New pathway brings to life long-discussed vision to better connect Campus Martius to the Riverfront.
**Click here to download rendering and location map of the new space
May 11, 2017 (DETROIT) – Quicken Loans today announced the investment in, and redevelopment of, the existing Woodward Avenue medians – from Larned Street. to Campus Martius Park – into a gathering place which will include public art installations, pedestrian walkways, food trucks, comfortable seating, live entertainment and other attractions.
The new walking esplanade on Woodward Avenue was first envisioned in the 2013 rollout of “A Placemaking Vision For Downtown Detroit” and is being funded by the Quicken Loans public space activation team.
“This new space fills the vision for all that a street median can be. It transforms the mundane and rarely utilized into a stunning park that enhances the walkability of our city, while at the same time providing space that will shine a spotlight on local and national artists” said Deb Dansby, Chief Administrative Officer for Rock Ventures. “The esplanade will bring the heart of Detroit to life, and we are proud to see this vision become reality to benefit the citizens, workers and visitors to our city.”
The northbound turnaround on Woodward Avenue, nearest Campus Martius Park, will close to allow for increased walkability and space for additional attractions.
The park will be illuminated by 12-foot tall arches throughout the walkway. These arches, and the surrounding area, will serve as a platform for artists to participate in rotating installations. The area will also include artistic furniture elements, such as swings and flexible seating, playful movable cubes and custom wooden benches. The space will feature colorful plantings that will provide a natural, meadow-like landscape, unlike anything currently found in the downtown core.
The new public space is situated on public land that will be operated by the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) with annual maintenance funded by the Business Improvement District (BIZ).
Philadelphia-based Groundswell Design Group, known for landscape architecture and public space projects across the country, and who has recently opened a Detroit office, oversaw the design and development of the project. The area is currently under construction, and expected to be completed by Friday, May 12.
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About Quicken Loans
Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc. is the nation’s second largest retail home mortgage lender. The company closed more than $300 billion of mortgage volume across all 50 states between 2013 and 2016. Quicken Loans moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010, and now more than 17,000 Quicken Loans and its Family of Companies team members work in the city’s urban core. The company generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Scottsdale, Arizona. The company also operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit, as well as its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit. Quicken Loans ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Primary Mortgage Origination” in the United States by J.D. Power for the past seven consecutive years, 2010 – 2016, and highest in customer satisfaction among all mortgage servicers the past three years, 2014 – 2016.
Quicken Loans was ranked #10 on FORTUNE magazine’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list in 2017, and has been among the top-30 companies for the past 14 consecutive years. The company has been recognized as one of Computerworld magazine’s ’100 Best Places to Work in IT’ the past 12 years, ranking #1 for seven of the past eleven years including 2016. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rock Holdings, Inc., the parent company of several FinTech and related businesses. Quicken Loans is also the flagship business of Dan Gilbert’s Family of Companies comprising nearly 100 affiliated businesses spanning multiple industries. For more information and company news visit QuickenLoans.com/press-room.
Twitter: @QLnews
About Groundswell
Groundswell Design Group is a design firm specializing in placemaking, public space and hospitality. Our projects range in scale from large public parks, land art installations, restaurants and distilleries, to intimate cafés and pop-up activations. We specialize in creating a sense of place within each project and move from interior design to exterior landscape with ease, creating a seamless connection between the two. From the initial design phase through final build-out and installation, our approach to design is 100% holistic and hands-on. Each project’s process is specially tailored to the site, drawing inspiration from the surrounding landscape, neighborhood and community to create a unique lifestyle and atmosphere.