700 Broadway, 4th Floor New York, New York 10003 T (212) 620-5660 F (212) 620-3821 www.pps.org Campus Martius Economic Impact Case Study LOCATION Introduction new buildings have been constructed, DETROIT, MICHIGAN In late 1999, PPS began working old buildings are being renovated and with the City of Detroit to reclaim a converted to apartments, more ground CLIENTS concrete island less than two acres in floor retail has opened, and the park is MAYOR’S TASK FORCE size that had historically functioned as busy and well used at all times of day DETROIT 300 CONSERVANCY the heart of downtown, but had been and all season of the year. overwhelmed by heavy vehicular traffic. DESIGNER Campus Martius is located in the center Design RUNDELL ERNSTBERGER of Detroit’s Central Business District, a Campus Martius is 1.6 acres in size, and roughly one mile square formed by three ASSOCIATES, LLC. contains grassy lawns, gravel walkways, major roads and the Detroit River. The and informal seating for over 2,000 area was originally used as a drill field people on walls, benches, steps, and SIZE for militia training as early as 1788, and moveable chairs. Two retractable stages 1.6 ACRES when the fire of 1805 destroyed much with light and sound equipment can of Detroit, Campus Martius was used as be moved into position for events. An COST the point of origin for laying out all new ice skating rink fills much of the park $20 MILLION roads and lots. In 1872, the Michigan from November to March. Au Bon Pain Soldiers and Sailors Monument was offers café food year-round, with both OPENED erected at Campus Martius, further inside and outside seating, and wireless NOVEMBER 2004 cementing its position at the core of internet is available throughout the park. the City. However, by the early 1900s, Petanque and bocce ball courts provide Campus Martius had become a busy active uses, and a central fountain intersection of six major streets full of with water walls and the restored traffic. Soldiers and Sailors Monument provide additional interest. 57 trees, 2,700 During Detroit’s 300th anniversary shrubs and perennials, and 25,000 in 1999, the area was identified as a bulbs of over 40 varieties of annuals potential new park that could revitalize provide vegetative cover and visual the downtown. PPS worked with the stimulation. The space is designed community to develop a vision for a to maximize the number and types of park that would become, in the Mayor’s activities that can take place, and is words, “the best public space in the sufficiently flexible to allow changes to world.” PPS’s design suggestions and evolution of the space. envisioned an entire district of public uses to tie the park into a larger Management revitalization. The park itself was seen Campus Martius is owned by the as a place that could attract people City of Detroit, and is managed by day and night and provide activities Detroit 300 Conservancy (Figure 1), for different ages and types of groups a non-profit organization that formed Campus Martius During Summer year round. Construction began on to commemorate Detroit’s 300th the park in 2003, and a grand opening anniversary and has evolved into a celebration was held in November management entity for the park. Detroit 2004. Since the park has been opened, PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES ECONOMIC IMPACT CASE STUDY “Campus Martius has become a very special place. It is the lynch pin connecting downtown, and it has brought people downtown.” - Danny Sampson, Sterling Group Figure 1. Management Diagram. 300 Conservancy is responsible for the an average of 1 million people a year. management, maintenance, operation, 50,000 people go ice skating each fundraising, and planning of the park winter season, evidence that the park under a long-term operating agreement is in use year-round. Employees from with the City of Detroit, modeled local office buildings use the park, but after New York City’s Central Park Campus Martius also draws visitors Conservancy’s contract agreement. from Detroit’s suburbs. Bob Gregory, President of Detroit 300 Conservancy, Programming says, “we’ve been surprised by how More than 200 separate events are many people from the suburbs are planned for the summer season coming here. The quality of the space at Campus Martius, including daily attracts everyone from rich to poor. The lunchtime arts performances, Friday park has delivered on its promise to be concerts throughout the afternoon and a gathering spot for everybody.” And Campus Martius Before Construction of the Park evening, film festivals every Saturday the Paris-style park chairs, which can be night, and arts and crafts festivals. moved so people are able to find a nice Smaller scale activities include petanque place to sit in the sun or away from the and bocce ball tournaments, exercise wind, are kept out all year. Not one of classes, story hours for children, book the 1,500 chairs has been stolen since club meetings, and impromptu meetings the park opened, demonstrating that a of employees from the surrounding office well-used space discourages crime. buildings. During the winter, ice skating is a popular activity, the fountains Budget continue to splash, and holiday lights Campus Martius cost $20 million to abound, maintaining a welcoming build in 2004, and was funded from atmosphere in the park. Larger events a variety of sources. The Detroit 300 are also planned for the park, and have Conservancy contributed $8 million, included the Detroit International Jazz Compuware and Ford Motors Company Festival, live television broadcasts for also contributed $8 million, and local stations, and press events for the balance was covered by the City of 2005 Baseball All Star Game and the Detroit. Information regarding yearly 2006 SuperBowl. expenditures, revenue, and fund-raising sources will hopefully be made available Use from Detroit 300 Conservancy in the A key accomplishment of Campus near future. Martius has been its ability to attract PPS Concept Drawing for Campus Martius visitors of all kinds. In its first year, Demographics the park had over 750,000 visitors, To analyze possible impacts of Campus and in the years since has attracted Martius, an impact area was established PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES ECONOMIC IMPACT CASE STUDY “The programs are all family- oriented. One of the measures of a good place according to PPS is if you see women and kids using it. Well, that happens in Campus Martius. Everyone is here.” - Bob Gregory, Detroit 300 Conservancy Figure 2. 2000 Census Data. that encompasses a radius of two blocks area to determine both quantitative around the park. Census data from the and qualitative impacts of the park. year 2000 was gathered for the people Rental rates and vacancy rates were living in the impact area, and compared gathered for the office buildings within to data for Detroit’s central business the impact area, and were compared district (CBD) and for the City of Detroit to rates for the CBD and the City of as a whole. As shown in Figure 2, the Detroit, which were obtained from the Campus Martius in Spring park impact area is fairly similar to the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. CBD in demographic characteristics and Several property managers indicated the makeup of the available housing that the office market in downtown stock, while Detroit City tends toward Detroit suffered greatly from Ford Motor larger household sizes, a younger Company layoffs and related economic average age, a much larger number downturns in 2002, and rental rates of owner occupied housing units, and have not yet recovered. While average a smaller number of vacant housing rental rates were lower and average units. This data establishes a baseline vacancy rates were higher in the impact for the area in 2000, which should be area than in both the CBD and the City, updated by 2010 census data. After a great deal of new construction and 2010, it will be possible to analyze shifts renovation projects have occurred since in demographics and housing stock over construction began on Campus Martius. the ten year time period and compare Of the seven lots fronting on Campus the changes over the three geographic Martius (Figure 3), there are two are areas. new buildings, an office building that is being renovated, a former office building that is being converted to apartments, a Winter Ice Skating at Campus Martius Economic Impacts Property owners, managers, and class B office building, a new park, and developers were interviewed at buildings an empty lot that is being marketed for within the Campus Martius impact development. PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES ECONOMIC IMPACT CASE STUDY Campus Martius “is one of the great parks. It is a fabulous park, truly an amazing gem. You can walk around the park 10 or 15 times and still not see everything that is in it.” - Pierre LeBlanc 1001 Woodward Development Figure 3. Campus Martius Builldings. Compuware World Headquarters, one 2006. While the building is not entirely of the new office buildings, opened in full yet, the project represents a $54 2003 as construction was beginning million investment and will bring office Compuware World Headquarters, New Building on Campus Martius. The building employees and ground floor retail to the Fronting Campus Martius contains over 1 million square feet area. Tysen McCarthy, a representative and 60,000 square feet of retail that of REDCO, the development firm that includes restaurants, a bookstore, a owns the building, indicates that they bank, and clothing and shoe stores. The recognized the benefits of the park and building brings over 4,000 employees therefore designed the building so it downtown and represents a $400 could interact with Campus Martius.