Cadillac Square Park is Coming Along!
Just a little entry on my observations on Cadillac Square.
Looks like it should be done by the end of September, based on the rate of wrok they are doing. A basic layout of the park is in place, and many pavers are already installed. I cannot wait to see the Bagley fountain put back out!
If I had my wish, I would have the Bagley fountain at the end facing Campus Martius and have the Merill fountain moved from Palmer Park to the opposite end of Cadillac Square, creating a grand end that faces back at Campus Martius.
Keep checking progress at the Campus Martius webcam, it’s gonna be good!
links??
http://campusmartiuspark.org/
For old park plan for cadillac square, and look at the left for the construction of the park.
Rather than move any fountains, I’d prefer the spend that money on something that’s needed by the taxpayers more – Police.
i understand what you’re saying Tom, but it’s a proven fact that things other than more Police help the city… haven’t the Tigers helped the city more just by winning??? i want more police just like you, but any help will do… look at Campus Martius itself… practically speaking, we’d prolly rather have more police instead of some nice looking park with an extravagant fountain, but hasn’t it done wonders for the city??? i don’t think that knowing that there are more police in the city makes anyone wanna spend more time in the city… safety (more police) is more a reason not to go somewhere… nobody says, “lets go to Chicago because it’s safe”… but they might not go to Chicago because it’s unsafe… simultaneously, people need reasons to go somewhere as well… things like CMP and the Riverfront are those reasons and help the city just like more police would… there’s a healthy balance and we need them both…
Great – Build a fancy shiny fountain and let the rest of the city fall to peices so a bunch of yuppies and suburbanites can have a good time downtown.
The city *SHOULD NOT* be giving priority to any specific areas of the city, but the truth is, they are clearly prioritizing downtown at the expense of the rest of the city.
I want a safe and well-funded Detroit for *EVERYONE* not just the suburban tourists who come downtown once a month to look at the shiny new fountains. Why not use the money to hire more cops to fight the recent crime spree in Indian Village or East English Village?
We’re all paying for it, whether you live on 8 Mile, Outer Drive, Washington Blvd, or Cass Ave.
If I recall the park is being entirely funded through the Detroit 300.
I belive that the Detroit redevelopment must start downtown. It is our best example of what is and what it can become (skyscrapers, lofts, etc.) and once we get it all said and done, it will sprawl outward. It just takes time.
At the expense of the already existing neighborhoods? Tell that to the woman in Indian Village who called the cops and had to wait 11 hours for them to show up.
Overpriced lofts, condos, and pretty landscaping are nice, but it’s PEOPLE that matter and they are still leaving the city in droves, despite efforts to make downtown suburbanite-friendly.
I do think you are right about Detroit 300 funding Campus Martius, but I do believe there is a level of city funding in that, but I’d have to do some research.
your passion is easy to see Tom… but don’t you think the Tigers, CMP and the Riverfront all help the city to some extent??? i think it’s hard to deny that they have…
i don’t think it’s so much about pleasing yuppies and suburbanites… every city wants to have nice places to go and if the city has nice places to go, yuppies and suburbanites will likely show up as a result… don’t you want yuppies and suburbanites in the city??? or are you still stuck in that “us vs. them” mentality???
i too would rather have everyone getting their 911 calls answered quickly (especially if it were mine) and have police on every corner in the city… but i don’t see why we can’t want that and still be happy that something is being done downtown even if it isn’t exactly the way we want it done…
and yes, i too am quite certain that CMP is privately funded by Detroit 300…
I don’t mind tourism and “yuppies” moving to the city. Honestly, for all intensive purposes, I’m probably a yuppie (and a suburbanite) myself.
To conclude and prevent this from becoming an extended argument; I am strongly opposed to the city funding *anything* until the most basic of services (police, fire, 911, EMS) are functioning (like everywhere else in Metro Detroit).
People will come to city eventuly, when conditions are right (like the Tigers!). Rather than focusing on building a tourism based downtown and attracting upper-middle class young professionals, I think the city should focus on attracting the middle class and keeping them safe. The people that built this city are fleeing in droves, even today being displaced by lofts surrounded by miles of urban prairies.