Let's Save Michigan

Hazel Park Library Friends Plaza

About the Project

The Project Site is located in the heart of the City of Hazel Park on property bordering the Hazel Park Memorial Library. The proposed Project Site is at the northeast corner of the Library. This is a prime location within the City of Hazel Park. The site is part of the municipal center located at one of Hazel Park’s most important gateways along John R Road and Nine Mile. The site is adjacent to the municipal offices, the Hazel Park Post Office, a residential community and in immediate proximity to two major business thoroughfares. It is centrally located and is also within a short distance from several bus stops.

In its current condition, the Project Site is an overgrown flower garden. It has eight flower beds with a plethora of different plant species that the City and Library staff cannot manage properly. There are many individuals that would like to occupy and enjoy the space for gathering and accessing the Library’s wireless Internet, yet the current layout of the proposed Project Site does not allow for the site to meet its full potential. Nevertheless, it is our belief that with very little funding we could create a productive and vibrant place in Hazel Park.

The goal of the proposed Project Site is to create a vibrant atmosphere and a model place for the public, and its changing demographics. The Project Site will be a place to gather, hold small events, and provide public access to wireless technology in an outdoor, non-commercial ADA-compliant space, all of which are scarce in the City of Hazel Park.

We are proposing to create an accessible patio with tables and chairs that allows patrons of the Library, City Hall, and the public at large to gather in an open, aesthetically pleasing, and vibrant place. The area of the proposed site is approximately 1,500 square feet. Currently, there is an unmanageable garden. Our proposal is to create a real and sustainable place for the public to gather at the center of Hazel Park. The proposed patio will be centrally located at the site while still preserving some of the elements of the garden and trees already present at the site. The proposed patio will be made of stamped concrete. On the patio, we will provide the patrons with four tables, each with four chairs and a decorative umbrella, giving the site an outdoor café feel. Our rendering illustrates how these simple improvements can indeed make a vibrant place. The public will be able to further enjoy the City of Hazel Park Library and the quaint municipal plaza, two of the City’s best amenities. The garden area will be reduced considerably, making it more manageable for the Library and City staff to keep the flowers healthy and flourishing.