Michigan Avenue Coalition

**French777** · March-15-11, 08:57 PM

I was thinking that I need to do a bigger part in trying to help Detroit get back on its feet. I was thinking of getting a group together to help clean up Michigan Ave. from Campus Martius to Roosevelt Park [[Michigan Central Station).

I know that cleaning up trash and sweeping sidewalks is not the greatest need of the City of Detroit right now. But I would imagine that any little help can go a long way. I did some moderate research to see if there is a Michigan Ave. Coalition of some sort to help clean the streets and couldn't find anything.

Does anyone thing this would overlap with "CleanDetroit"? Or this Michigan Ave. Coalition organization is worth pursuing?

**BrushStart** · March-15-11, 09:07 PM

If you do start a Michigan Ave Coalition, I'd like to help you organize a group to develop the old Lafayette Building site into a park/greenspace. I honestly don't think it would take much more than a Saturday afternoon with a few volunteers. I'll talk to the coney islands about possibly donating a lunch, bring a few beverages. Perhaps even Ferchil would donate some money for picnic tables and park benches. We could plant a few trees, plant some flowers, throw down some mulch, etc.

Do you think the City would go for this, or do we even need to ask? What would they do if a group just went out there and did it the same way they did in Roosevelt Park?

**French777** · March-15-11, 09:08 PM

I'm just an 19 year old Freshman at Wayne State. I've never delt with the City politicians. But any help would be greatly appreciated!

**French777** · March-15-11, 09:10 PM

I feel as if cleaning up Roosevelt park may be easier since its already a park as the Lafayette site... I don't know who currently owns it.

**BrushStart** · March-15-11, 09:18 PM

Here's an article about it from Detroit Times posted last October:
http://fromthekage.blogspot.com/2010...-building.html

By the way, if you're 19, you're old enough to vote. By law, you're an adult, you can do anything I can do, except drink and rent a car!

**Pcm** · March-15-11, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by BrushStart

If you do start a Michigan Ave Coalition, I'd like to help you organize a group to develop the old Lafayette Building site into a park/greenspace. I honestly don't think it would take much more than a Saturday afternoon with a few volunteers. I'll talk to the coney islands about possibly donating a lunch, bring a few beverages. Perhaps even Ferchil would donate some money for picnic tables and park benches. We could plant a few trees, plant some flowers, throw down some mulch, etc.

Do you think the City would go for this, or do we even need to ask? What would they do if a group just went out there and did it the same way they did in Roosevelt Park?

Count me in.

**French777** · March-15-11, 10:13 PM

Sounds like an Awesome idea overall! Count me in on plantings at the Lafayette Site!

**Russix** · March-16-11, 06:00 AM

Originally Posted by BrushStart

If you do start a Michigan Ave Coalition, I'd like to help you organize a group to develop the old Lafayette Building site into a park/greenspace. I honestly don't think it would take much more than a Saturday afternoon with a few volunteers. I'll talk to the coney islands about possibly donating a lunch, bring a few beverages. Perhaps even Ferchil would donate some money for picnic tables and park benches. We could plant a few trees, plant some flowers, throw down some mulch, etc.

Do you think the City would go for this, or do we even need to ask? What would they do if a group just went out there and did it the same way they did in Roosevelt Park?

Didn't George Jackson of the DEGC promise a park on the old Lafayette building site? What's up with that?

was thinking that I need to do a bigger part in trying to help Detroit get back on its feet. I was thinking of getting a group together to help clean up Michigan Ave. from Campus Martius to Roosevelt Park [[Michigan Central Station).

I know that cleaning up trash and sweeping sidewalks is not the greatest need of the City of Detroit right now. But I would imagine that any little help can go a long way. I did some moderate research to see if there is a Michigan Ave. Coalition of some sort to help clean the streets and couldn't find anything.

Does anyone thing this would overlap with "CleanDetroit"? Or this Michigan Ave. Coalition organization is worth pursuing?

There is no such thing as "CleanDetroit" there is Clean Downtown which only cleans within the confines of the freeway moat. Are you trying to do this on a regular basis or as volunteer event like Project Clean? http://www.detroitsynergy.org/projects/clean/

**French777** · March-16-11, 06:52 AM

Clean Downtown. That's what I ment, thanks. Well, I live down at Wayne State so I was thinking every Friday or every other Friday I would park at MGM Grand [[Free parking) and get a group of friends from WSU to join me. I think we would start by working in teams of two working our way up Michigan Ave. from Campus Martius to Roosevelt Park. One person would pick up trash as the other could sweep.

It might not be that big of help to the city, but I feel as if any help is still help. But, if people are planning on a clean up of the Lafayette Site. Count me in.

**BrushStart** · March-16-11, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by Russix

Didn't George Jackson of the DEGC promise a park on the old Lafayette building site? What's up with that?

See the link I posted above. Whatever plans there were, they've been scrapped.

Is anyone a landscaper, know a landscaper, or know enough about landscaping design that they could put together a simple concept for a simple "Lafayette" park?

**Rocko** · March-16-11, 10:23 AM

I'd check with the Greening of Detroit for the Lafayette Park work. They might be able to provide some expertise/guidance, if not some supplies and/or maybe some trees! Working on parks is something they're good at. Keep us now-far-out-of-towners up to date on how things are going, even if you just end up sweeping up sidewalks from Woodward out to 18th Street.

**TheKage** · March-16-11, 11:53 AM

French777,

Great idea. I maintain the Detroit Times site that BrushStart referenced earlier. Whatever you plan on doing, let me know and I'll put a post up to let people know. I don't get great traffic, but every little bit helps!

www.fromthekage.blogspot.com

Best of luck!

**French777** · March-16-11, 12:57 PM

Thanks! Can you send me a message with your email address?

**stromberg2** · March-16-11, 03:10 PM

I'll try to help out with either project. Love your attitude, French!

Stromberg2

DetroitDad · March-16-11, 07:51 PM

I'd volunteer.

**rencense** · March-16-11, 08:03 PM

Great plans guys!

Just today I was walking around some areas I'm looking at moving and am amazed at how much litter accumulates. I know wherever I wind up I'll be out there on the weekends with some industrial size trash bags picking up. Kind of a futile attempt to be sure but its just the way I operate. Whatever neighborhood it is I want to help keep it clean.

I've actually been thinking for some time about a bigger volunteer group that cleans up throughout the city. Way too much dumping, tires, and trash. You'd need to get volunteers and equipment etc probably with donated money. Another big problem are the assholes who dump tires; I believe it costs about $5 a tire to properly dispose of on average and that can add up mighty quick.

I'd love to see such a group created and help them out [[unfortunately I'm not much good at creating these things and recruiting help) but still want to help out anyway i can.

**beanietek** · March-17-11, 03:26 PM

have broom, will travel

**French777** · March-17-11, 06:16 PM

Great! I started an email address Mi.avenue.coalition@gmail.com if anyone wants updates, just send an email to the address and I'll send updates out.

**hudkina** · March-17-11, 06:48 PM

I'd be glad to volunteer. I'll even bring my own bag and broom.

**French777** · March-17-11, 07:54 PM

Im really happy with such a great response from everyone! I guess it just goes to show the deep passion Detroiters and Metro Detroiters have for this great city!

**rhythmc** · March-17-11, 10:56 PM

Looks like you're on your way to something great.

**French777** · March-18-11, 07:23 PM

Already received such a great response from people so far! I am planning on doing a "scout out" of the area of Michigan Avenue that we would clean next Friday March 25th at 11am. Some of my WSU friends and I are going to try and plan, map out and better organize how our Michigan Avenue clean up would run.

If all goes well, I would like to have an official Michigan Avenue Coalition clean-up on Friday April 1st at 11am. [[Not an April fools joke)

Feel free to email me at Mi.avenue.coalition@gmail.com for further questions.

p.s. If the 11am time frame is not suitable for many people, that time frame can easily change in the future to better accommodate more volunteers!

**Cooper** · March-18-11, 09:34 PM

I think it's great you want to get more involved in Detroit, and Michigan Avenue could definitely use some sprucing up. My recommendation would be that you make some connections with existing organizations and businesses for support. For the stretch in Corktown, you could talk to both the Corktown Residents Council and the new Roosevelt Park Conservancy:

http://corktownconnection.org/
http://rooseveltparkrevival.org/

I would also caution you against doing any "guerrilla" park-making at the former Lafayette Building site. Unlike almost any other vacant piece of property in the City, that one is highly visible, and anything you do there will be noticed by the City. While you may not get in any trouble for putting up benches or the like, your modifications are unlikely to last. I'd say start by calling the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation [[or whoever controls the property) and confirm what they do or do not plan to do with it. Then you can decide what action to take. But as far as I know the "fact" that there will be no park there is just a rumor so far.

**Russix** · March-19-11, 03:38 AM

Fridays at 11am?? You've pretty much cut your available volunteers down to students and the unemployed.

**French777** · March-19-11, 08:28 AM

The 11am time frame can easily change. If Friday's at 530 or 6pm would work better that is no problem by me. Thanks for the heads-up though, I didn't think about about that.