Will 4 Bears WaterPark in Shelby ever be Resurrected ?

[O3H]

A massive amount of land, right on a lake, has been dormant for an extremely long time in Shelby Township. Plenty of odd history surrounding its demise, but thats all in the past. It's 2017 summertime

I would think plenty of kids would love a WaterSlide, Water Amusement, type park, to exists once again at that site of 4 Bears WaterPark.

[jcole]

It's not exactly dormant; there are houses, condos and apartments all around the lake

[O3H]

It is dormant - fenced off - no access - no Water recreation from off Auburn Road.
Both sides of road are a Ghost Town for multiple acres.

[archfan]

According to makeloveland.com, the area around the lake at 3000 Auburn Rd is divided into four parcels. It looks like two of the parcels already have houses/condos on them. From the Google satellite view, one of the others is getting subdivided now - there are already streets laid out. The one remaining section is the one just off Auburn road with the 4 Bears entrance on it. Nothing seems to be happening there.

[mikeg19]

The only part that is not developed yet is the old 4 Bears administration building. The entire lake has housing on it now and there is only a 5-6 acre plot undeveloped, but as was said before, the streets and underground are all in place and there are 2 big condo units being put up. I don't think there will be any water park being put there.

I vaguely remember going there as a kid, as I grew up in Shelby Twp. The history of that place is well documented in Mafia lore, as there was a lot of shady stuff going on at that place as well as with the owner. I even think it was written about in a book about the Mafia and it's many connections in Macomb County.

[jcole]

http://gangsterreport.com/swimming-w...fe-four-bears/

Story about Four Bears that reflects what mikeg said above

[sirrealone]

I remember going there as a kid. It was a pretty fun place.

There are a couple of condo buildings that were put up a while before the recession. I think they were supposed to be part of something much bigger but it never took off.

The 2 mile stretch of Auburn between Ryan and John R is pretty sad. On the Shelby Township portion you had both Four Bears close as well as the soccer dome that had been across the street. This actually was the only instance where I've ever seen a traffic light removed. It seems all they do is add them.

In the Rochester Hills portion of that desolate stretch [[between Dequindre and John R), they've recently undertaken a corridor study with a bunch of recommendations to breathe some light into the area. It'd be nice if the two communities somehow worked together.

[O3H]

Isn't the absolute best place for a WaterPark - is on a lake - with water ?
Amazing no one found a way to buy cheap, and create a new WaterPark.

[Zacha341]

That article was WILD! A bit funny too. I hated all waterstuff as a kid being an aqua-phobic I did not learn to swim until I was an adult. I still don't care for splish-splash of kids when I swim so I'd not be found at any water park!

From article:

Contracting pink eye is a risk you take when you go to a water park. Death and prison are the risks you take when you get involved with organized crime. But what happens when organized crime mixes with the over-chlorinated water of a public water park? I guess you’ll just have to ask Butch. He’s the only one still standing....

Public water parks aren’t the cleanliest of destinations, but ultimately serve a purpose. Organized crime isn’t the most ethical way to make a living, but it’s something that nonetheless exists, and ultimately plays a role in society, whether out in the open or deep underneath the surface. Although entrenched in the shadows of public perception across Metro Detroit, the mafia is an undeniable force, existing, often with a shiny veneer of respectability, in many different avenues of everyday life. Using a public water park as an analogy for organized crime isn’t all that difficult, especially since in the Motor City, at least according to federal documents, they were long linked in tandem.

....While water parks throughout the land emit a certain grimy charm, not to mention serve as a microbiologist wet dream with all the different forms of germs swarming around such establishments, the filth uncovered in the bottom of your run of the mill public pool pales in comparison to the real dirt that was alleged to gave gone down at Four Bears water park in Shelby Township, Michigan in the 1980s.

http://gangsterreport.com/swimming-w...fe-four-bears/

Story about Four Bears that reflects what mikeg said above

[Hermod]

Isn't the absolute best place for a WaterPark - is on a lake - with water ?
Amazing no one found a way to buy cheap, and create a new WaterPark.

In the best DetroitYes tradition, finding ways to spend other people's money.

[313WX]

I remember going there as a kid. It was a pretty fun place.

There are a couple of condo buildings that were put up a while before the recession. I think they were supposed to be part of something much bigger but it never took off.

The 2 mile stretch of Auburn between Ryan and John R is pretty sad. On the Shelby Township portion you had both Four Bears close as well as the soccer dome that had been across the street. This actually was the only instance where I've ever seen a traffic light removed. It seems all they do is add them.

In the Rochester Hills portion of that desolate stretch [[between Dequindre and John R), they've recently undertaken a corridor study with a bunch of recommendations to breathe some light into the area. It'd be nice if the two communities somehow worked together.

Funny, because the opposite of the bolded's been happening in the city proper.

I frequently see "traffic signal under study for removal" signs popping up all over town.

[Johnnny5]

In the best DetroitYes tradition, finding ways to spend other people's money.

Spending other peoples money in the suburbs. That's a new concept here!




I went to Four Bears a few times as a kid, probably in the early 1990's. Even then it seemed as if the park was rather dated. If I remember correctly the wave pool and water slides at Waterford Oaks and Red Oaks were either built or updated around that time, so Four Bears probably lost a lot of summertime business there.

[Onthe405]

The history of that place is well documented in Mafia lore, as there was a lot of shady stuff going on at that place as well as with the owner. I even think it was written about in a book about the Mafia and it's many connections in Macomb County.

True. The influence of organized crime in Shelby extends far beyond Four Bears. Historically, the governance of the municipality has been rife with corruption: collusion and payoffs between developers & township officials, sweetheart monopoly deals with private township contractors---even some speculation regarding election tampering in the past.


My Mom lives there, and I frequently ask her [[other than overpaid police & fire) what she is getting for her tax dollars. Given the growing population and devoid of public transit, the streets are ridiculously undersized, inadequate, ugly [[traffic signals dangling from bare wires), and largely in ramshackle condition. The one township "library" is a joke.

There are no residential street lights, curbs, sidewalks, or street sweeping included. Installation of sewers are paid for separately by homeowners or developers and waste collection is handled by a for-profit independent contractor. IMO, the only upside is the adequate [[albeit, not stellar) school system.

[jcole]

Funny, because the opposite of the bolded's been happening in the city proper.

I frequently see "traffic signal under study for removal" signs popping up all over town.

They recently removed on on 14 Mile in Clawson.

[Hypestyles]

it was a cool place while it lasted. Hopefully something worthwhile will be done, even if it's just a public park.