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Forty city parks and playgrounds in Detroit's neighborhoods are slated for improvements.
The mayor's office announced Thursday that the city will spend $11.7 million over the next two years to improve the parks and playgrounds.
Anticipated improvements will include new playgrounds and equipment, new walkways and landscaping, according to a press release.
“These are not the City’s large marquee parks that already have seen improvements," Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement. "These are the local parks that many families can walk to from home without ever having to cross a major road. As we bring back neighborhoods across this city, we are making sure we bring back the neighborhood parks along with them.”
Ten of the 40 parks will be renovated this year. The remaining 30 will be addressed the next year, Mayor Duggan said.
Since taking office, Duggan has made a push to improve parks.
In 2014, his office says, the city, with the help of more than 70 Adopt-a-Park volunteer groups, resumed regular mowing and cleaning of approximately 250 parks that had not been maintained for years due to budget cuts. Last year, the city spent $1 million to improve seven neighborhood parks, including Arthur, Edmore-Marbud, Optimist-Parkgrove, Ryan, Tuttle and Wilson, the press release said.
The 10 parks planned for improvements in 2016 include:
District 1
Fields Playground, 16601 Florence
Walkways, picnic area, fencing
Simmons Playground, 19450 Chapel
Walkways, playground, basketball
District 2
Bale Playground, 18673 Winthrop
Playground, walkways, fencing
Liuzzo Playground, 20053 Winthrop
Walkways, picnic area, basketball
District 3
Calimera Playground, 19493 Joann
Playground, walkways, basketball court
District 4
Hansen Playground, 542 Drexel
Walkways, horseshoes, junior basketball
District 5
Latham Playground, 5082 Seneca
Playground, fencing, other amenities
District 6
Boyer Playground, 6203 W. Vernor
Walkways, playground, picnic shelter
District 7
Mansfield-Diversey Playground,
7753 Rutherford
Walkways, landscaping, sports field
Cross/Tireman-Littlefield Playground,
8134 Manor
Walkways, picnic area, basketball
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30 Parks to be Renovated in 2017
District 1
Cook Playground, 16001 Fenkell
Hackett Playground, 17236 Avon
Marx Playground, 18201 Greenview
Reid Playground, 20625 Santa Clara
District 2
Clinton Playground, 8145 Chalfonte (Transferred from Detroit Public Schools)
Diack Playground, 13889 Curtis
Gorham Playground, 19969 St. Marys
Varier Playground, 15639 Thatcher
Wells Playground, 20159 Griggs
District 3
Collins Playground, 11618 Alpena
Luce-St. Louis Playground, 13490 St. Louis
Marruso Playground, 19908 Annott
Syracuse Playground, 19192 Syracuse
Yaksich Playground, 18160 Anglin
District 4
Brewer Playground, 12450 Hayes (Transferred from Detroit Public Schools)
O’Brien Playground, 11938 E. McNichols
District 5
Dueweke Playground, 4975 Sheridan
Franklin (LaSalle) Park, 2380 S. LaSalle Blvd.
Gordon Playground, 1935 Atkinson
Stewart, 12701 14th Street (Transferred from Detroit Public Schools)
Yates Playground, 2499 Blaine
District 6
30th - Herbert Playground, 5000 30th Street
Nagel Playground, 3100 Wabash
Sak Playground, 4322 Kinsman
Scripps Playground, 3666 W. Grand River
Szafraniec Playground, 4513 Campbell
District 7
Doan Playground, 9946 Prest
Greene Playground, 9177 Robson
Phelps Playground, 9982 Sorrent
Richard Allen (Nardin), 9516 W. Grand River
