DEARBORN – In the presence of community leaders and local officials, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud inaugurated the second Peace Park in East Dearborn on Friday, November 15. This park is part of a city project to establish three public parks under the name PEACE Parks, which stands for Parks Equality and Access to Civic Engagement.

The new park, PEACE Park East, is located adjacent to the old City Hall at the intersection of Schaefer Road and Michigan Avenue. It features ample seating, lush greenery, mature trees and decorative elements inspired by landscaping art, including large chess pieces and hand sculptures forming a heart shape. These designs were created by Imagine Design and Build, the company tasked with designing all three parks.

Mayor Hammoud launched this initiative in March 2023 to create three new parks in West Downtown, East Downtown and the South End. The project aims to expand the city’s green infrastructure to combat flooding, improve public and mental health, and stimulate the local economy by attracting entrepreneurs to invest in the vicinity of the parks.

The first park opened in late September at 22271 West Village Drive in West Dearborn, between two parking structures built during the tenure of former Mayor John O’Reilly, Jr. as part of a vision to construct a large hotel. Although that plan never materialized, the park now features a bioswale and a stormwater management system with four underground tanks, each capable of holding 15,000 gallons of water, to irrigate the plants and greenery.

During the inauguration of the East Downtown park, Hammoud highlighted that the new park includes decades-old trees, making it a beautiful space in both summer and autumn. He noted that removing dead trees helped revitalize an area that had been underutilized for many years.

Hammoud also revealed that the park’s construction cost $1.5 million, expressing gratitude to the East Downtown Development Authority and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for their contributions to funding the project.

“We are thrilled and excited about this investment in our city,” he said.

The mayor announced that the third park in the PEACE Parks project is still under construction. It will feature a garden, a sports track and decorative elements similar to the other parks, including a heart-shaped sculpture and a giant chessboard designed to prevent theft.

“You can’t steal these chess pieces,” Hammoud jokingly said. “You can try, but you won’t get far. We’ve accounted for that because the last thing I want to see is someone running down Michigan Avenue with a queen.”

“This park is a testament to the strength of the community and the dedication of the city’s partners,” said Angela Fortino, deputy director of Dearborn’s Economic Development Department. She also expressed gratitude to the MEDC for investing in the project.

Fadwa Hammoud, a member of the MEDC’s executive committee, praised Mayor Hammoud’s “unmatched vision”, adding that his vision for Dearborn’s future makes her proud to be a resident of the city. She emphasized that the MEDC is proud of its Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) grants program, which fund projects like this one, showcasing their commitment to “people, places and projects essential to the growth of our state’s economy.”

Hammoud added that through the original RAP program, which funded the creation of the East PEACE Park, Michigan’s Strategic Fund distributed $100 million from the 2022 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and $99.2 million in state funding. She explained that the PEACE Parks project is an excellent example of place-based investments, enhancing Dearborn as a vibrant and thriving community by creating dynamic spaces for social gatherings, dining, cultural events and innovative programming.

Wayne County also contributed $10 million to Hammoud’s $30 million plan to build the three new parks and renovate other city-owned parks, including Camp Dearborn in Oakland County. The remaining funds came from Dearborn’s federal COVID-19 relief aid ($10 million), $8 million from the state of Michigan and $2 million from a federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

In announcing the project last year, Hammoud stated that his plan aimed to “invest equitably across the city” and expressed hope that these “sister parks” would encourage residents to explore areas they might not typically visit.

“Public spaces foster connections and bonds between community members, and that’s exactly what the city of Dearborn represents,” Hammoud said.

The mayor emphasized that all major parks and most smaller parks in the city — totaling nearly 50 — would receive some form of upgrades through this plan. He noted that the decision to invest in green spaces stemmed from a desire to “do something to energize our city and leave a lasting mark.” He added that he hopes to leave behind a legacy his daughter and her future children can enjoy.

The mayor stressed the importance of using ARPA funds “as they were intended — as one-time dollars” — to create lasting impacts on the city. He noted that Dearborn is “the youngest community in Southeast Michigan, with most residents being teenagers or younger.”

“We need to bring the parks to them,” he said. expressing his administration’s desire to create green spaces on top of parking structures, which are often frequented by teenagers.

Hammoud also shared that the Dearborn Peace Park South, located in the city’s Southend, will be developed next year, marking it the third and final peace park across the city.

Resilient Neighborhoods is a reporting and engagement series that examines how Detroit residents and community development organizations are working together to strengthen local neighborhoods. This story was originally produced and published by Model D Media and is reprinted in New Michigan Media newspapers through a partnership supported by the Kresge Foundation.