Families across the City of Detroit will be able to enjoy 40 newly renovated parks, thanks to an $11.7 million plan created by Mayor Mike Duggan and City Parks and Recreation Department officials.
The money for the renovations will come from $50 million in bond funds that Duggan’s Chief Financial Officer, John Hill, recently discovered.
Though the planned improvements are still being finalized through an ongoing community participation process, they include new playgrounds and equipment, new walkways, and landscaping.
The City of Detroit wants its citizens to help determine the improvements and amenities each park will receive. A public meeting will be held in each City Council District to discuss the project planned within each.
The City is also planning two public meetings, one on the east side and one on the west side, to discuss its overall Parks and Recreation Improvement Plan. Information on those meetings will be made available on the City’s website at www.detroitmi.gov.
Parks throughout Detroit have seen a massive renovation effort recently. In 2014, the City of Detroit resumed regular mowing and cleaning of 250 parks.
The 40 parks chosen for renovation under this new plan were selected based on several key criteria, including which unimproved parks had the highest concentrations of children and senior citizens living close by. A second consideration was size. All 40 parks are no larger than 5.5 acres.
“These are not the City’s large marquee parks that already have seen improvements. These are the local parks that many families can walk to from home without ever having to cross a major road,” said Mayor Duggan. “As we bring back neighborhoods across this city, we are making sure we bring back the neighborhood parks along with them.”
The plan includes renovating 40 city parks, though only 10 will be repaired this year. The other 30 parks will be renovated next year.
The 10 parks slated for renovation this year, along with their anticipated needs are:
District 1
Fields Playground, 16601 Florence
Improvements – walkways, picnic area, fencing
Simmons Playground, 19450 Chapel
Improvements – Walkways, playground, basketball
District 2
Bale Playground, 18673 Winthrop
Improvements – Playground, walkways, fencing
Liuzzo Playground, 20053 Winthrop
Improvements – Walkways, picnic area, basketball
District 3
Calimera Playground, 19493 Joann
Improvements – Playground, walkways, basketball court
District 4
Hansen Playground, 542 Drexel
Improvements – Walkways, horseshoes, junior basketball
District 5
Latham Playground, 5082 Seneca
Improvements – Playground, fencing, other amenities
District 6
Boyer Playground, 6203 W. Vernor
Improvements – Walkways, playground, picnic shelter
District 7
Mansfield-Diversey Playground, 7753 Rutherford
Improvements – Walkways, landscaping, sports field
Cross/Tireman-Littlefield Playground, 8134 Manor
Improvements – Walkways, picnic area, basketball
