Two of Redford Township's four big projects are set to finish soon, including the ribbon cutting of the new Rose Garden Park on Friday.
The Redford Marquee is set to wrap up in mid July and the bike trail and streetscape projects are scheduled to move forward this fall. All four projects are supposed to help make Redford's emerging downtown a more vibrant, welcoming place. Accomplishing that is a little easier now that the Rose Garden is finished and about to open.
"We've just been letting the grass take and the flowers grow," says Michael Dennis, community development director for Redford Township.
Rose Garden Park is a pocket park that replaces a vacant lot near Midland and Beech Daly (downtown is centered on 5 Mile and Beech Daly). An Amish Country gazebo serves as the center of the park which is lined with rose bushes.
Construction is also wrapping up on the Redford Marquee project. Workers only have to finish installing landscaping and brick pavers before $4.5 million project is ready. The Redford Marquee is turning the old Redford Township Library into a public space complete with farmers market and amphitheater.
The 1962 building has been shuttered since 2004 when the library moved to a new home. It's now open to the world since the construction workers took off the walls to create a shelter for an open-air farmers market. A small amphitheater that can seat a few hundred people will be built on the side of it. Both the market and amphitheater will be available for community events.
Township officials are also working on plans for a large streetscape improvement plan for Beech Daly and an extensive bike trail network through and around the downtown. Those projects are expected to get going later this year.
Source: Michael Dennis, community development director for Redford Township
Writer: Jon Zemke
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