be accessible by everyone. In fact, the public spaces are what make London an attractive place to live, not the private parks in affluent neighborhoods.

[socks_mahoney]

Speak to the folks with General Improvement! They have worked to revitalize many a park with their own fundraising.

[townonenorth]

Thanks, Illwill..I'm a young, concerned citizen who decided to stick this out, while most of my friends left for already developed cities. They don't have the vision as I do, I feel my purpose of life is to make a difference. I just moved back to Detroit 3 years ago from college in Oklahoma to make a difference, not run from my city problems. I was very piss on how rural Oklahoma was developing there city, with less resident and money. Go check out Oklahoma city..is surpassing us quickly.

I'm not just about talk, I'm about action..you can see my work in other cities like Chicago and Oklahoma..why not my hometown Detroit?

So which projects were you responsible for in Chicago and Oklahoma?

[DetroitPlanner]

Imminent domain all of those old tenement/hotel/apartment buildings in the area that attract the transient and addict crowd. Pull out the streets and make it a park. Didn't I read or hear something about a hockey arena around south cass on the North side of the freeway? Illich or whoever buying up property around there... So a park and a stadium

Eminent Domain!!

What you are proposing would never fly. 1. the transient/skid row is going to end up somewhere, prior to it being there, it was pushed off of Michigan Ave from Cass to Trumbull through urban renewal. 2. Environmental Justic would be used by current service providers to the transient populations if you tried to tear them down.

Gistok, all of the new parks built in Detroit are under private control. These include the Riverwalk and Campus Martius.

[Gistok]

Gistok, all of the new parks built in Detroit are under private control. These include the Riverwalk and Campus Martius.

That's true... the park in the Bedford Estates in London is fenced in and has private key entrance... more like the Grosse Pointe waterfront parks... where if you're not a resident... you're not getting in...

[Ravine]

Let's face it. The evidence is-- "litterally," hah!!-- all around us. And, as a preemptive strike, I will announce that I am not using "code-speak." What I want to say, I say, in the way that I mean it.

All it takes is one look at Belle Isle, in the morning after a pleasant summer night, to see that a publicly-accessible park in Detroit is going to get treated like an alleyway, but worse.

gthomas is indulging himself in a fanciful dream, but he's not alone, in that.

All of this arm-flapping, all of this inane gibberish, about What We Need & What "They" Should Do, is mildly amusing on a cold winter night, but Detroit is proving itself to be either incapable, or unwilling [[or both,) to maintain/hang onto what it already has, so if gthomas [[or anyone else) has close, personal ties to a fuckin' platoon of investors, developers, & landscapers who would be enticed by the opportunity to descend, like angels, and try to revive a city that has spent the last 40 years beating the shit out of itself, it's time to stop playing Johnny Ideaseed on DetroitYes and get on the goddam phone, pronto.

The level & degree of self-intoxicated bullshit in this forum has become downright nauseating. I know that some of you see me as being oppressively negative, but at least I don't come in here trying to sell anyone on whatever pasteurized cheese food nonsense sounds good to me at the time.

Fucking please.

[iheartthed]

All it takes is one look at Belle Isle, in the morning after a pleasant summer night, to see that a publicly-accessible park in Detroit is going to get treated like an alleyway, but worse.

In other cities I hear they solve this problem by hiring people to clean the parks.

[laphoque]

In other cities I hear they solve this problem by hiring people to clean the parks.

A lot of people could use the work.