Urban farm now part of State Fairgrounds plan

The latest twist in the "Save the State Fairgrounds" drama is all about urban farming.

Hantz Farms is proposing to take over 40 acres and turn it into Detroit's first major urban commercial farm. The deal is contingent on the Huron Clinton Metro Parks Authority taking over control of the 135-acre parcel at the southeast corner of Woodward Avenue and 8 Mile Road.

"At this point we don't have any final plans for it right now," says Patty Russ, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Dept of Technology, Management & Budget. She adds that a decision will be made within the next month.

The Huron-Clinton Metro Parks is considering a takeover of the State Fairgrounds, which is owned by the state of Michigan. Part of the proposed deal would include the agency taking over the annual Michigan State Fair for $1 per year, while creating a year-round Metro Park, the first in the city of Detroit. The park could include amenities such as a fishing area, cross country skiing, and athletic fields.

One of the major complaints Detroit and the inner-ring suburbs have had is that they pay taxes for Metro Parks, but most of that land is at the outer fringes of the region. Turning the State Fair into a Metro Park would go a long way toward remedying that complaint.

Source: Patty Russ, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Dept of Technology, Management & Budget
Writer: Jon Zemke

Urban farm now part of State Fairgrounds plan

Related Tags

Recommended Content

Across Our Network