Efforts have been underway to reactivate one of the most underutilized and visible areas in the city—Roosevelt Park, which sits right in front of the iconic Michigan Central Station. Most recently, the Corktown Economic Development Corporation, Human Scale Studio, the Mexicantown community and business leaders, and Assembly Design Studio have teamed up to create a vision for Roosevelt Park that would benefit the surrounding neighborhoods and Detroit.

The team met for a workshop last July so Assembly could get a better idea of the concerns, the neighborhoods, and what the community would want the park to be. Concerns included improving the connection between Mexicantown and Corktown, preserving the importance of Michigan Central Station, and creating a vibrant, active space for communities to utilize.

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Assembly created three visions for the area, and presented their ideas to the community and local government in a variety of settings. Their third vision, seen above, brings together many of the values the community holds, while rerouting traffic around the park instead of through the park as it is now.

This third concept creates a pedestrian- and bike-friendly space. It also includes a formal gateway at Michigan Avenue and 14th Street, a weekend farmer’s market, food trucks, a large amphitheater, sports fields, and playgrounds.

Moving forward, local residents are forming a park-specific non-profit and will launch a fundraising campaign to get the project to its next stages. More specifics on the program, plus the other two designs, can be found here in a detailed piece from Human Scale Studio’s Chad Rochkind and Assembly’s Omar Toro-Vaca.