Grand Circus Park Master Plan

[JonWylie]

SmithGroup has a presentation to the Historic Board Commission next week to outline their master plan for Grand Circus Park.

Master Plan

First Phase

Narrative

[southen]

There are some real positives to the redesign. Emphasizing seating areas and adding a cafe is a real positive, as is the new median and planned gardens. I am not a huge fan of moving the statues away from their current locations which lend prominence. In particular I feel that Hazen Pingree's statue gets a bit lost. Ill be curious to see what the overall timetable is on finishing this. We are still waiting for the Capitol Park redesign to be implemented as well as the Greektown green space.

[Warrenite84]

I prefer the Central Green Plan but if the Pathways Plan is executed like Campus Maritus I think it would look nice and inviting.

I thought Capitol Park was redesigned already. What about it necessitates the redesign?

Where would the Greektown green space be located? IMHO Greektown has definitely lost its luster for me. Reminds me of Hill Valley circa alternate 1985 with the Biff Tanner Casino nearby. Too much of its Greektown character has been lost.

[southen]

I prefer the Central Green Plan but if the Pathways Plan is executed like Campus Maritus I think it would look nice and inviting.

I thought Capitol Park was redesigned already. What about it necessitates the redesign?

Where would the Greektown green space be located? IMHO Greektown has definitely lost its luster for me. Reminds me of Hill Valley circa alternate 1985 with the Biff Tanner Casino nearby. Too much of its Greektown character has been lost.

Capitol Park was redesigned but I think it is pretty lacking and unfortunately mostly open pavement. This is the design that was put out a few years ago that it was my understanding they were just waiting to implement.

https://publicwork.ca/projects/capit...t?category=all

The new park for Greektown would be at the corner of Gratiot and Randolph where they implemented the road diet a few years ago.

https://www.greektowndetroit.org/pla...ic-development

[K-slice]

So many great plans, so little implementation.

[Gistok]

A couple of things...

I wonder what this new plan for the 2 parts of the park means for existing trees? I believe most of the trees may be Locust trees, which are fast growing. But the city has a propensity to just rip out more mature trees and start with small trees again. I hope this won't mean the wholesale destruction of the existing trees in the park?

Also... the real sore spot along the park is the Fine Arts Building facade, which has been held up by scaffolding for 14 years. Enough already! While much of the area around the park has been restored/rebuilt... the Fine Arts facade and the small empty parcel between it and the Kales Building [former site of the 7 story Shurley Hospital] have been an eyesore on the park. Do we need to wait another 14 years until the Ilitches get off their ass and develop the site?

[DetroitSoldier]

I spend most of my lunch hours in this park during the summer months. In the last two years I have definitely noticed things feeling a bit worn out. I love everything about the redesign except relocating the statues. While symmetry is not really a modern design concept, I think the statues form a nice gateway to the downtown core and frame the Woodward street wall very well. The personal rivalry between Pingree and Maybury makes it even better for those that take a few minutes to learn about the two men featured in the statues. The story of Russell Alger [[east fountain is named after him) is fascinating too!

There is so much history attached to that park in one way or another. I support the updates but hope it is respectul of the park's valuable history as well.

[Honky Tonk]

I spend most of my lunch hours in this park during the summer months. In the last two years I have definitely noticed things feeling a bit worn out. I love everything about the redesign except relocating the statues. While symmetry is not really a modern design concept, I think the statues form a nice gateway to the downtown core and frame the Woodward street wall very well. The personal rivalry between Pingree and Maybury makes it even better for those that take a few minutes to learn about the two men featured in the statues. The story of Russell Alger [[east fountain is named after him) is fascinating too!

There is so much history attached to that park in one way or another. I support the updates but hope it is respectul of the park's valuable history as well.

Just thinking out loud. How about putting a QR code by each statue, linking it to a short history about the person. I'm sure people wonder who these people are. It might be fun.

[K-slice]

I spend most of my lunch hours in this park during the summer months. In the last two years I have definitely noticed things feeling a bit worn out. I love everything about the redesign except relocating the statues. While symmetry is not really a modern design concept, I think the statues form a nice gateway to the downtown core and frame the Woodward street wall very well. The personal rivalry between Pingree and Maybury makes it even better for those that take a few minutes to learn about the two men featured in the statues. The story of Russell Alger [[east fountain is named after him) is fascinating too!

There is so much history attached to that park in one way or another. I support the updates but hope it is respectul of the park's valuable history as well.

If they can do something so these statues aren't just a giant bench for bums to get drunk and harass pedestrians from I'm all for it.

[Warrenite84]

Any news on these plans?

[gratiotfaced]

They're supposed to start work this year, probably in the spring when it's warm for good.

[Gistok]

Part of the master plan should be for the city to light a fire under the Ilitches ass to get them to develop the Fine Arts Building facade. They get a free pass while everyone else gets fines!