Pingree Park is Getting a Makeover
Renovation work begins this week at Pingree Park, an 18-acre park in an East Side Detroit neighborhood spanning from East Warren Avenue to East Canfield Street.
Better walkways, updated landscaping for beauty and safety, renovated sports fields with improved grass surfaces, welcoming gathering spaces, much-needed pruning for the old trees that provide needed shade in the heat of the summer, will all be part of a community effort to improve the city’s park.
A boost to the health and well-being of the neighborhood, a revitalized Pingree Park will also raise home values and serve as a spark for nearby development.
The Pingree renovation project is a collaborative effort between Mayor Mike Duggan’s office, local businesses, neighborhood residents and Project EverGreen, a national non-profit that brings people together to make a difference in their communities through greener, healthier cooler parks that capture carbon and results in cleaner air in the Pingree Park neighborhood.
The Pingree Park makeover aligns with the mayor’s progressive initiative to renovate 40 smaller parks across the city this year hoping to reduce blight and restore community pride.
Magna International is a key partner in the project and previously donated $100,000 to help get the project off the ground. The company’s employees will also participate in the volunteer effort.
“An important part of the Magna culture is to give back and support the communities where we live and work,” said Jim Tobin, Magna’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We also support the development of healthy habits like exercise and outside play for children of all ages, and it’s a great fit for us to get involved with Project EverGreen’s mission.”
Improvements will provide residents with better use of the park, increased safety for kids playing on the grass sports fields and generate community pride. It will also create a central community hub for people to gather and connect with one another.
“Pingree Park and the people living in the surrounding community are the real winners,” says Cindy Code, executive director of Project EverGreen. “With Magna’s generous support, this park will get a much-needed facelift. The improved park space will result in a greener, healthier, cooler park, functioning as the lungs of the neighborhood.”
The second phase of the project will take place in the spring of 2018.
Presenting Sponsor – Magna International
Supporting Sponsors
Advanced Turf Solutions
Billy Goat
City of Detroit Parks & Recreation Department
Cool Planet
Greenworks
Kujo Yard Wear
Lush Lawn
MACC Development
Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association
Nufarm
Pingree Park Community Group
PBI Gordon
Real Green Systems
Spring-Green
Superior Groundcover
The Davey Tree Expert Co.
Troy Clogg Landscape Associates
Weed Man Farmington Hills
Food Sponsors – Absopure, Potbelly