Second Dearborn PEACE Park opens in east end

 

By SUE SUCHYTA

Times-Herald Newspapers

DEARBORN – The city opened its second PEACE Park Nov. 15 on the grounds of the City Hall Artspace Lofts, with generous green space, a decorative chess board and topiary-inspired heart-shaped hands.

The second Park Equity and Access for Civil Engagement, or PEACE, Park, on the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Schaefer Road, features generous amounts of seating and strolling space. 

Angela Fortino, deputy director for Economic Development and executive director for the Downtown Development Authority, said the park is a testament to the power of community and the dedication of the city’s partners. 

“We’re grateful to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for their investment into this project,” she said. “The East DDA received a RAP Grant, which is the Revitalization and Placemaking Program, and with their support, coupled with the East DDA’s investment, we were able to support Mayor (Abdullah) Hammoud’s mission to create the PEACE Parks across the city.” 

Fortino said the parks were community-activating, vibrant spaces, and thanked the people of the Department of Public Works, Imagine Design and Build of Northville, the DDAs and the Parks and Recreation Department.  

Fadwa Hammoud, a member of the executive committee of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, said Mayor Hammoud’s vision is unmatched for the city, and makes her proud to be a resident of Dearborn. 

“The MEDC was proud to support PEACE Park East with our Revitalization and Placemaking funds, also known as RAP, and recognize the importance of place in Dearborn as part of our Make it in Michigan economic development strategy,” she said. “These RAP Grants underscore our commitment to people, places and projects that are integral to the growth of Michigan’s economy.”

 

Fadwa Hammoud said that through the original RAP program, which funded PEACE Park East, the Michigan Strategic Fund has deployed $100 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars since 2022, and in October 2023 it deployed $99.2 million in state funding for RAP 2.0. 

“The PEACE Project and network of parks is a great example of driving place-based investments, and continue supporting Dearborn as a rich, vibrant community through providing a dynamic space for community gatherings, dining, cultural arts and innovative programing,” she said. “On behalf of the MEDC, we look forward to our continued work with the East Dearborn DDA and the city of Dearborn as a whole, and seeing exciting new developments come to life.”

Mayor Hammoud thanked everyone who helped create the east Dearborn PEACE Park. 

“Everybody knows west Dearborn is popping and the west Dearborn PEACE Park is beautiful,” he said. “But for me, the east end is the sleeper.”

Mayor Hammoud said the east park has mature trees that are decades old, which makes it a beautiful place in the summer and fall. 

“There’s a lot happening in our East DDA,” he said. “We’re thrilled and excited to have this place here.”

Hammoud said the square paved area allows for food trucks and pop-up vendors, and there is the possibility of adding a playscape as well. 

“We are privileged to have this place, and thank you to the East DDA which put up funds, and also to the MEDC with the RAP Grant that was awarded to the city,” he said. “Collectively, that was about a $1.5 million investment that was spend across this place.”

Mayor Hammoud said the removal of dead trees during the work helped revitalize a park that has been underutilized for many years. 

“We’re thrilled and excited that it is here, and we’ll obviously continue to work with the folks that are in the Artspace,” he said. “Just so you are aware, everything that was growing and maintained is city  property and everything else is technically Artspace property, and so we look forward to continue collaborating with them to see what more we can bring to this area.”

Mayor Hammoud said PEACE Park South is the third exciting part of the project, which will have a sports track and a garden, and the topiary-like heart sculpture currently in the east PEACE Park will be permanently installed in the south PEACE Park. 

The mayor said the topiary-like chess pieces will remain in the east PEACE Park, but are designed to deter theft by being either weighed or bolted down.  

“You cannot steal these chess pieces,” Hammoud said. “You can try, but you’re not going to get very far. We took that into account, because the last thing I wanted to see was somebody running with a queen across Michigan Avenue.” 

The mayor said there is a small outdoor table chess board off to the side where people may play chess if they wish. 

“Otherwise, feel free to create the Harry Potter scene from the final (sic) movie,” Hammoud said amid laughter. “You can jump on the back of the horse if you need to.”

The mayor said this has been a beautiful investment across the city, but they’re far from done. 

“This is just a continuation on the nearly $40 million we’re up to in investments into green spaces and parks and the revitalization of shared spaces where community comes together and celebrates the greatest city in the country, which is the city of Dearborn, Michigan,” Hammoud said. 

Hassan Sheikh, the director of Economic Development for Wayne County, said that when the county received ARPA money from the federal government, the vision was to infuse those dollars back into communities like this. 

“We were able to do so because of good leadership and fiscal responsibility,” he said. “At one point, the county was on the verge of bankruptcy, and now we have a double-A bond rating, and having us in that kind of a situation allows for us to infuse $10 million into the totality of the PEACE Parks project.”

Sheikh said the PEACE Parks are a prime example of what the county was looking for when they were vetting projects. 

“Something that’s impactful and transformational,” he said. “When this came across the desk of our county executive and our deputy county executive, it became a priority project.”

Sheikh said when the county is looking for projects in which to invest, parks are not only beautiful and useful, but they are sustainable, provide green space, and help with flood mitigation. 

“It also provides a space for folks to gather, not only (from) within the city but from outside of the city and outside of the county, bringing in tourism to explore our beautiful small business community and explore numerous other communities that neighbor the city of Dearborn,” he said. “It’s wonderful to think about because we have 43 communities across the county and the true connectivity when we say ‘one Wayne County,’ that’s what we mean.”  

Sheikh said he looks forward to seeing the project continue to move forward and will be at the opening for the third PEACE Park in the south end next year.