DETROIT – Eliza Howell Park, nestled near Detroit’s Brightmoor community, is a cherished destination for nature enthusiasts.
Known as the third-largest park in Detroit, the park is graced by the Rouge River, adding to its natural beauty and historical significance.
“Historically, it is just majestic and beautiful,” said Ryan Myers-Johnson, Executive Director of Sidewalk Detroit, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing public spaces.
Myers-Johnson emphasized the importance of safeguarding green spaces. “Now, more than ever, protecting our green spaces and our public spaces in our neighborhood is critically important. And so, residents have been fighting for and protecting this park for decades.”
Sidewalk Detroit collaborates with the city to ensure parks like Eliza Howell continue to flourish.
In a bid to engage the community, Sidewalk Detroit and the city are hosting a special meeting this Thursday, March 13. The goal is to develop a vision plan for the park, guiding investment over the next decade.
“It’s really important,” said Theresa McArleton, Chief Parks Planner for the City of Detroit. “It really helps to set the strategy, the vision, and the priorities for funding. It allows us to apply for future grants. And it allows us to really understand what the community wants to see in the future of Eliza Howell.”
McArleton stressed the necessity of community involvement, stating, “The city can’t just plan this park without the residents' input, without the community input, without park users' input. We want to know how they use the park. We want to know what’s working for them now, and what they want to see in the future.” This includes ideas for more programming, sports, and amenities.
Myers-Johnson highlighted the nonprofit’s contributions, saying, “As a nonprofit, we’ve invested nearly $1 million into infrastructure improvements and programming in this park, but together with the City of Detroit we really are excited to take this park to the next level.”
The Eliza Howell Park Master Plan Community Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. tomorrow at St. Christine’s Soup Kitchen. To register for the event, click here.