Should portion of Garfield Park go to the Salvation Army

[GRDadof3]

The Salvation Army is looking to purchase a portion of Garfield Park to build the new Ray Kroc Community Center. Some say it will be great for the neighborhood, but other think that the city is trading public park space for a private "paid membership" use.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ss...1650.xml&coll=6

[Rizzo]

Kind of reminds me of the North Monroe situation. The private sector needing something from the public.

[Nitro]

The Salvation Army is looking to purchase a portion of Garfield Park to build the new Ray Kroc Community Center. Some say it will be great for the neighborhood, but other think that the city is trading public park space for a private "paid membership" use.

This one doesn't exactly give me a warm fuzzy feeling. I know a little bit about the background of this project. It's been on the horizon for a long time now. The orignal design that was done by the architect needed to be "upsized" because the donantion given to the Salvation Army by the Kroc's was quite a bit more then they anticipated getting. So now we have a building that needed to be made bigger because they had more money to spend.

The quote by Kimball in the paper is frightening. Well, we don't have and probably wont ever have any money to invest in our parks so let's lets sell a chunk of this one off.

If there were measures in place for all of the neighborhood to use it at *no* cost I would probably go along with it. If membership is restricted then forget it. Let them look for another site.

[snoogit]

A city can never have too much greensapce, I say don't let this happen.

[superNOVA]

This is Michigan, most of the green space is white for half of the year. This is a unique opportunity to get a top notch community center for a neighborhood that frankly - needs it. As long as the center is open to the public and provides recreational activities it will offer as much or more than the current parks.

The park system in this town is a mere shell of what it was a few decades ago.

[snoogit]

This is Michigan, most of the green space is white for half of the year. This is a unique opportunity to get a top notch community center for a neighborhood that frankly - needs it. As long as the center is open to the public and provides recreational activities it will offer as much or more than the current parks.

The park system in this town is a mere shell of what it was a few decades ago.

White space is just as fun as green space , if not more!

[GRguy]

There are all kinds of vacant and under-utilized land in this area of town. Don't take one of the few public amenities in this neighborhood and turn it over to a private organization.

[superNOVA]

White space is just as fun as green space , if not more!

I would agree, however it gets much less usage. Especially at that park.

[Nitro]

Fox News just ran a story about the proposed community center. There is a grass roots organization that is rallying support against selling any portion of the park to the Salvation Army. There was a website that was shown on TV but a google search didn't turn anything up.

The neighborhood association headed up by Brian Prevost said they haven't given a yeah or nay yet.

[twoshort]

The neighborhood association headed up by Brian Prevost said they haven't given a yeah or nay yet.

Prevost seems to be a good guy (maybe his tenants think other wise at times ), he cares a lot about the local neighborhoods. He owns 20(+?) houses in the area (some near calvin, some in the hill area). I know he owns at least one house next to garfield park.

[PBJ]

Prevost seems to be a good guy (maybe his tenants think other wise at times ), he cares a lot about the local neighborhoods. He owns 20(+?) houses in the area (some near calvin, some in the hill area). I know he owns at least one house next to garfield park.

I live NEAR the park, and that place is PACKED in the summer time. I vote no. Yes the area could use a community center, but I don't think at the cost of a park. Although I have no alternatives for location (but that's not my job ..)

on the other hand IF they sell part of the park, that money BETTER go towards the Parks/Rec budget, and not off into the general fund.

[GRDadof3]

Another point of view: http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ss...2830.xml&coll=6

[Nitro]

Another point of view: http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ss...2830.xml&coll=6

Quote from that article

"Deputy City Manager Eric DeLong said the city isn't going to take any chances. He said they will go through necessary court proceedings to make sure the Salvation Army gets a clear title to the land."

Sounds like the city has made up their mind.

[snoogit]

If its just rebuilding older facilities that arent being used I guess im ok with it.

[GRCentro]

Fox News just ran a story about the proposed community center. There is a grass roots organization that is rallying support against selling any portion of the park to the Salvation Army. There was a website that was shown on TV but a google search didn't turn anything up.

They were going door to door around here late last week with "SAVE GARFIELD PARK" flyers. Though ever true to my style, I've managed to misplace the paper before getting a good look it...

[torgo]

Maybe this has already been covered and I missed it, but how big is Garfield Park? And how much would this building cover? 5%? 50% ?

[GRDadof3]

8 of 29 acres = .275862. I don't know how I feel about this. It does seem like there might be better locations, although 8 acres is a lot in the city and hard to find.

[torgo]

8 of 29 acres = .275862. I don't know how I feel about this. It does seem like there might be better locations, although 8 acres is a lot in the city and hard to find.

Yah, that's a big chunk. I suppose it would depend on how much the park is used and stuff like that because I have no idea. A large park is pointless if no one uses it. But if lots of people use it, then its another story. My tendency would be to have the park left alone.

[GRDadof3]

Some of the comments here lead me to believe the park is widely used. The pool and gymnasium (?) there are closed due to budget cuts. The website is http://www.savegarfieldpark.com/ for those interested.

[PBJ]

Some of the comments here lead me to believe the park is widely used. The pool and gymnasium (?) there are closed due to budget cuts. The website is http://www.savegarfieldpark.com/ for those interested.

I guess that was my point. IF they sell off a chunk of it, they better use that money to keep the pools/water parks open at the other parks around the city. I would rather give up some park space to use others we already have, but due to budget cuts can't operate at 100%

[foo_gr]

Prevost seems to be a good guy (maybe his tenants think other wise at times ), he cares a lot about the local neighborhoods. He owns 20(+?) houses in the area (some near calvin, some in the hill area). I know he owns at least one house next to garfield park.

Prevost owns 10 houses near the park. To look them up, you can go to : http://www.grand-rapids.mi.us/22

Click "I Agree" and "Assessing Parcel Search" and search on PREVOST BRIAN.

Garfield Park is packed all summer. I think the park is used as much with the gym and pool closed, as with it open. If the city can't afford to maintain that facility (and it is old), restore it to green space. A soccer field would be easy to maintain, and would be used all year around.

If you sell the park to fix the gym and pool, then you don't end up with park, gym, or pool. What is the sense in that? And why sell to someone who is going to turn around and charge you to use what you just sold?

If the center isn't successful, they'll be able to resell the land. In a hundred years, when the building is outdated, same thing. That park was supposed to be a gift to the citizens of the city forever.

The gift is to the Salvation Army, not the citizens of Grand Rapids. It is no different than a YMCA, except it has a full "worship center" attached.

For full disclosure: I support the SaveGarfieldPark.com group.

[GR_Urbanist]

Just looking at the animation of the size of the park once the center is put in is mind-blowing! No way should this be done. The parks in this city were created for a reason and one of those was not to sell them off after a few decades. Is the Salvation Army telling us that this is the only place they can think off in order to have this center? Why not buy land near their rehab center along S. Division? God knows that area needs some development.

[GRDadof3]

Welcome to UrbanPlanet xopher! Your make a good argument.

[foo_gr]

Welcome to UrbanPlanet xopher! Your make a good argument.

Thank you. One other thing I wonder is, what is the city going to do with a wierd L-shaped park? With an 9 acre chunk out of it, it would seem to make the whole park less valuable. Would they then commence with selling off other bits for other projects?

The SaveGarfieldPark.com group is having a meeting tonight. Here is the info on the site:

Meeting: Come and Help Save Garfield Park!

Seymour Christian Reformed Church

840 Alger Street

Tuesday, January 10th, 2006

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Come and see how you can help.

Sign our petition.

Sign up for our phone list and email list.

Volunteer to be a block captain.

Get information.

Help organize our effort!

[Prankster]

Thank you. One other thing I wonder is, what is the city going to do with a wierd L-shaped park? With an 9 acre chunk out of it, it would seem to make the whole park less valuable. Would they then commence with selling off other bits for other projects?

The SaveGarfieldPark.com group is having a meeting tonight. Here is the info on the site:

Meeting: Come and Help Save Garfield Park!

Seymour Christian Reformed Church

840 Alger Street

Tuesday, January 10th, 2006

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Come and see how you can help.

Sign our petition.

Sign up for our phone list and email list.

Volunteer to be a block captain.

Get information.

Help organize our effort!

Wow, didn't realize that Garfield Park had such a strong neighborhood association. Great for you guys. Hope you can influence the commission into keeping it a park and not selling a part of it off. Development will come and go, but when greenspace goes, it is gone forever.