fees coming to Millenium Park

[francishsu]

FYI, the fees apply from Memorial Day through Labor Day. So tomorrow will probably be the last day of free access to the beach and splash pad.

[Sunlover38]

Anyone to there over the holiday weekend? Was it packed? Was attendance down b/c of the fee?

[francishsu]

Anyone to there over the holiday weekend? Was it packed? Was attendance down b/c of the fee?

I went on Saturday, when it was still free. In the early afternoon, I was surprised that there weren't more people, but activity did pick up by late afternoon. I think what bothers me about the fee is if you just want to go to the splash pad. The security personnel were pretty much focused on the beach, with one non-security staff manning the entrance to the splash pad. Additionally, the splash pad has limited capacity, so you can end up paying $3 per adult to stand in line for the opportunity to watch your child play there.

[Veloise]

...

I grew up near one of the big lakes and the city made you pay at the city beaches. However, it was a per car fee, much like the state parks.

Perhaps a per car fee would be more equitable.

FWIW, the Metroparks (near Detroit) have an entry fee. Seems like it was $2/car last time I paid it.

And pedal power rides in for free!

[Allison Slater]

It'd be cool if my bike could teleport from Wayland to someplace in GR.

Or maybe I should just stop spending money and actually get a place in GR.

[Rizzo]

If your gonna be DJ'n I'm sure it would benefit to be more centralised to the metro... Also your a quick ride to the park, you could DJ there too!

[Allison Slater]

It would.. I saw several great areas to be.

When walking around downtown yesterday I just kept thinking that I should find a place to live downtown and get a job downtown. I'd never have a reason to really leave the city... there's ample shopping, food, areas for relaxation... several times while walking along the river I had wished I had a paper and pencil to draw what I was seeing... and places to dj as well.

While walking around yesterday, I turned a corner around a building in Rosa Park Circle, and suddenly found myself on the stage. I could instantly picture my computers and equipment all set up, leaning over with my finger hovering above my speed buttons, bobbing to the beat holding my other hand over my headphone, making sure that the track I'd be cueing was on beat.. then looking out into a crowd with lasers shooting out and up towards the buildings... a cheer... and then I awoke from that quick dream I had as I ran into and nearly tripped over a chair somebody had conveniently left on the stage.

Yeah... gotta move downtown.

[gvsusean]

i recieved a call from the globe today might be moving DT in a couple of weeks!

[civitas]

I rode out to Millennium Park today. The fee is $3 for adults and $1 for kids if you swim.

The place was busy, but there was room for many more.

I did learn that a middle aged guy walking around with a telephoto lens is suspect.

"No lady, I'm not taking pictures of you."

"No grandma, I'm not stalking your 2 year old grand daughter."

"No officer, you really don't need to follow me around."

It really is a wonderful facility. For what you get, $3 is a bargin.

[Veloise]

I rode out to Millennium Park today. The fee is $3 for adults and $1 for kids if you swim.

The place was busy, but there was room for many more.

I did learn that a middle aged guy walking around with a telephoto lens is suspect. ...

Wear a pocket-covered vest and a clip-on ID (doesn't matter where from). Or make an ID out of a business card holder, have it say PRESS on the reverse. (Then folks will be lining up to pose for you!)

[Rizzo]

I rode out to Millennium Park today. The fee is $3 for adults and $1 for kids if you swim.

The place was busy, but there was room for many more.

I did learn that a middle aged guy walking around with a telephoto lens is suspect.

"No lady, I'm not taking pictures of you."

"No grandma, I'm not stalking your 2 year old grand daughter."

"No officer, you really don't need to follow me around."

It really is a wonderful facility. For what you get, $3 is a bargin.

I'm assuming its because:

1. You were alone, always bring a family member.

2. You were using a telephoto lens -- most people will wonder why a guy would need so much zoom power for such an intimate setting while people are in swimsuits.,.

[civitas]

Wear a pocket-covered vest and a clip-on ID (doesn't matter where from). Or make an ID out of a business card holder, have it say PRESS on the reverse. (Then folks will be lining up to pose for you!)

And I thought when I went to the beach I just had to wear those mirrored sun glasses so people couldn't see what I was looking at.

WoodTV has a piece about the fees today.

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5124308

[craig d]

WoodTV has a piece about the fees today.

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5124308

Attendance is down? I wonder who's not showing up? Oh wait, here's a hint..

This is the first time this year the Mickam family has been to Millennium Park beach. But "almost every day we were here last year," said Brad Mickam. "This year it's too expensive to bring the family."

For the Mickams, it's $20 a day, with gas and the new admission fees.

It's people who can't afford the extra 8 dollars it costs to bring a family out.

[civitas]

Attendance is down? I wonder who's not showing up? Oh wait, here's a hint..

It's people who can't afford the extra 8 dollars it costs to bring a family out.

I grew up about 1/2 mile from Lamar Park. In the early 60's it was a great place for a kid to swim and I could get there on my bike. It was always free and I'd go every day.

Millennium Park isn't near anybody so everyone drives. Given the price of gas, I wonder if attendance would be down this summer even if the beach was free.

[MAU]

Millennium Park isn't near anybody so everyone drives. Given the price of gas, I wonder if attendance would be down this summer even if the beach was free.

Not to mention it's been a very cool summer with the excpetion of the past few weeks.

[Rizzo]

I grew up about 1/2 mile from Lamar Park. In the early 60's it was a great place for a kid to swim and I could get there on my bike. It was always free and I'd go every day.

Millennium Park isn't near anybody so everyone drives. Given the price of gas, I wonder if attendance would be down this summer even if the beach was free.

Its my fishing hole, but I wouldn't take any fish or swim in this park ever. My Dad grew up right by Lamar in the 60s-70s and would tell tales of swiming, but there's just no way people do that now.

[craig d]

I'm glad the GR Press revisited this topic today in it editorial page today.

I'm not quite sure who wrote this editorial..i'm thinking the editorial sections editor.

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

Some interesting points made by the author

"Fewer than 73,000 people paid to use the park's beach and swimming facilities. The fee -- $3 for adults; $2 for senior citizens and $1 for children -- pulled in just $135,756. If you subtract the $35,000 it cost to collect the money (cash register and cashiers), the total is about $500,000 less than projected."

This summer was not as hot as the last one and I am sure that hurt attendance. But something larger than weather must be at play to drop attendence by almost 400,000 people and the largest factor is the fee.

"County leaders should seriously discuss if $100,000 in beach revenue is worth putting a damper on Millennium Park use and feeding suspicions by some residents that the fee was adopted to keep certain segments of the population out of the park."

"The beach fee is doing the opposite, and without a significant revenue gain or justification. The need for the fee never was well established. It was hurriedly approved without benefit of public input."

It's like this author did his research on UP.

[tamias6]

I see no reason to charge a fee for the "extra security". If they were in need of funding for said measures, the county should have brought it up to the voters in a millage increase proposal. There are over 500,000 people in the county so sharing the costs would be no problem and would have kept the entire park free. The time to start charging fees is if they can't get help from tax payers in the voting booths.

[Rizzo]

What's amazing is that the "extra security" should have been more lifeguards. Maybe I'm missing something...?

I say screw Millenium, the city pools are better anyway -- they're free for kids. http://wzzm.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=61229

[tony speller]

I think paying $3 to enter is very little to ask. In Japan, a lot of parks cost 2 or 3 bucks to enter... and people happily pay it beause they know A. it will be clean and B. there will be no homeless people sleeping around.

And if you go there to swim... it's not like paying $3 is a big deal right? you pay that to enter a city pool ($1 for kids is basicly free)... and a beach is way better than a pool.

If a person expects the county to pay to build such a nice park and then complains that they charge you a couple bucks to enter, i think that person has some serious issues. Sure it costs to drive there... sure it costs $10 or so for a family with a few kids to enter. But think about how much closer (and cheaper) this is than going to Lake Michigan. Even if you go to lake MI... you still have to pay to get into a state park and swim. Annual passes are pretty cheap though... so maybe Mil Park should offer some sort of yearly pass program? Either way I think it's way rude for people to expect the county to build them a really nice facility that is safe, fun, and expensive to run... and not expect to give anything back to help keep it around.

If you don't want to pay you might as well just stay home and play in your sprinkler. Oh wait... you have to pay the city to use the water!

Just wait until it rains.

[GRDadof3]

I think they overestimated the price point at which people would pay to get into the park. I think if they dropped the price to $1/adults and maybe $.50 for each kid, or charged $3 per car, then their revenue would probably go up from the $135,000 they made this summer. Simple price elasticity of demand.

But I didn't think their goal was to raise money, it was to cut down on the overcrowding and resulting problems.

[Sunlover38]

I was there a few times and every time there were sherriff's deputies walking the beach & park area . . .it was nice to see them there and even useful a couple of times when some idiots were causing trouble . .they were politely escorted out! nice!

[Rizzo]

I think paying $3 to enter is very little to ask. In Japan, a lot of parks cost 2 or 3 bucks to enter... and people happily pay it beause they know A. it will be clean and B. there will be no homeless people sleeping around.

And if you go there to swim... it's not like paying $3 is a big deal right? you pay that to enter a city pool ($1 for kids is basicly free)... and a beach is way better than a pool.

If a person expects the county to pay to build such a nice park and then complains that they charge you a couple bucks to enter, i think that person has some serious issues. Sure it costs to drive there... sure it costs $10 or so for a family with a few kids to enter. But think about how much closer (and cheaper) this is than going to Lake Michigan. Even if you go to lake MI... you still have to pay to get into a state park and swim. Annual passes are pretty cheap though... so maybe Mil Park should offer some sort of yearly pass program? Either way I think it's way rude for people to expect the county to build them a really nice facility that is safe, fun, and expensive to run... and not expect to give anything back to help keep it around.

If you don't want to pay you might as well just stay home and play in your sprinkler. Oh wait... you have to pay the city to use the water!

Just wait until it rains.

That's cool -- I bet it's become fashionable in Japan to pay for things that were free for a reason... ?

[francishsu]

According to a recent article in the GR Press, they're likely going to offer a family pass next summer.

[suydam]

I think paying $3 to enter is very little to ask. In Japan, a lot of parks cost 2 or 3 bucks to enter... and people happily pay it beause they know A. it will be clean and B. there will be no homeless people sleeping around.

And if you go there to swim... it's not like paying $3 is a big deal right? you pay that to enter a city pool ($1 for kids is basicly free)... and a beach is way better than a pool.

If a person expects the county to pay to build such a nice park and then complains that they charge you a couple bucks to enter, i think that person has some serious issues. Sure it costs to drive there... sure it costs $10 or so for a family with a few kids to enter. But think about how much closer (and cheaper) this is than going to Lake Michigan. Even if you go to lake MI... you still have to pay to get into a state park and swim. Annual passes are pretty cheap though... so maybe Mil Park should offer some sort of yearly pass program? Either way I think it's way rude for people to expect the county to build them a really nice facility that is safe, fun, and expensive to run... and not expect to give anything back to help keep it around.

If you don't want to pay you might as well just stay home and play in your sprinkler. Oh wait... you have to pay the city to use the water!

Just wait until it rains.

I actually agree with you that we shuldn't expec tthe county to build us something that we can use for free.

My personal feeling is that the park isn't free. It's taxpayer funded, and we're all already paying for it.

That said, as long as they add a family pass or offer an annual pass, I'm all for fees.

The example in the paper of it costing someone $20 to take their kids to the park illustrates the need for a family pass though. 4 kids + 2 adults = $18 in entrance fees. That seems steep to me. Keep it $3 for adults, but make kids under 12 free and I think you've solved the problem.