SITE OVERVIEW

The project title: A Place with No Name, gets its origin from being in-between six different communities and not having its own defined borders. The six communities it is composed of, include Barton-McFarland, Grand River I-96, Littlefield, Oakman Boulevard, Nardin Park, and the Midwest-Tireman Community. Each with their own background and little niches, this gives our site a unique perspective on the services and opportunities provided. Starting with the community that consumes the largest portion of our site; the Midwest community is comprised of low-density neighborhoods. It faces challenges of the potential opportunities in future development because of its location, and past industrial assemblage. The BartonMcFarland area is the second largest community around our site. This community is a close-knit community with a focus on neighbor support and camaraderie. The majority of residents are property owners, which makes a difference in the stability of the neighborhood.

Mackenzie

Elementary-Middle School and Drew Transition Center are notable schools in the neighborhood and are two of the only educational institutions in their vicinity. The implementation of the Greenway will connect the schools to the site giving students amenities they currently lack and allowing students to feel more engaged with other communities by creating a strong urban identity. The site that consumes the top portion of our site north of Grand River Avenue is the Oakman Boulevard Community. The area gets its name from master land developer and Realtor Robert Oakman. As the automobile industry grew, there weren’t many roads for the vehicles to travel safely, so Oakman proposed a road that was similar to Grand Boulevard, hence where the name Oakman Boulevard originates from. Mr. Oakman envisioned a road that would travel in a circle so drivers—and now bikers—could enjoy views of the city and beautiful homes. Overall each site plays an integral role in the revitalization of a central urban identity that will unite the six communities.