Let's Save Michigan

Essex Pocket Park, Warren

About the Project

This site was a tax foreclosure that was purchased by the City of Warren Tax Increment Financing Authority (TIFA) several years ago.  It is located in an area with a mix of commercial and residential properties.  This property is located along a stretch of Van Dyke Avenue that has very little green space and is surrounded by a variety of  commercial businesses.  This particular parcel is also a SMART bus location. 

The goal of this project is to provide green space in an otherwise built out commercial corridor for utilization by the nearby residents and businesses.  A secondary goal is to improve the neighborhood and make it a more desirable place to work and live.

While Warren does have several beautiful parks, it does not have nearly enough green space for the number of residents the park system serves.  The area of the proposed park in particular lacks a city park.  The proposed location is in a densely populated area with an older housing stock with small lots.   It is also a very low income area that has been hit hard by the recent economic downturn and foreclosure crisis. We believe this park will have a positive impact on the neighborhood and surrounding businesses.  It is our hope that having esthetically pleasing green space will encourage new home ownership and new business ownership in the area.

This park is intended to be the model for other pocket parks throughout the area.  The City of Warren TIFA owns several other similar lots along Van Dyke and the goal is to do similar parks on those lots.