Kauffman Park - Plans to Redevelop?

Dan Shields · Post by **Dan Shields** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:38 pm

I was doing a little door to door this weekend and spent some time on Virginia Ave., which is just north of Kauffman Park. A number of residents voiced their concerns over a proposed plan to redevelop Kauffman Park and the Drug Mart strip mall.

Is anyone aware of any plan(s) in the works for Kauffman Park? I haven't heard anything. One resident told me the city was thinking of moving the retail back away from Detroit Ave., while keeping a public space (town square) facing the main street. Another believed that most of the park would be turned into retail, while keeping only an acre or so of park space. And yet a third told me that the Beck Center might be in the mix.

Any thoughts?

Dan Shields

sharon kinsella · Post by **sharon kinsella** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:54 am

I know that when Patrick Ryan Demro had his parks meeting, he proposed that 5 of the city parks be turned over for development. I think Kaufman was one of the parks proposed for development. It's all on one of the threads on the forum.

This is when I started thinking of the Joni Mitchell song Yellow Taxi that states "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got til it's gone, they paved over paradise and put in a parking lot." Originally I messed up the words, but it is the thought that counts.

Jim O'Bryan · Post by **Jim O'Bryan** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:21 am

Dan

The plans do not call for a drastic redesign. To be honest from what I have seen I am not sure I understand it.

The description allows for more green space to be near the library I believe. These could change as the Masonic Temple is now for sale.

From what I know it drastically comes short of the potential of the property.

I have always been in favor of the city buying all the property from Andrews to Lakeland. On Detroit put a building similar to the Rockefeller building on Lee and Mayfield. Behind that develop a walking park and theater that seat a couple thousand. High end shopping in front, offices on floor two and three, and Cain Park type acts or Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in the theater.

FWIW

.

Bryan Schwegler · Post by **Bryan Schwegler** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:22 am

Personally I would welcome some kind of redevelopment there. Both the park and the plaza are an eyesore.

That could be just bulldozing the plaza and starting over with something that better fits the community and revitalizing the park or it could be something more radical. Either way, I would welcome the change.

Jim O'Bryan · Post by **Jim O'Bryan** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:32 am

Bryan Schwegler wrote:Personally I would welcome some kind of redevelopment there. Both the park and the plaza are an eyesore.

That could be just bulldozing the plaza and starting over with something that better fits the community and revitalizing the park or it could be something more radical. Either way, I would welcome the change.

Bryan

Be careful what you wish for.

.

Jim DeVito · Post by **Jim DeVito** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:43 am

I think Jim's idea would be nice but. Put the mixed use development in the back by the tracks. Let the trains run behind the building. Have the large green space in the front facing the library and populate it with many pine trees. In the winter we could even freeze over a man made depression in the middle of the park to have a free public skating area on a larger scale than what Bay Village does at Cahoon Park now. As far as bulldozing the whole thing and starting from scratch. If that what it takes. There is a property by me I would love to see torn down and turned into a park.

Jim O'Bryan · Post by **Jim O'Bryan** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:10 am

Rockefeller Building,

.

sharon kinsella · Post by **sharon kinsella** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:01 am

FYI -

I may be the only one on the forum that remembers this, but there was a person made skating rink in Lakewood Park.

It was right in front of the old stone house and we used to go in there and drink hot chocolate and change in and out of our skates.

My mother taught me to ice skate there when I was 5 years old.

When I was 9 I graduated to Winterhurst which was still an outdoor rink. I remember a lot of winter weekends spent cruising around and around to old tunes.

Great memories.

Dee Krupp · Post by **Dee Krupp** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:44 am

sharon kinsella wrote:FYI -

I may be the only one on the forum that remembers this, but there was a person made skating rink in Lakewood Park.

It was right in front of the old stone house and we used to go in there and drink hot chocolate and change in and out of our skates.

My mother taught me to ice skate there when I was 5 years old.

When I was 9 I graduated to Winterhurst which was still an outdoor rink. I remember a lot of winter weekends spent cruising around and around to old tunes.

Great memories.

We've been in our home for 13 years, and I seem to remember seeing a man made ice rink at Lakewood Park in our early years here on or near the baseball diamond. I never got a close look and I thought my eyes may have been deceiving me, but that's what it looked like.

Stephen Eisel · Post by **Stephen Eisel** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:48 am

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Rockefeller Building,

.

. I have seen that building...

sharon kinsella · Post by **sharon kinsella** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:50 am

Cleveland Hts. on Mayfield Rd. about one block past Lee

sharon kinsella · Post by **sharon kinsella** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:03 am

While on the subject - why is that eyesore banking kiosk still there?

Shouldn't the bank that owns/owned it have to clean up that eyesore?

What ward is that in anyway - why hasn't that councilperson done something about it?

Jim O'Bryan · Post by **Jim O'Bryan** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:26 am

sharon kinsella wrote:Cleveland Hts. on Mayfield Rd. about one block past Lee

Sharon

Not to argue, but that is the North East corner of Mayfield and Lee.

That is a good question about the dead kiosk.

.

sharon kinsella · Post by **sharon kinsella** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:47 am

JOB -

You're right - my memory is faulty especially about directional types of thingies.

Ivor Karabatkovic · Post by **Ivor Karabatkovic** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:56 am

Maybe we can put a train station there