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, , 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 . 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 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. million investment. Bob Gregory states, “Compuware would not have come Chase Tower is an office building downtown without the park. They didn’t constructed in 1959 that is being want just a building. They wanted renovated. The multi-million dollar a lively district where their workers project will update the building as a would have things to do.” Cindy Nehr, class A office building, provide ground a Compuware representative, says that floor retail space, and include exterior at lunchtime, “employees come out seating areas that are designed to of the building and go into the park. interact with Campus Martius. 1001 One Kennedy Square, New Building Fronting They are eating lunch, conducting Woodward is a former office building that Campus Martius business meetings, playing pick-up is being converted into 144 apartment games of hockey in winter.” The other units, and the close proximity of Campus new building, known as One Kennedy Martius is always part of the sales pitch Square, is a class A office building for the units. The final building fronting that was constructed from 2005 to on Campus Martius, the First National

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES ECONOMIC IMPACT CASE STUDY Tables and Chairs in Campus Martius

Building, is a class B office building with including ballrooms and conference Ground floor retail space has increased 800,000 square feet of office space and rooms. This project represents a and a diversity of uses is represented. ground floor retail. While no renovations $180 million investment, and will be Approximately 300 new condos and or other physical changes have occurred supported by a $40 million new building apartments are planned within the park in this building since Campus Martius containing a parking garage topped impact area. Much of the success of the opened, Bunia Parker, the leasing with six floors of 80 condos. Finally, park can be attributed to the active and manager for the building, has noticed the success of Campus Martius is dedicated management presence of the changes. Parker states, “Campus enforced by the construction of a new Detroit 300 Conservancy, and the huge Martius is definitely advantageous to three quarter acre park direct east of variety of programming and uses that activity in the area and helps to sell the Campus Martius. Opened in August are planned for Campus Martius. The building.” The Monroe Block, an empty 2007, Cadillac Square contains a gravel wide assortment of daily activities, larger lot northeast of Campus Martius, is promenade and extensive gardens. events and festivals, and both active and being marketed for development by the Gregory believes the new park is very passive uses ensures that high numbers City of Detroit and represents potential exciting, as it “increases the scale of of visitors use the park year-round. for more activity in the Campus Martius events that can be held at Campus impact area. Martius.” Next Steps Future research in this area should On the edge of the Campus Martius Conclusions include an update of the demographic impact area, two new projects are All together, 2.24 million square feet of data and office rental and vacancy rates underway. An old hotel is being new or renovated space has opened or collected for this case study. A survey of renovated, and will contain 455 hotel is under construction on the lots fronting the retail uses should be performed and rooms and 66 condos. The first five Campus Martius. $454 million has been compared to Detroit’s CBD and the City floors will hold restaurants, retail space, spent on the new buildings, with multi- of Detroit. Budget information should be and 40,000 square feet of event space, million dollar projects still underway. obtained from Detroit 300 Conservancy.

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES ECONOMIC IMPACT CASE STUDY