Broadway Park: Renewing Ann Arbor's Public Riverfront

As Ann Arbor's student population grew, many people increasingly arrived by rail, thus having the beautiful station as their first glimpse of town. In addition, during this period, the elegant train depot was the site of several presidential campaign whistle stops. In the 1960's, the station was closed, and a small building was constructed to the east as a shelter for passengers.

This growth, especially after World War II, caused housing prices to rise in the Old Fourth Ward and Kerrytown. Some people whose families had lived there since the 19th century could no longer afford to keep their houses. In Lower Town, meanwhile, the University began to buy row houses along several streets to expand the medical facilities. These property transfers had the effect of breaking up Ann Arbor's traditional African American neighborhoods. In Lower Town, some of the purchased land was developed, but much of it lay empty as parking lots.

The 1970's and 1980's brought efforts to revitalize Broadway Park. The Ann Arbor Parks Department found volunteers to help build a new stairway into the park. Several years later, neighborhood citizens were contacted by survey to ascertain their preferences, and though some responded with their thoughts, the surveys were largely unreturned.

Finally, during this era, the Parks Department and non-profit organizations worked together to create a connected linear greenway along the Huron River. The Greenway incorporates most of Ann Arbor's park system, though Broadway Park remains isolated. Future plans for Broadway Park address the desirability of connecting it to the Greenway.

Era of Redevelopment: 1940-today