CITY OF DETROIT GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Project Team

Brad Dick Group Executive

Meagan Elliott, PhD Chief Parks Planner

Timothy Boscarino, AICP Project Director

Juliana Fulton Parks Planner

Historic Fort Wayne Advisory Council

Scott Bentley National Park Service

Julio Cedano City of Detroit Planning and Development Department

Jeremy Dimick Detroit Historical Society

Martha MacFarlane-Faes Michigan State Historic Preservation Office

Andre Kropacek Historic Fort Wayne Coalition

Grand Chief Ted Roll Wyandot of Anderdon Nation

Steven S. Rose United States Army Corps of Engineers

Eva Torres City of Detroit Department of Neighborhoods

Theresa Zajac Southwest Detroit Business Association

Heather Zygmontowicz City of Detroit Bridging Neighborhoods TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SECTION ONE: BACKGROUND

1.1 Introduction 1.2 Profound and Diverse History and Significance 1.3 Future Opportunities

SECTION TWO: LEGAL MANDATES

2.1 Historic Surplus Property Program and Federal Lands to Parks Program 2.2 State and Local Requirements

SECTION THREE: PLANNING PROCESS

3.1 Overview 3.2 Review of Prior Plans 3.3 Stakeholder Engagement 3.4 Statement of Purpose

SECTION FOUR: CASE STUDIES

4.1 Overview and Examples 4.2 Best Practices and Lessons Learned 4.3 Key Decision Points

SECTION FIVE: VISION AND IMPLEMENTATION

5.1 Vision Statement 5.2 Management Zones 5.3 Immediate Interventions 5.4 Near-Term Strategies 5.5 Long-Term Direction

SECTION SIX: FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

6.1 Trees and Vegetation 6.2 Parking and Motor Vehicle Circulation 6.3 Adaptive Use and Leasing Program 6.4 Star Fort 6.5 Archaeological Resources 6.6 Events Policy 6.7 Funding Sources

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 1 6.8 National Park Service Donation 6.9 Management Entity

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND FURTHER READING

APPENDIX A: HISTORIC FORT WAYNE ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING SUMMARIES

APPENDIX B: TRIBAL CONSULTATION MEETING SUMMARY

APPENDIX C: COMMUNITY MEETING SUMMARY

APPENDIX D: FHWA AND SHPO MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT

APPENDIX E: DRAFT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

APPENDIX F: EVENT REQUEST FORM

APPENDIX G: SITE PLAN

APPENDIX H: HISTORIC FORT WAYNE DEEDS

APPENDIX I: LETTERS OF SUPPORT

Photos: Cover, “Tunnel View,” Wes Iversen; Above, Detroit City FC. © Used with permission.

This project was made possible by a grant from the National Park Foundation through the generous support of the Kresge Foundation.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The 2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan

This planning process is made possible by a grant from the National Park Foundation, supported by the Kresge Foundation. The 2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan brings together recommendations of prior planning processes, a nationwide survey of best practices in the conversion of former military facilities and other historic locations to parks, plus lessons learned from a renewed stakeholder engagement effort, and outlines a sustainable path forward for Historic Fort Wayne. Implementation will breathe life into vacant buildings and improve recreational opportunity for residents of Detroit and beyond.

1890s Officers Row buildings with 1000-year-old burial mound in the foreground.

Section One of this document describes the compelling history of Fort Wayne and its present-day conditions and challenges. Section Two introduces the legal and policy landscape that outlines how management decisions at Historic Fort Wayne are made. Section Three outlines the planning and community engagement process that supported this plan, and concludes by relating a mission and vision that emerged from that process. Section Four takes a step back and shares lessons learned from other contexts around the country that juxtapose collections of historic buildings with public parkland. Section Five brings these lessons together and lists specific goals for Historic Fort Wayne with strategies for meeting each goal, and Section Six elaborates on some of the more complex challenges and opportunities.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 3 Assets and Potential

Beloved by the surrounding community for its peaceful, riverfront setting, Historic Fort Wayne has come to serve as a one-of-a-kind venue for a wide range of events from soccer games to historic reenactments to outdoor festivals.

The only star fort in the Midwest, the only remaining Native American burial mound of hundreds that once dotted Southeast Michigan, historic military buildings from the Civil War through Vietnam era—all of these, and more, enrich the lives of Detroiters and greet visitors from around the region and beyond.

2018 Parks and Recreation Easter Fun Fest at Historic Fort Wayne. Photo: Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press.

The full positive impact of Historic Fort Wayne is presently held back by its limited public hours, lack of connectivity to other community assets, and a recent history of deferred maintenance of its historic buildings and landscape.

The completion of the Gordie Howe International Bridge will soon further elevate Historic Fort Wayne to serve as a gateway to Detroit and to the region. This historic riverfront park has the potential to become a valued gathering place for Southwest Detroit residents, an educational and recreational destination for international visitors,

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 4 and a catalyst for regional economic development—if accessibility to the surrounding community is enhanced and if challenges of long-term financial and operational sustainability are addressed.

A Path for the Future

In acquiring the property through two federal public benefit conveyance transfer programs in 1949, 1971, and 1976, the City of Detroit took on a binding obligation to maintain Historic Fort Wayne for historical interpretation and recreation in perpetuity. Regional stakeholders and governmental leaders, too, recognize the value of the site and encourage its revitalization. Thus, legal mandates, regional interest, and community values, combined, provide us with the imperative to improve recreational, cultural, and educational opportunities for Detroiters and visitors by revitalizing Historic Fort Wayne.

Recognizing that the city’s General Services Department is already tasked with maintaining over three hundred city parks, recreation centers, and other public facilities with limited funds, this Strategic Plan recommends a phased approach that attracts outside sources of support over time. Starting with targeted and catalytic interventions, we raise interest and enthusiasm, build relationships and support, and attract sustained investment from public, philanthropic, and private entities over a period of a decade or more.

As part of this planning process, interventions considered include expanding park hours and recreational programming, stabilization of vacant buildings, solicitation of support and guidance from governmental and nonprofit partners, and finally, finding new and compatible uses for presently vacant buildings at Historic Fort Wayne.

Left to Right: HOPE Crew Community Day in 2017; Fourth Michigan Company A Civil War reenactors. Photos: Sarah Marie Jackson, NPS/NCPTT (CC BY-NC 2.0), Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 5 Vision

This Strategic Plan charts a pathway for future management of Historic Fort Wayne. The vision statement is developed by city staff based on what we heard from stakeholders and the community, legal mandates and requirements, and the values inherent in the City of Detroit General Services Department and Parks and Recreation Division:

 Accessibility . Historic Fort Wayne will be open seven days a week, year round, providing Detroit residents with inclusive opportunities for recreational, cultural, and educational activities amid a riverfront setting of profound historic significance.  Stewardship . Buildings, structures, and the landscape as a whole will be safe, attractive, and inviting to the public. Historic, archaeological, and natural resources will be preserved to educate and inspire future generations.  Interpretation . A diverse and outstanding history—spanning over a thousand years from prehistory into the present—will be interpreted in a way that is meaningful and relatable to all visitors.  Attraction . Historic Fort Wayne will serve as a regional park and landmark, and will provide a welcoming atmosphere for international visitors arriving to the City of Detroit, State of Michigan, and the United States of America via the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

What about the vacant buildings?

Although many buildings are occupied by entities including the Detroit Historical Society, the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition, the National Museum of the Tuskegee Airmen, or the city’s Parks and Recreation Division, most buildings are vacant. Rehabilitating these with city funding would be prohibitively expensive and would draw resources from priorities including the star fort, potential amenities and programming at Historic Fort Wayne, or other parks and recreation centers around the city.

Fortunately, case studies and best practices examined indicate that Historic Fort Wayne is well-positioned to activate vacant buildings with new third-party uses. Community engagement, as well, indicates broad support for finding new, adaptive uses for Historic Fort Wayne buildings. Deliberately curated tenants, selected for compatibility in a park setting, will increase visitation while simultaneously generating revenue to fund a campaign of ongoing stabilization and rehabilitation. Uses must be welcomed by park users and the host community, as determined by continued community engagement. Management Zones

The diverse nature of assets at Historic Fort Wayne lends itself to a zoned approach to management, supported by best practices and community interests. The areas described

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 6 below do not create a rigid boundary between different approaches; rather, they provide a framework for discussion of management needs and priorities.

Star Fort, Old Barracks, and Burial Mound

For the unique and outstanding historic assets, continued educational and interpretive use is a must. The star fort, original barracks building, and burial mound are already enriched through partnerships with other regional and federal governmental organizations, and the volunteer and nonprofit community. By strengthening relationships with our existing partners, and reaching out to new sources of support, present use of these resources can be improved and expanded.

The Fort Wayne Mound, in particular, has been largely or entirely ignored in several previous planning studies. This Strategic Plan seeks to rectify this omission by engaging

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 7 with and listening to a variety of stakeholders from Tribal nations and the Native American community in general.

Building 507, the original 1842 “Old Barracks” building and one of the oldest buildings in Detroit, within the star fort.

Parade Ground and Riverfront

Open spaces can be further improved through General Services Department investment in park amenities consistent with the Regional Park typology as described in the City of Detroit Parks and Recreation Improvement Plan. This could include lighting, walking paths, enhanced accessibility for people with disabilities or limited mobility, and landscape design improvements.

Care must be taken to avoid compromising the historic value of the site. Even open spaces are part of an intentional, designed landscape. Proactive interventions, such as restoring historic street trees, can enhance recreational use of the landscape.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 8 Officers Row, NCO Row, and Cram Street Buildings

Building 207, used during the 1990s as Medicine Bear Academy, a charter school, is a prime candidate for reuse. Built in 1904, it formerly served as the Post Headquarters.

Adapting buildings with new uses will serve a dual purpose of activating the site with additional visitors while also generating revenue for ongoing building stabilization and rehabilitation. Compatible uses may also provide services that enhance the experience of park visitors.

Existing building occupants, managed through license agreements with the General Services Department, can be welcomed and encouraged to remain fully involved in future planning efforts. Some buildings, if properly maintained, may appropriately remain vacant.

Barn swallows nesting at the star fort. Photo: Melissa MacLeod

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 9 Case Study

Photo: Kirke Wrench/NPS Fort Chronkhite in Marin County, California, operated by the National Park Service, combines a public beach and hiking trails with historic military buildings reused to house nonprofit partners including the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory and the Headlands Center for the Arts.

Sites like these provide a model for how Historic Fort Wayne can combine public space and park amenities with revenue-generating adaptive use of historic military buildings.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 10 SECTION ONE: BACKGROUND

1.1 Introduction

Its landscape reflecting a rich historical and cultural significance—spanning from prehistory into the present day—Historic Fort Wayne stands apart from other Detroit riverfront parks and open spaces.

Located among prehistoric Native American burial mounds and on the site of an eighteenth-century Potawatomi village, construction of the 1842 star fort and “Old Barracks” building began an era of United States military use and development. Further developed over the next hundred years, a majority of the property was turned over to the City of Detroit in three phases in 1949, 1971, and 1976.1

1842 star fort—the only such structure remaining in the Midwest

1000-year old Native American burial mound

1 Thirteen acres owned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers are outside the scope of this plan.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 11 Over 40 historic buildings representing various eras of United States military history

Quality outdoor spaces ideally suited for parks and recreation use

Photo: Sam Beebe, Creative Commons CC BY-NC 2.0

1,000 feet of uninterrupted riverfront vista

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 12 From the 1950s through the 1980s, the Detroit Historical Commission undertook an ambitious plan to remake the entire facility into a world-class indoor and outdoor history museum; unfortunately, this plan was never fully realized. By the early 1990s, the property was suffering from considerable disinvestment and deferred maintenance. It was closed to the public during an era of increasing disinvestment and budgetary shortfalls citywide.

Within the decade, a host of volunteer organizations stepped forward and made significant steps towards grounds maintenance, building rehabilitation, and interpretive and recreational programming. These contributions allowed the Detroit Parks and Recreation Department to once again open Historic Fort Wayne for public visitation in 2001.

Historic Fort Wayne in 2020: • Managed by the Parks and Recreation Division of the city’s General Services Department • Open to the public during limited hours on summer weekends • Offers outdoor spaces and several historic interiors reservable for events; however, this is not actively promoted or marketed to potential users • Visited almost exclusively in conjunction with events hosted by third parties

Strengths and Assets

The built environment and related assets of the site set Historic Fort Wayne apart as clearly distinct and unique from other City of Detroit parks and open spaces:

Location. The Historic Fort Wayne site offers an oasis of riverfront recreational potential in a landscape otherwise dominated by port facilities and industrial or logistics land uses.

The city’s East Riverfront features fourteen City of Detroit parks and marinas, two state parks, and the the Detroit RiverWalk, but outdoor public space in Southwest Detroit— where residents already experience chronic health conditions resulting from air quality issues—is lacking. Historic Fort Wayne and the adjacent Detroit River Fishing Access Site (owned by DTE Energy and subject to an operating agreement with the Michigan Department of National Resources), provides the only river access in a three-mile stretch from Detroit’s Riverside Park to Belanger Park in River Rouge.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 13 Upon completion of the Gordie Howe International Bridge—scheduled for 2024— Historic Fort Wayne will immediately become a prominently visible landmark for international travelers entering Detroit by car, bike, or on foot.

The Joe Louis Greenway, currently in its predevelopment phase, will soon provide a nonmotorized link between Historic Fort Wayne and other destinations around the city.

Profound and diverse history. More than just an open space on the Detroit River, Historic Fort Wayne’s built environment showcases over 1000 years of Native American heritage and almost 200 years of United States military history, highlighting a direct connection to a diverse range of events from the Treaty of Springwells through the Arsenal of Democracy and beyond.

Historic structures and aesthetic character. Residential, warehouse, assembly, and office buildings of a variety of types, sizes, time periods, and architectural styles provide educational and interpretive opportunity, contribute to the aesthetic character of the site, and present a dramatic vista to passers-by on Jefferson Avenue—not to mention the future Gordie Howe International Bridge and Joe Louis Greenway.

Reputation as a venue for engaging programming. Fort Wayne is known for its events, beloved by history enthusiasts and reenactors, youth and adult soccer players, festival- goers, and other event-driven visitors.

Open space and potential for outdoor recreation. With 83 acres of prime riverfront land —already well used for sports and other events—Historic Fort Wayne has immense untapped potential as a destination for outdoor active and passive recreation. An immense growth in visitation can be attained if visibility, public awareness, and connectivity with other riverfront and neighborhood amenities are enhanced.

Opportunities for adaptive use. Throughout the country, successful transformations of former military facilities typically involve the adaptive use of vacant, historic buildings. Some case studies have prioritized economic development while others emphasize innovative, community-oriented uses complimentary in a recreational setting. The adaptive use of historic buildings has repeatedly demonstrated significant potential for revenue generation, leading associated park lands on a path towards fiscal sustainability.

Challenges

Deferred maintenance. Experiencing disinvestment even prior to coming under City of Detroit ownership, buildings (including the star fort itself) and infrastructure at Historic Fort Wayne suffer from costly deferred maintenance issues totaling roughly $100 million, according to a 2015 estimate by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. This will necessitate strategic and innovative approaches to prioritizing and funding these needs.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 14 Federal mandates. Federal programs, including the Historic Surplus Property and Federal Lands to Parks programs, impose a number of use and management restrictions upon the site which preclude many uses that might otherwise be desirable, or that would generate revenue for rehabilitation, maintenance, and programming. Concurrently with this planning process, discussions between the City of Detroit and two federal entities, the National Park Service and the General Services administration, are seeking to lift or modify these restrictions.

Connectivity. Historic Fort Wayne sits in a somewhat isolated environment that is not conveniently accessible to most Detroit residents. The footprint of the Gordie Howe International Bridge will further impair connectivity in some ways by interrupting the street grid in the vicinity of of Historic Fort Wayne, increasing travel distance and time for Detroit residents. (The connections associated with the forthcoming bridge and the Joe Louis Greenway bring opportunities to further link a previously isolated site.)

Volunteer and Organizational Support

City of Detroit resources have largely focused on larger capital improvements, such as roof repairs to several buildings and upgrades to Warehouse 2, and the city’s General Services Department maintains the parade ground lawn. Beyond this, however, Historic Fort Wayne has relied heavily upon volunteer support over the past two decades. The Historic Fort Wayne Coalition maintains the lawn within the star fort interior and along Officers Row, limits the growth of harmful vegetation on the star fort, and has contributed significantly towards building maintenance and repairs. The All Nations Veterans Council serves as caretakers of the burial mound. Other outside organizations have contributed as well, such as the HOPE Crew, a volunteer initiative led by the National Park Service that has been involved in the preservation of several buildings at Historic Fort Wayne.

Almost all public programming, too, is provided by volunteer organizations, by nonprofit entities, or by other governmental bodies. The Historic Fort Wayne Coalition offers seasonal weekend tours and several annual public events. Over the past few years, organizations including the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, Police Athletic League, Detroit City Futbol League, Detroit Firemen’s Fund, National Park Service (River Raisin National Battlefield Park), and the Michigan History Center, among many others, have hosted public events. Over the years, Historic Fort Wayne has gained a reputation among local residents as a venue for engaging historical and community events. Managing and operating Historic Fort Wayne to its fullest potential, however, is beyond the capacity of our dedicated volunteer organizations.

Visitation

Despite Historic Fort Wayne’s outstanding significance and potential, the site continues to be operated on an event-by-event basis. It is not consistently open to general public visitation, with limited weekend hours in summer only; even these hours are not widely

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 15 known to the surrounding community. Consequently, the property sees only about 20,000 visitors a year, drastically fewer than other historic forts around the country, which tend to see from hundreds of thousands, to millions, of visitors annually, especially when located in urban or metropolitan areas.

Historic Fort Wayne has immense potential for growth in visitation.

1.2 Profound and Diverse History and Significance

The broad historic significance of the Historic Fort Wayne site long predates the use of the site for military purposes. An area of raised, sandy soil along the otherwise swampy riverfront, Belle Fontaine, or Springwells—as the site would come to be known by French- and English-speaking settlers, respectively, due to its numerous natural springs —had been a significant landmark for Native American communities for roughly a millennium prior to the construction of the 1842 star fort.

At least two burial mounds (one of which remains in place today; the other was destroyed when the star fort was constructed) on the site, dating from around 750–1150 were likely constructed by the Tionontati people, ancestors of the present-day Wyandot. From the 1710s through the 1770s, Springwells was the likely location of a Potawatomi village centered around the burial mounds; in 1815, this important meeting place saw the signing

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 16 of the Treaty of Springwells, ending War of 1812 hostilities between the United States and eight Native American nations.

A section of the six-foot-long Treaty of Springwells, signed at the future site of Fort Wayne. Prominent signatories include William Henry Harrison, future president of the United States, and Tarhee, a Wyandot leader. Image: National Archives

Fort Wayne itself was authorized by Congress in 1841 as part of a chain of defensive fortifications along the country’s northern border. It was completed ten years later, and sat largely unused until it played a training role during the Civil War. From the 1860s through the 1930s, the facility grew during subsequent eras of federal investment and military expansion. Fort Wayne played a major role during the “Arsenal of Democracy” era of World War II, when the site served as a logistics hub and held Italian prisoners of war.

Even after the first land transfer to the City of Detroit in 1949, when the star fort began to be operated as a museum, the balance of the site remained under federal control. Many of today’s veterans vivdly remember Fort Wayne as an induction center from the Korean and the Vietnam wars; Fort Wayne also served as a Department of Labor training facility. Further, the Detroit Housing Commission leased several buildings at the site, using them to house families displaced during the 1967 uprising in Detroit.

Today, Historic Fort Wayne remains beloved by history enthusiasts and reenactors, youth and adult soccer and ultimate frisbee players, festival-goers, and other event-driven

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 17 visitors. It is immensely significant to Native American communities from Michigan and beyond, who continue to visit and care for the remaining burial mound.

1.3 Future Opportunities

Gordie Howe International Bridge

As mentioned above, the Gordie Howe International Bridge—begun in 2018 and scheduled for completion in 2024—is already drastically altering the Historic Fort Wayne setting, bringing both challenges and opportunities regarding visibility and access. The future bridge will cross the Detroit River only 1,500 feet to the west of Historic Fort Wayne, providing a prominent view of the property to international travelers.

Gordie Howe Bridge United States Port of Entry footprint. Image: Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority

Local motor vehicle access to and from the bridge will be on Campbell Street, approximately one quarter-mile to the east; pedestrian and bicycle access will be on Jefferson Avenue—favorably located immediately across from the entrance to Historic Fort Wayne.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 18 Although the bridge will render Historic Fort Wayne easily accessible to thousands of potential international travelers, this enhanced accessibility to visitors will be balanced by connectivity challenges for residents of Southwest Detroit. Concerns of increased noise and air pollution (especially due to truck traffic) are also a potential factor. Careful planning must ensure that area residents, especially those arriving on foot or by bus, are not deprived of access to or enjoyment of Historic Fort Wayne.

Delray Comprehensive Neighborhood Framework and Economic Development Plan

Historic Fort Wayne is a landmark of the city’s Delray neighborhood, also in a state of transition due to the construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. The City of Detroit is presently in the midst of a comprehensive planning effort, the goal of which is to create in the Delray neighborhood “a highly industrialized distribution and logistics hub for the Great Lakes region, while maintaining the existing residential housing stock, improving the quality of life for local residents, and expanding opportunities for nearby employment,” according to a description by the Planning and Development Department.

The planning process formally kicked off in October 2019. Lead consultant, Rossetti, an architecture and planning firm headquartered in Downtown Detroit, was chosen to develop the plan. The framework will be managed by the Planning and Development Department and include a significant community engagement process to develop consensus guiding future investments and job-creating development, and work to improve overall community well-being and quality of life in Delray.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 19 National Park Foundation/Kresge Foundation Planning Grant

Owing to a number of factors, including a level of uncertainty surrounding the future impacts of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, as well as ongoing concerns regarding deferred maintenance and other stewardship issues, the National Park Foundation, with the support of the Kresge Foundation, has generously provided the City of Detroit with a planning grant in order to address issues of equity and long term sustainability at Fort Wayne. The project, “Addressing Recreational Equity in Southwest Detroit: A Planning Grant to Revitalize Historic Fort Wayne,” spans a roughly two-year period from mid-2018 to spring 2020 and provides the context under which this Strategic Plan has been created.

The project was carried out by General Services Department staff, with technical assistance from the National Park Service, and reviewed best practices from case studies around the United States, incorporating recommendations from previous Historic Fort Wayne plans with an eye towards implementation.

A key component of the scope of work for the grant project—based in case studies and refined through community engagement—is the preparation of a Request for Information for rehabilitation and adaptive use of some or all presently vacant buildings at Historic Fort Wayne for uses supportive of or complimentary to a historically significant park setting.

Building 507 and star fort wall

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 20 SECTION TWO: LEGAL MANDATES

2.1 Historic Surplus Property Program and Federal Lands to Parks Program

Sustainable management of Historic Fort Wayne is presently complicated by federal deed restrictions and existing Program of Preservation and Utilization agreements that preclude many potential uses, including uses that could generate revenue or increase visitation. Many forms of outdoor recreation, as well as concessions and leasing, are prohibited or restricted throughout large portions of the property. Many of the recommendations of this Strategic Plan will require a renegotiation or abrogation of these restrictions—a process which is presently underway and will allow for creative solutions to improve the property while preserving its historical, recreational, and public benefit values.

Compliance with deed restrictions is subject to oversight by two National Park Service public benefit conveyance programs—the Historic Surplus Property Program and the Federal Lands to Parks Program.

Historic Fort Wayne land transfers and deed restrictions.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 21 1949 Deed. Covering the star fort itself and under the oversight of the Historic Surplus Property Program, the 1949 deed mandates exclusive use of the site for “historic monument” purposes for a twenty-year period. As this time has elapsed, the conditions of this deed have largely been satisfied.

1971 Deed. Also under the Historic Surplus Property Program, this covers much of the western portion of the property, including all buildings west of Brady Street. This section is required to be used for “historical monument” purposes in perpetuity, with most other recreational uses specifically prohibited. Forbidden uses include both active (athletic events, playground equipment, picnic tables) and passive (fishing, nature study, swimming) recreational activities.

Leasing is permitted only to another government agency; both leasing and concession agreements must be in service of the site’s exclusive “historical monument” function and are subject to approval by the Department of the Interior. Arguably, prior agreements between the City of Detroit and entities including the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition and the All Nations Veterans Council qualify as concession agreements and are acceptable under the 1971 deed, subject to approval.

1976 Deed. The final of three transfers included the parade ground area (presently used as soccer fields), as well as buildings to the north and east of the star fort. This section, under the Federal Lands to Parks Program, is required to be used for “public park or public recreational purposes” only. Leasing is allowed only to an “eligible governmental agency” approved by the Department of the Interior. As with the 1971 deed, third-party concession agreements for the provision of recreational offerings are acceptable, if approved by the Department of the Interior.

Program of Preservation and Utilization and Federal Review

Planning and management decisions at Historic Fort Wayne are further bound by an applicable Program for Preservation and Utilization (PPU, previously known as a Program of Utilization), an application document proposed by the City of Detroit and approved by the National Park Service as a condition of land transfer from federal to city ownership. Portions of the property acquired in 1971 and 1976 are each subject to a separate PPU (the 1949 transfer did not involve a PPU). The 1971 and 1976 PPUs are incorporated by reference into the Fort Wayne deeds and are legally binding. Any deviation from the established PPU for the site requires approval, from the National Park Service, in the form of a revised PPU.

According to these documents, the entire property is envisioned as the “Fort Wayne Military Museum,” a historical museum operated by the City of Detroit. The approved program calls for the preservation of most, but not all, remaining buildings on site, and their operation for museum purposes. It further requires that any revenue generated be allocated towards carrying out the objectives of the the PPU. Both documents stress that

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 22 Historic Fort Wayne is “not meant to be a local park” and emphasize use of the site as a regional or national historical attraction.

A proposed PPU rewrite was prepared in 2008 in order to implement recommendations of the 2003 Historic Fort Wayne Master Plan (see 3.2: Review of Prior Plans). It was submitted to the National Park Service, but was not approved, possibly for lack of consistency with deed restrictions. Minor amendments have been enacted from time to time, most recently to allow for replacement of a gas line to serve Historic Fort Wayne buildings.

Additional detail regarding both PPUs is provided in Section Three: Planning Process.

Abrogation and Preservation Covenant

The City of Detroit is currently in discussion with the two relevant federal agencies—the National Park Service and the General Services Administration—regarding the removal of the deed restrictions described above. All parties recognize that the deeds limit reuse opportunities at the site and impede efforts to preserve, maintain, and improve the property, and that some restrictions should be removed.

For this to be possible,2 deeds would be amended and would be replaced with a historic preservation covenant mandating adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, and the Standards for Rehabilitation, among other requirements. In general, this covenant would continue to enforce the spirit of the prior PPUs through mandating preservation of Historic Fort Wayne buildings and protecting archaeological resources, but would eliminate the restrictions on revenue generation along with many of the more inflexible prohibitions imposed by the deeds. The preservation covenant would be held by the State Historic Preservation Office, who would review and approve all rehabilitation work.

Alterations to historic buildings are usually necessary in order to adapt a building to a new use. Rehabilitation—in contrast with restoration—allows these alterations, so long as they are undertaken in a sensitive manner. New additions to buildings, and, in some cases, partial demolition or reconstruction may be appropriate.

2 The General Services Administration is unlikely to grant an abrogation of deed restrictions unless the action can be found to have “no adverse affect” under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. A finding of no adverse affect would require the imposition of a preservation covenant.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 23 2.2 State and Local Requirements

Michigan Local Historic Districts Act

Historic Fort Wayne, along with the adjacent United States Army Corps of Engineers Detroit Area Office,3 comprise the Fort Wayne Historic District, established by in 2016 by City of Detroit Ordinance No. 25-16. All work affecting the exterior appearance of any building or other resource within the district, including work that would not otherwise require a permit such as paint colors and landscaping, must be approved by the City of Detroit Historic District Commission as described in the Michigan Local Historic District Act (PA 169 of 1970) and Chapter 25 of the City Code.

As with the preservation covenant, is reviewed for consistency with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. In some cases, the Historic District Commission may approve work that is inconsistent with the Standards through a “notice to proceed,” such as if the work is necessary to correct a hazardous condition, or if the work facilitates a major public improvement program.

“Work” subject to review is defined rather broadly by the state act to include any alteration, demolition, or new construction of buildings as well as site improvements such as landscaping, tree planting or removal, paving, and lighting, whether conducted by a private party or by any unit of government.

In establishing the Fort Wayne Historic District in 2016, the City of Detroit has demonstrated a renewed commitment to stewardship of Historic Fort Wayne.

City of Detroit Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance

Although the city’s Master Plan of Policies describes Historic Fort Wayne as a “regional park,” the entire parcel remains zoned R1: Single-family Residential, apparently a holdover from the creation of the city’s first zoning map in 1940. This classification is perhaps the most restrictive, and is intended to encourage the construction of single-family homes on a by-right basis; parks and recreational uses are allowed, but only on a conditional basis. Any other adaptive use of existing historic buildings would also be precluded; a zoning change will be required in order to carry out the recommendations of this Strategic Plan.

The General Services Department has proposed a zoning change to PD: Planned Development District, which would allow a broad range of recreational, business, residential, and some industrial uses, to facilitate the revitalization of Historic Fort Wayne. As of mid-2020, the proposal is before the City Planning Commission for review.

3 As federal property, the Army Corps of Engineers facility is exempt from local review. Historic preservation values are nonetheless enforced by pertinent federal law and regulation.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 24 SECTION THREE: PLANNING PROCESS

3.1 Overview

Facilitated by a 2018–2020 grant from the National Park Foundation, in partnership with the National Park Service with support from the Kresge Foundation, the City of Detroit General Services Department embarked upon a comprehensive planning and stakeholder engagement process to determine a sustainable path forward for Historic Fort Wayne. As described in the grant agreement, this planning process was guided from the outset by one overarching goal: to “improve equity of recreational and cultural opportunities for the residents of Southwest Detroit by revitalizing the city’s most historic asset: Fort Wayne.”

GSD staff began with a review of prior plans and background information to develop an understanding of what was possible, and to condense prior planning recommendations into a list of actionable items. We then progressed through engagement with neighbors, stakeholders, and the broader community as we sought to further refine a vision for the site and identify any unmet recreational needs that could be met at Historic Fort Wayne. This Strategic Plan is a product of the information gathered during that process.

Stakeholder Direction

Overall, GSD staff found a remarkable degree of consensus among stakeholders and those who attended public input events. The best path forward for Historic Fort Wayne entails a three-pronged approach:

• Enhancing interpretation and educational opportunities with respect to the most unique historic resources such as the star fort and burial mound • Providing increased park amenities and recreational offerings • Finding new and compatible uses for presently vacant historic buildings

This approach forms the basis for the management zones and action items described in Section Five: Vision and Implementation.

Alternatives Eliminated

Early on, we were able to narrow our focus by eliminating a number of alternatives from consideration: • Demolition of buildings to create additional parking or green space is prohibited federal mandates and is contrary to Fort Wayne Historic District ordinance enacted by the Detroit City Council in 2016. • Redevelopment of the property for non-recreational or private-sector uses goes against the desires expressed by the host community for historic preservation and

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 25 increased recreational access, and was cautioned against by regional stakeholders who recognize the value of the site. • Development of the entire site as an indoor-outdoor museum, though at times mentioned as a possible alternative, exceeds the availability of public resources for park development. • Adjacent land acquisition, discussed in some prior plans, is removed from consideration in order to focus limited resources on the present-day footprint of Historic Fort Wayne.

Map: Michelle J. McLellan, University of Michigan Semester in Detroit, the Work Department

3.2 Review of Prior Plans

Under City of Detroit ownership, Historic Fort Wayne has been the subject of three comprehensive planning efforts: a 1975 master plan, prepared by Rosetti Associates, Inc., for the Detroit Historical Society; the 2003 Historic Fort Wayne Master Plan, commissioned by the Detroit Historical Museum and prepared by SmithGroup; and the 2015 A Vision for The Future of Fort Wayne document sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and completed by HR&A Advisors, Inc.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 26 Just as significantly (as discussed in Section Two: Legal Mandates), planning decisions at Fort Wayne are necessarily bound by an applicable Program for Preservation and Utilization, a document enforced by the National Park Service as a condition of the land transfer from federal to city ownership. Any deviation from the established PPU for the site requires approval, from the National Park Service, in the form of a revised PPU.

Note that the 2003 plan, though adopted by the City Council, was never approved by the National Park Service, and the 2015 “Vision” remains in draft and has not been publicly released. Thus, the 1971 and 1976 PPUs (as expressed in the the 1975 master plan)—despite being largely obsolete due to present-day site conditions and changes in City of Detroit priorities over the intervening years—remain binding. As of 2020, the City of Detroit is in discussion with the National Park Service regarding a potential amendment of the deed restrictions and concurrent release of the city’s obligations under the PPU. The deed restrictions would necessarily be replaced by a preservation covenant or easement that would mandate public benefit objectives in perpetuity at Historic Fort Wayne.

1971 Program for Preservation and Utilization

The 1971 PPU covers much of the western portion of the site (see map on page 21), including all buildings west of Brady Street. Initially, the entire property was envisioned as the “Fort Wayne Military Museum,” a historical museum operated by the City of Detroit. This use began with the first land transfer in 1949 and is reflected in the 1971 and 1976 PPUs and the 1975 master plan.

The 1971 PPU describes the star fort as being “hemmed in by more contemporary buildings” and advocates for the demolition of a number of buildings on the site, creating a “park-like setting” emphasizing open space and views of the star fort from Jefferson Avenue and the river. The document discusses preservation of “representative buildings” only, and allowed for the removal of a number of World War II-era buildings located within the star fort; their storage and administration functions were moved to other buildings on the site. Most of the other buildings marked for demolition, however, were never removed, and continue to remain in place.4

1976 Program for Preservation and Utilization

The 1976 PPU was created in conjunction with City of Detroit acquisition of additional land, including the parade ground area (presently used primarily as athletic fields), as well as buildings to the north and east of the star fort. This section is required to be used for recreation only.

4 Application documents for the 1976 portion of the site, as well as the associated 1976 PPU, describe the preservation of all previously acquired buildings; it is unclear whether this supersedes the 1971 PPU; a legal opinion is recommended.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 27 The 1976 PPU, in a departure from the 1971 document, calls for the preservation of nearly all remaining buildings on the property,5 though a few were still recommended for demolition (and indeed, were demolished within a few years); these include two of the larger barracks buildings formerly located at the site of the present parking lot as well as Warehouse 9, formerly the largest building at Historic Fort Wayne.

Like the 1971 PPU, the 1976 document stresses that Fort Wayne is “not meant to be a local park” and emphasizes use of the site as a regional or national historical attraction.

1975 Historic Fort Wayne: An American Revolution Bicentennial Project (1975 Master Plan)

The 1975 master plan, produced in tandem with the 1976 PPU, further explores the development of the Historic Fort Wayne property for museum use. Most buildings on the site are given over to museum exhibitions, organized on a building-by-building basis either by theme (war posters, firearms, special collections, etc.) or by time period (Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, etc.). Other buildings are to be used as a visitor center, or as storage or administration buildings. The parade ground and riverfront area is intended to be landscaped and used for passive recreation.

Also contemplated by the 1975 plan is acquisition of the adjacent United States Army Corps of Engineers property and razing buildings, creating an unobstructed view of the star fort from the Detroit River. Further discussed is the acquisition of additional riverfront space and the creation of a facility for mooring watercraft and the improved connection of Historic Fort Wayne to downtown Detroit.

2003 Historic Fort Wayne Master Plan

By the early 2000s, museum functions had largely ceased and buildings had fallen into greater disrepair: “a state of considerable deterioration requiring a phased preservation program of $56–68 million,” according to the Master Plan.

After consulting with “more than 70 stakeholders,” the Detroit Historical Museum determined that there was demand for a “Belle Isle of Detroit’s west riverfront” and envisioned Historic Fort Wayne as a multifaceted, multi-use attraction, simultaneously serving as neighborhood park, recreation destination, and historic interpretive site. Significantly, the 2003 plan first introduces the strategy of a public-private partnership, with a regional entity responsible for operations at the site, and ancillary buildings leased

5 Again, it is not clear if this is binding with respect to the 1971 portion.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 28 to compatible public, private, or nonprofit entities to generate revenue for site rehabilitation.

Land use recommendations from the 2003 plan.

At the time, proponents envisioned core attractions and programming at the site operated through a partnership between the Huron-Clinton Metroparks Authority and Wayne County Parks—while also suggesting partnership with a federal entity, such as the National Park Service, for restoration or preservation of the star fort area. Beyond the star fort, other buildings and spaces were to be used as follows:

 Eastern barracks and “visitor center” buildings adapted for hospitality industry use.  NCO Row converted to 20 rental residential units.  Officer’s Row becomes “market rate and nonprofit offices.”  Nonresidential buildings on NCO Row and Officers Row become “a variety of commercial enterprises”  Collections Resource Center warehouses are opened to the public as a museum  Parade ground is used for athletic fields and “activity space.”

The 2003 plan also proposes additional land acquisition, expanding the site to the west and east into what are now, respectively, the DTE Energy and United States Army Corps

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 29 of Engineers sites (and potentially, further east into the former Revere Copper and Brass site). This would enable:

 Development of tent camping facilities.  Creation of additional soccer fields.  Establishment of a marina (at present DTE boat launch).  Expansion of museum facilities.

Other site improvements proposed by the 2003 plan include:

 Plant trees along Jefferson Ave., restore historic gardens area north of NCO Row.  Create viewing area for burial mound, replace chain link fence with less obtrusive, shorter fence.  Create “soft engineering” at shoreline using riprap with integral planting (limestone steps were considered infeasible and eliminated from consideration).  Create outdoor areas for special events, create picnic shelters.  Restore star fort to 1860s appearance, restore other buildings to 1930s-1940s appearance.

A phased approach to implementation is proposed, beginning with “bringing public focus” to Historic Fort Wayne—building stabilization, lighting, general cleanup—and the creation of a management entity to oversee implementation, proceeding though subsequent phases including the issuance of bonds to fund building rehabilitation, culminating with the establishment of a leasing program and the provision of amenities including a museum, shoreline improvements, a marina, and other opportunities for recreation.

Economic recommendations are based upon interviews with prospective developers combined with market research indicating strong demand for residential and entertainment uses. Hospitality and office uses are also suggested, despite an acknowledgment of a weaker market demand for these uses. To fund building rehabilitation, the plan considers several alternatives (which may be used in combination) including:

 Creation of an Act 31 public corporation making possible the issuance of municipally backed bonds. Leasing revenues would offset debt service on bonds. Examples: Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority, Detroit Wayne County Stadium Authority (this is recommended as the preferred option).  Long-term ground leases for individual buildings. This would make available a number of financing mechanisms, including the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit. Example: Mackinac Island State Park.  Creation of a nonprofit “trust” to seek philanthropic contributions and state and federal appropriations (the Presidio Trust is given as an example).

The plan estimates annual operations and maintenance costs of $2.5 million, with potential annual revenue of $2.4 million.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 30 2015 A Vision For the Future of Fort Wayne

The 2015 study was produced by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in conjunction with Gordie Howe International Bridge planning efforts. By this time, up to almost $100 million in rehabilitation costs were estimated: $48-54 million for building rehabilitation, and $39-42 for infrastructure and open space improvements.

Observing a “substantial under-supply of top-tier recreational facilities in Detroit, particularly in southwest Detroit,” the MEDC consultant identified a strong community desire for active programming and improved riverfront access, as well as a value of historic preservation.

History, Culture, and Recreation zones proposed by the 2015 vision.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 31 Like the 2003 Master Plan, the Vision proposes a public public-private partnership model including the leasing of historic buildings to generate revenue for rehabilitation. The site is demarcated into three zones: “History”—the star fort and its immediate surroundings; “Culture”—most of the ancillary buildings; and “Recreation”—the parade ground and waterfront. The plan envisions a “hybrid management structure” in which a “well- capitalized public sector entity such as the National Park Service” manages the History portion, with “one or more nonprofit stewards” operating the Culture and Recreation areas. Potential uses for the Culture area, including the “Military Village” (Officers Row and NCO Row), are as follows:

 Cram Street buildings (311 through 314 on the map on page 26) on the east end of the site will be connected as a major museum or cultural attraction (to be developed once the rest of the site has been fully built out); the small bakery building will be restored.  NCO Row buildings (201 through 222) will serve hospitality and boutique hotel uses, though a few such buildings are designated as “stabilized” and will remain vacant for the foreseeable future (the document acknowledges that a viable anchor attraction will be required to support the proposed hotel use).  Officers Row (buildings 102 through 117) will be used as nonprofit office space; again, a few buildings are designated as “stabilized.”  The Post Headquarters is adapted as a restaurant; stables and other nearby nonresidential buildings become “artisan space.”  A plaza with cafe and outdoor seating will be developed on the former hospital site.  The above uses are served by a parking area between NCO Row and Jefferson Avenue

Improvements proposed for the Recreation section and broader site include:

 Significant changes to circulation, including reconfiguration of streets to facilitate vehicle and pedestrian access, including on-street parking.  Addition of new east and west entrances to the site.  Elimination of the large mound as well as the Collections Resource Center to create additional landscaped open space for passive recreation.  Riverfront development with kayak launch, splash pad, beach volleyball, and a cafe.  Like the 2003 plan, the 2015 document proposes additional land acquisition, including the incorporation of the present United States Army Corps of Engineers parking lot and boat slip, and acquiring the DTE site to the west to provide additional athletic fields and watercraft access.

In support of the above recommendations, the Vision evaluates market conditions and considers six broad use categories: history, culture, retail, hotel, logistics, and open space, concluding “Fort Wayne will be most successful as an actively programmed recreational and cultural destination.” Note that housing, a component of the 2003 plan, is not considered by the Vision. Also, use of the site by a major educational institution is mentioned as an alternative possibility, but not discussed in detail.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 32 The Vision (like the 2003 plan) suggests a phased intervention strategy, beginning with building stabilization and outdoor programming to generate interest and draw visitation, followed by open space and waterfront investments, the development of a leasing program, and finally, creation of a major museum or cultural attraction at the eastern end of the site.

Funding will require “multiple layers of public, private, and institutional capital as well as on-site revenue generation.”

The document concludes with “next steps” and interim recommendations:

 Creating or contracting with a dedicated entity to implement programming on site  Stabilizing threatened buildings and structures  “Predevelopment should begin now” for waterfront recreation and amenities  Contemplate National Park Service involvement: “a decision needs to be made.”  Establish institutional partnerships, a “steering committee,” and a management structure that will operate Historic Fort Wayne in the long term.

Comparison chart of phased implementation strategies from 2003 and 2015 plans.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 33 Gordie Howe Bridge Memorandum of Agreement

A 2008 Memorandum of Agreement between the Federal Highway Administration and the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office promises a number of benefits for Historic Fort Wayne (see Appendix D for the full text of the MoA). These include improved wayfinding signs combined with streetscape improvements on Jefferson Avenue and Campbell Street to encourage visitation, an improved entrance treatment, a decorative and historically appropriate perimeter fence, and a new off-street parking area to mitigate the loss of nearby on-street parking. The location and design of these features is yet to be determined, requiring further dialogue between the City of Detroit and relevant state and federal agencies.

2017 Parks and Recreation Improvement Plan

The 2017 report, prepared by the General Services Department, strategies and prioritizes park improvements, based in staff assessments and a community outreach process. Historic Fort Wayne was given a priority level of “5: Improve (high).”6 However, an urgent need to prioritize neighborhood parks resulted in investments at Historic Fort Wayne being deferred to phases six and ten of a ten-phase capital improvement plan (though the site was included twice due to its size and relative significance).

The plan provides typologies for city parks; Historic Fort Wayne is not assigned to a particular typology but possesses attributes of a Community Park, Regional Park, and Sports Park. Other than its athletic fields, Fort Wayne presently features none of the amenities commonly associated with any of the described typologies; the plan also identifies room for improvement regarding barrier-free access at Historic Fort Wayne for people with disabilities. Thus, further investment is warranted, requiring input from all Detroit residents regarding particular park improvements and amenities.

All parks and recreation investments are driven by an explicit desire to make sure all Detroit residents have equitable access to public space. This makes investment in Historic Fort Wayne all the more important, now and in the future.

3.3 Stakeholder Engagement

Although two prior planning efforts involved a public engagement process, the 2003 Historic Fort Wayne Master Plan is now fifteen years old and warrants review, and the 2015 Vision saw an abbreviated process. While two overarching goals of these plans— operating Historic Fort Wayne as a public park and historical attraction, and adaptive use of buildings to generate revenue for historic preservation—appear to be well established and grounded in local community support and nationwide best practice, additional

6 Possible categories included “1: Not well positioned as a traditional recreation space,” “2: Maintain,” “3: Improve (low),” “4: Improve (medium),” and “5: Improve (high).” See Parks and Recreation Improvement Plan, 60-64.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 34 outreach is required to further refine the site vision and commence discussions regarding particular uses, partners, and programming.

Historic Fort Wayne Advisory Council

August 1, 2018 Historic Fort Wayne Advisory Council meeting

At the outset of this project, a Historic Fort Wayne Advisory Council was convened by invitation of GSD staff. Members of the committee represented relevant city departments, on-site partners, immediate neighbors, and the surrounding community, and provided guidance in a series of meetings as our process unfolded. Advisory Council meetings covered the following topics:

• August 1, 2018: Introduction of planning process, history and significance, review of prior plans, brainstorm list of stakeholders for further outreach • October 25, 2018: Community engagement strategy, Mission and Vision statements, draft Strategic Plan • February 20, 2019: Upcoming Request for Information process • July 25, 2019: Community engagement update, building stabilization • January 16, 2020: Deed restrictions and zoning • April 1, 2020: Request for Information results and implementation

(See Appendix A: Historic Fort Wayne Advisory Council Meeting Summaries.)

Continued Stakeholder Outreach

Recognizing that a number of parallel planning processes are already underway or imminent (including those for the Gordie Howe International Bridge design and the Planning and Development Department Delray study), the Historic Fort Wayne Advisory

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 35 Council advised against holding a standalone kickoff meeting for our project. Instead, we opted to focus on more directed meetings with individual stakeholder groups. The goal of these meetings was to generate community awareness of the planning project and to solicit feedback ideas.

Throughout the planning process, GSD staff met with the following entities:

• All Nations Veterans Council • American Indian Health and Family Services • Congress of Communities • Consulate General of Canada • Detroit City Council Veterans Task Force • Detroit Collaborative Design Center • Detroit Historical Society • Detroit Historic Designation Advisory Board • Detroit Riverfront Conservancy • DTE Energy • Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma • Historic Fort Wayne Coalition • Michigan State Historic Preservation Office • Monroe County Convention and Visitors Bureau • MotorCities National Heritage Area • Nottaweseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi • Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma • Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan • Southeast Michigan Council of Governments • Southwest Detroit Business Association • Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition • Southwest Solutions • Wayne County Economic Development Corporation • Wayne State University Department of Anthropology • Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority • Woodmere Springwells Block Club • Wyandot of Anderdon Nation • Wyandotte Nation • YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit

(More information regarding our outreach to Tribal nations stakeholders is found in Appendix B.)

September 26, 2019 Community Meeting

The City of Detroit General Services Department hosted a tour, informational meeting, and feedback session at Historic Fort Wayne. Over 70 community members and stakeholders were present. Attendees were greeted upon arrival by city staff, who led a

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 36 series of small group tours highlighting the opportunities and challenges of Historic Fort Wayne. Afterwards, a meeting in the Building 312 gymnasium began with presentations by GSD staff discussing the objectives of the planning process.

After the staff presentation, smaller breakout tables focused on five geographical areas of the Historic Fort Wayne property. Attendees were provided with maps and a chart, highlighting ideas and suggested uses for each area, based on input from prior community meetings and engagement.

(See Appendix C: Community Meeting Summary.)

Notes from one of several workshop tables at the meeting. Full-size images from each table are available at detroitmi.gov/historicfortwayne.

Zoning Map Amendment Public Hearings

In order to facilitate adaptive use of Historic Fort Wayne buildings, a zoning change is required. A series of statutory public hearings and meetings before the Detroit City Planning Commission and Detroit City Council, scheduled to begin in March 2020, were intended to serve as a key component of our community engagement strategy as we seek to discuss adaptive use with a wider audience.

Unfortunately, these events were postponed as part of a citywide initiative of precautionary cancellations during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. They are are expected to occur later in 2020.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 37 3.4 Statement of Purpose

As our planning project progressed, GSD staff, in consultation with the Historic Fort Wayne Advisory Council, created the a Statement of Purpose for Historic Fort Wayne based on existing planning priorities and what we heard from stakeholders.

Historic Fort Wayne Statement of Purpose Historic Fort Wayne will improve the equity of recreational and cultural opportunities for residents of Southwest Detroit and the region while exemplifying stewardship of the site’s outstanding historic, cultural, and natural resources for the benefit of future generations.

Top: Ammonoid fossils in Kellys Island limestone, Building 507; Bottom: Detroit Police Department 1963 Plymouth Fury at the 2019 Historic Fort Wayne Motor Show. Photo: Brian Neu

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 38 SECTION FOUR: CASE STUDIES

When viewed in a nationwide context, Historic Fort Wayne does not stand alone. Dozens of success stories across the country demonstrate positive transformations of campuses of historic buildings—including numerous former military facilities—into valued parks or economic development projects. Many of these case studies present remarkable similarities to Historic Fort Wayne in terms of setting, building types and condition, and community support; most are federal properties, or, like Historic Fort Wayne, are locally- owned federal surplus properties and subject to similar legal constraints.

Cavallo Point Lodge at Fort Baker in Sausalito, California. Image: John Stanton (CC BY-SA 3.0)

3.1 Adaptive Use

As discussed in Section One: Background and Section Three: Planning Process, adaptive use is a likely path forward for vacant buildings at Historic Fort Wayne. Many case studies described below provide examples of sites where the preservation of historic resources is determined to be consistent with the park mission, but adequate recourse to address issues of deferred maintenance are lacking.

The vast majority of comparable sites around the country have successfully utilized some form of leasing or concession model to attract public or private (whether for-profit or

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 39 nonprofit) investment to support rehabilitation, operation, and maintenance costs of historic buildings.

The “rehabilitation in lieu of rent” model most often used enables public or nonprofit property owners to offer Fair Market Value leases for deteriorated buildings that would otherwise require a substantial and expensive rehabilitation prior to being marketed. In this model, tenants, with the expertise and financial capacity to undertake the up-front rehabilitation of an old or historic building, complete the rehabilitation within an agreed- upon timeframe, amortizing their investment over the duration of a long-term lease as a credit against rent owed.

Case Study: Indiana Landmarks and Indiana Dunes National Park Historic Leasing Program

Managed by a partnership between the National Park Service and Indiana Landmarks, a nonprofit advocacy organization, this program covers eight buildings located at Indiana Dunes National Park: Five “Century of Progress” homes dating from the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, two other historic houses, and one barn.

The National Park Service had acquired a number of private residences during expansion of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in the 1970s; all of the buildings had become vacant by 2005 as their occupants had gradually moved out. A 1997 amendment to the park’s General Management Plan called for the buildings to be preserved and reused due to their historical and aesthetic value; however, their priority did not rank The Florida Tropical House. Image: NPS highly enough to receive additional funding from the National Park Service. Thus, a leasing program was created in partnership with Indiana Landmarks starting to identify new tenants for the buildings.

As a first step, management of the properties was transferred to Indiana Landmarks via a series of Memorandums of Understanding (and subsequent amendments) between that organization and the National Park Service, who continues to own the property. With a 35-year master lease finalized in 2001,

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 40 Indiana Landmarks began a RFP process to identify new occupants with the capacity to undertake a rehabilitation of each property in exchange for a 30-year sublease.

The seven single-family residences were required to remain in their original use and, as such, were marketed to a target demographic of individuals or families with the financial capacity, work experience, or both, required to undertake an ambitious rehabilitation project. Use of the properties as a seasonal residence or vacation home was discouraged. The other building, a historic barn, was adapted as a nonprofit environmental education center.

Of the eight properties, seven have been successfully rehabilitated by tenants, with costs ranging from $209,729 to $2,455,000. The eighth was re-offered through a new RFP in 2019. Rehabilitation of the properties, made possible by the leasing program, provides a public benefit by preserving the buildings for the enjoyment and appreciation of park visitors.

All properties are required to be open to the public for an annual historic house tour. Properties may not be used for commercial purposes, including rental residential use. Rehabilitation work must follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, subject to approval of the National Park Service, Indiana Landmarks, and the Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. On the exterior, interpretive signs provide for public education and Field Station Cooperative Preschool. enhance the visitor experience. Image: Indiana Landmarks Beachfront access for the general public, where applicable, is specifically guaranteed in the sublease agreement for each property. At the conclusion of the lease term, properties revert back to the National Park Service for future management.

3.2 Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Building Stabilization

Stabilizing vacant buildings early in the process brings a number of advantages: by preventing further deterioration, it will save costs in the long run; stabilization will also

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 41 help to market buildings to potential partners and demonstrate “buy-in” and a commitment to stewardship to potential funders.

• At Fort Baker, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, twenty-eight historic buildings very similar in character to those at Historic Fort Wayne sat vacant and largely unmaintained from well before the 1995 base closure; they continued to deteriorate up to the start of redevelopment in 2008. Lack of an interim plan for preservation of historic buildings meant that the site amassed a significant and costly backlog of deferred maintenance in the interim. Fortunately, Fort Baker was able to secure federal funding from the Department of Defense for much of the needed repair work; however, a plan to stabilize buildings during the transition period would have resulted in immense cost savings for all parties.

At Historic Fort Wayne, lessons learned regarding building stabilization are applied in Section Five: Vision and Implementation as goals Enhance the Visitor Experience/Create a Clean, Safe, and Attractive Park Environment, Safeguard Historic Resources, and Stabilize Buildings.

Public-Private Partnerships

Due to the complexity and diversity of assets involved, successful transformation of former military facilities into park land most typically involves a hybrid management model, often involving a public site owner, a nonprofit proponent to provide fundraising and management, and a nonprofit or for-profit developer to establish a use that generates revenue to fund building rehabilitation (while also remaining mindful of the need for uses that are compatible with, and complimentary to, a park setting).

• At city-owned Governors Island, the City of New York created the Trust for Governors Island in 2010. The Trust manages the island directly on behalf of the city, but is also able to add value by providing an increased capacity to solicit foundation and individual donations.

• At Fort Baker, the National Park Service teamed up with Passport Resorts and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy to create Cavallo Point Lodge, generating revenue that is used exclusively to fund other on-site priorities.

See Section Five: Vision and Implementation goals Continue Park Development, Invest in Site Improvements, Activate Vacant Buildings, Establish an Institutional Anchor, and Seek Additional Sources of Support.

Long-Term Leases

Due to the high cost of overcoming deferred maintenance and the challenges inherent in managing a historic built environment, adaptive use of historic buildings is almost always the most viable path to securing revenue for rehabilitation and ongoing maintenance.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 42 Leasing—usually in the form of ground leases, commonly known as “long term leases”— allow individual buildings to become financially self sufficient. A market study will be required to ensure that a proposed use is capable of generating sufficient revenue. Should a funding gap be identified, gap financing strategies can be devised to make the project feasible. Just as importantly, a market study can serve to further refine details of a proposal and ensure that stakeholders are in support.

Ground leases may be the only viable means for identifying a developer, as it provides the ability to collateralize the leased property for financing purposes. In a ground lease, the lessee has ownership of all improvements made to the property for the duration of the lease term, typically 50 to 99 years. This allows the developer to leverage capital through using the lease as collateral on a loan, and reduces risk by allowing the lesee to sell its interest in the property. At the conclusion of the lease term, the property owner (the City of Detroit) then owns all improvements made to the property.

Ground leasing is a niche practiced by few developers and will require a large degree of time and expertise to implement. Leasing at Historic Fort Wayne should be modeled on a comparable property or properties that have been successfully redeveloped under a ground lease.

See Section Five: Vision and Implementation goal Resolve Legal Obstacles.

Complimentary Uses

Any uses identified must be complimentary to, and in service of, the primary values of the site, including historic preservation, interpretation, and outdoor recreation. Uses should also provide a direct benefit to the surrounding community, either through economic development, or providing needed amenities, or both.

• At Fort Baker, the National Park Service sought a use that would be least impactful in terms of alterations to historic buildings, traffic, viewshed concerns, and park visitor experience. Limiting the overall size of the private development was also a concern expressed during the community engagement process. As a result, the National Park Service placed a cap on room count.

• At the Presidio of San Francisco, a Public Safety Housing Program provides affordable housing to police officers and firefighters. Presidio employees are also given access to on-site housing with rental prices guaranteed not to exceed 30 percent of employee gross income.

See Section Five: Vision and Implementation goals Increase Public Awareness and Generate Interest and Establish an Institutional Anchor.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 43 Tax Incentives

In rehabilitating historic buildings, tax incentives will be essential, especially the federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit. This program provides a 20% credit towards the cost of rehabilitating historically significant, income-producing properties. Ground leases will be required to permit a developer to take advantage of tax incentives. Ground leases have an added benefit of providing revenue for the public site owner.

See Section Five: Vision and Implementation goal Activate Vacant Buildings.

Open and Welcoming Atmosphere

Even if sites are redeveloped using a public-private partnership model, all case studies applicable to Historic Fort Wayne constitute public park settings in which grounds are fully open and welcoming to the public at all (or nearly all) times.

• At Fort Baker’s Cavallo Point Lodge, all outdoor areas remain open to the general public except when their closing is necessitated during events, such as weddings.

• At Fort Hancock, as buildings are leased, outdoor areas remain fully open and inviting to the public.

See Section Five: Vision and Implementation goals Increase Public Awareness and Generate Interest and Enhance the Visitor Experience/Create a Clean, Safe, and Attractive Park Environment.

Maintaining Character

Any historic resource which is removed should ideally be replaced with another resource of similar scale and location in order to maintain the overall character of the site.

• At Fort Baker, where newly constructed hotel buildings are located on the footprints of historic buildings which no longer exist.

• This applies to landscape features as well—mature eucalyptus trees previously planted by the Department of Defense provide a strong sense of place; as they approach the end of their lifespan, new trees are being planted to gradually replace them over time.

See Section Five: Vision and Implementation goals Safeguard Historic Resources, Continue Park Development, Stabilize Buildings, Develop Interpretation Guidelines, and Invest in Site Improvements.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 44 Case Study: Governors Island

Governors Island with Fort Jay in the foreground. Image: Nestor Rivera Jr. (CCBY-SA 2.0)

The Governors Island leasing program was announced in 2016, as a component of a broader effort to convert the island, a former military facility acquired by New York City in 2010, into a multifaceted attraction including a historic National Park Service property, recreational amenities, and private sector development. In 2012, portions of Governors Island were placed under control of the Trust for Governors Island, a nonprofit organization and instrumentality of the City of New York charged with the development of the island.

The program offers several dozen historic residential, administration, and service buildings ranging in size from small houses to large buildings suitable for institutional use. At present, as the program is relatively new, only a handful have been leased.

Target tenants are commercial or nonprofit entities that provide a mix of uses determined to be in demand on the island and in accordance with federal deed restrictions. Governors Island is required by its deeds to have an educational component; tenants offering arts and culture, recreation and entertainment, hospitality and retail, health, and commercial offices, are sought through an RFP process. Federal oversight also includes a historic preservation covenant.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 45 Phased Activation and “Momentum”

In many case studies, interim site activation served as a mechanism to generate community awareness, interest, and momentum, and just as importantly, leverage potential partners and funding opportunities. In a phased intervention, the first step will be to activate the site through aesthetic improvements and interim programming.

During early stages, inviting elected officials and other community leaders for tours will help them to understand the needs, goals, and vision for the site.

• When the City of New York assumed ownership of Governors Island in 2010, the Trust for Governors Island recognized a lack of public awareness and familiarity with the site was a challenge, and propriety opened a number of public spaces on the island, increasing visitation with low-cost programming. The Trust hired a landscape architect to create quality outdoor spaces even as disposition of the site’s historic military buildings was still in the early planning stages. The Trust also actively solicited proposals for arts and entertainment programming at the site. As a result, visitation increased fourfold in four years, even before a final plan for the site was determined.

• Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California hosted events such as runs and bike rides, enhancing visibility and generating community interest in sites such as Chrissy Field prior to their full development.

See Section Five: Vision and Implementation goals Increase Public Awareness and Generate Interest, Enhance the Visitor Experience/Create a Clean, Safe, and Attractive Park Environment, Safeguard Historic Resources, Continue Park Development, Host Major Events to Develop Enthusiasm and Generate Revenue, Invest in Site Improvements, Activate Vacant Buildings, and Enhance Connectivity to Nearby Assets.

3.3 Key Decision Points

Despite the wealth of precedents mentioned above, there is no one perfect model for the transformation of a historic built environment to public park use. As case studies demonstrate, we will often be presented with alternatives and choices to be made reflecting the values and unique conditions of Historic Fort Wayne. As the planning process unfolds, philosophical and management choices, based in community engagement, will need to be made in order to further refine the site’s vision and determine the path forward.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 46 Case Study: Maryland Resident Curatorship Program

Likely the first such program in the country, the Maryland Resident Curatorship Program began in 1982 and has been a model for others nationwide. Administered by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, it offers leases on formerly vacant historic buildings located on public land throughout the state. About fifty buildings are presently under a lease agreement, with more being offered at a rate of about one per year. Applications are accepted on a rolling The Shipley House. Image: Maryland basis. Department of Natural Resources

Due to the residential character of the buildings being leased, the typical tenant is a private individual or family, especially one with historic rehabilitation experience. Some buildings are leased by nonprofit or commercial entities.

For each building offered under the program, proposals received are reviewed by a selection committee of individuals from multiple state agencies, who approve proposals based on applicant experience, financial capacity, and the compatibility of the proposed use within a park or public land setting. As in most such programs, proposed work must comply with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. Rehabilitation costs vary by building, but have typically been around $200,000 to $250,000. A minimum dollar amount of investment is required even if the required rehabilitation work is completed under budget. In-kind labor is valued towards this amount, using statewide accounting practices for volunteer labor.

A proposed Schedule of Restoration is required as part of the application; if approved, it becomes incorporated into the lease agreement. The tenant is required to complete the rehabilitation work within 5-7 years, depending on the property.

The buildings are required to be open to the public five days a year, or tenants may propose alternative educational programming, such as the creation of a virtual tour.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 47 Request for Proposals vs. Concession or License Agreements

Though it is generally a more involved process requiring specialized expertise and staff capacity, an RFP process is preferred to a traditional concession approach due to the enhanced level of public awareness the process will bring.

Master Developer vs. Direct City or Trust Management

There are advantages to forgoing the use of a master developer and allowing the governmental entity (the City of Detroit in the case of Historic Fort Wayne) or a nonprofit management entity (such as a trust) to manage project implementation directly.

• At Alameda Point, the City of Alameda, California, initially sought a master developer, then chose to manage the project themselves. Now, the city retains ownership of a majority of the land and has greater control in selecting lessees complimentary to its mission.

• The Fort Mason Center in San Francisco curates a campus of compatible uses, not necessarily the ones that will generate the most revenue.

• At Fort Hancock, the National Park Service is able to vet potential lessees on a building-by-building basis to ensure compatibility with a broader site vision.

Community-based Developers

Potential site developers can be divided into two categories: “major” developers (often national or international firms) and “community-based” developers. The latter will be locally based; they tend to have a greater tolerance for risk and willingness to take on outside-the-box projects. Community-based developers will also tend to have have greater knowledge and ability with respect to affordable housing.

Financial capacity is not the only concern when soliciting a developer. Identifying an entity with shared values and a vision for the site is equally, if not more, important.

Many of the most successful military-base redevelopment projects share several important traits. First, local leaders began planning for redevelopment early, in some cases even before they were certain that the base would close, and they planned with an eye toward long-term benefits instead of short-term gains. They listened to the community’s desires, needs, and ideas and kept the public involved throughout the redevelopment process. They considered how best to balance the area’s need for jobs, homes, and public amenities like parks and natural lands. They used the base’s location, infrastructure, historic buildings, and environmentally sensitive lands to the best advantage. –United States Environmental Protection Agency, Turning Bases into Great Places: New Life for Closed Military Facilities, 2006.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 48 SECTION FIVE: VISION AND IMPLEMENTATION

5.1 Vision Statement

This Strategic Plan charts a pathway for future management of Historic Fort Wayne. The vision statement is developed by city staff based on what we heard from stakeholders and the community, legal mandates and requirements, and the values inherent in the City of Detroit General Services Department and Parks and Recreation Division:

Historic Fort Wayne Vision

 Accessibility . Historic Fort Wayne will be open seven days a week, year round, providing Detroit residents with inclusive opportunities for recreational, cultural, and educational activities amid a riverfront setting of profound historic significance.  Stewardship . Buildings, structures, and the landscape as a whole will be safe, attractive, and inviting to the public. Historic, archaeological, and natural resources will be preserved to educate and inspire future generations.  Interpretation . A diverse and outstanding history—spanning over a thousand years from prehistory into the present—will be interpreted in a way that is meaningful and relatable to all visitors.  Attraction . Historic Fort Wayne will serve as a regional park and landmark, and will provide a welcoming atmosphere for international visitors arriving to the City of Detroit, State of Michigan, and the United States of America via the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

Image: Jerry Brock

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 49 5.2 Management Zones

Valued land uses and management needs and philosophies will necessarily vary from one location to the next. For this reason, this Strategic Plan adopts a zoned approach to management, a tool used in successful management of complex urban parks such as Belle Isle Park and pioneered by the Central Park Conservancy.

Should stewardship of any part of Fort Wayne fall to an entity outside the City of Detroit, such as a nonprofit entity, master developer, or a regional or federal agency, management zones may correspond to boundaries in scope between distinct management entities.

Zone boundaries are necessarily inexact and provide a framework for discussion of management needs and priorities, rather than a rigid boundary between different approaches.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 50 Star Fort, Old Barracks, and Burial Mound: Preservation and Interpretation

These assets are among the most unique and valuable historic resources in the region and are the anchor that will draw visitation and investment in Historic Fort Wayne.

Star fort and “Old Barracks”. Historic Fort Wayne’s eponymous star fort was built and further reinforced to defend the Detroit River and the nation’s northern border during intermittent periods of tension including the 1840s Patriot War (British Canada) and the 1861-1865 Civil War (United States). Building 507, known as the “Old Barracks,” is among the oldest buildings in Detroit and a landmark of Federal- style architecture. Continued interpretive use of these will capitalize on Historic Fort Wayne’s unique value and provide Detroit residents with an outstanding educational opportunity. The interior lawn of the star fort Star Fort and Old Barracks. Photo: Will Strieff provides an enclosed space for moderately sized events. The best uses for these spaces would be for museum purposes or the continued hosting of historical or cultural events.

Native American resources. The Fort Wayne Mound is the most visible manifestation of the over one thousand years of indigenous history at the site. Additional resources exist as well: A second burial mound, the Central Mound, was destroyed and likely incorporated into the earthworks of Fort Wayne, raising the possibility that ancestral remains are included within the star fort embankments. Additional, smaller mounds may have existed on the property, and recent archaeological investigations suggest a Potawatomi village site located in the northeastern section of the parade ground. Finally, the freshwater springs for which Springwells was named were once located at the base of the star fort wall.

Recommendations within this plan for stewardship and interpretation of these resources seek to be in keeping with the vision expressed by stakeholders from Tribal nations and the Native American community in general (see Appendix B: Tribal Consultation Summary).

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 51 Parade Ground and Riverfront: Recreation

The parade ground. Photo: Michigan SHPO

As the City of Detroit emerges from its 2013 municipal bankruptcy and passes the halfway point of its ten-year (2014-2024) Plan of Adjustment, we embark upon a renewed investment in recreational offerings citywide.

Active Recreation. The parade ground area, most commonly used as athletic fields for soccer and other sports, contains no buildings and should be developed with improvements that facilitate active recreation, such as lighting, seating, restrooms, and other amenities. Open spaces are also suitable for large events. (Careful protection of landscape features and subsurface archaeological resources is further discussed in 6.5: Archaeological Resources and 6.6: Events Policy.)

Passive Recreation. The parade ground, riverfront open space, and adjacent large berm Active recreation on the parade ground. provide views of, and to, the Detroit River. This Photo: Historic Boston-Edison FC land may be used by park visitors for walking, fishing, wildlife viewing, and other low-impact recreation. Camping, though generally an “active” use, may be appropriate in this area zone due to its compatibility with otherwise undeveloped space.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 52 The 2017 Park Improvement Plan identifies a relative lack of unprogrammed and “natural” spaces within the city’s park system, despite the environmental and recreational benefits such places provide. Although the historic character of Fort Wayne’s built environment is not generally compatible with extensive natural areas, small pockets of “natural” space— forest canopy, native prairie, or restored shoreline—may appropriately be created along the riverfront, especially at the southern end of the property.

Interpretation. Appropriately placed interpretive signs, developed in conjunction with stakeholders through an interpretive planning process, could highlight significant sites such as the likely Potawatomi village location and the former site of Warehouse 9, used as an “Arsenal of Democracy” logistics facility during World War II.

Officers Row, NCO Row, and Cram Street Buildings: Adaptive Use

Officers Row, where many buildings remain in fair to good condition.

Residential and service buildings, of a variety of types, sizes, time periods, and architectural styles (and in varying states of repair) provide educational and interpretive opportunity expressive of a variety of eras of United States military history. They further contribute to the aesthetic character of the site—even as the buildings largely remain unused. Fort Wayne’s historic buildings—particularly the duplex residential buildings of NCO Row and Officer’s Row, provide a dramatic vista to passers-by on Jefferson Avenue, create a street-wall effect that creates a sense of place for park users, and buffer recreational and open space uses of the site from noise, wind, and viewshed concerns.

While adaptive use by third-party partner entities will likely be required at Fort Wayne, it is important to note that leasing is a means to an end; alternative interventions may also exist. Use as municipal or other government offices, stabilization and minimal

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 53 maintenance of vacant buildings (known as “scene setters” in some parks), managed decay and preservation as ruin, and even demolition may be suitable in some contexts. Indeed, a successful intervention at Fort Wayne may combine some, or all, of the above approaches on a building-by-building basis. Critically, any proposed solution must compliment—and not distract from or compete with—a broader vision for the site, including recreational uses and interpretation.

Buildings nearby and clearly visible from the star fort, burial mound, and parade ground —including much of Officers Row, the Post Theater, and barracks buildings—play an important role in defining the setting and aesthetic character and feeling of the Historic Fort Wayne environment. Adaptive uses can be used as a mechanism to generate revenue for the rehabilitation and maintenance of these structures.

Uses in this area must be secondary to, and supportive of, interpretation and recreational uses of the site. Such uses could include nonprofit office space, educational use, or complimentary commercial uses such as supportive retail or food service.

NCO Row buildings range in condition from "good" to "threatened," according to a 2015 assessment by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

On the periphery of the property are NCO Row, Warehouse 2, buildings 102-104, and buildings 311-314 along Cram Street. Due to location, a wider range of adaptive uses may be acceptable, including for-profit office space, government offices, or housing and hospitality uses. Some buildings may be stabilized and preserved as a ruin.

Visitor parking is also an acceptable use in this zone due to its adjacency to key destinations at Fort Wayne.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 54 5.3 Immediate Interventions

Borrowing from the 2003 Historic Fort Wayne Master Plan and the 2015 Vision, this document likewise recommends a phased approach. Case studies from success stories around the country highlight the importance of interim site activation as a mechanism for generating community awareness, interest, and momentum, and just as importantly, leveraging potential partners and funding opportunities. Building a constituency of enthusiastic supporters in the short term will position the site for future success and long-term sustainability.

The first step will be to welcome both new and returning visitors to the site through accessibility improvements, working towards opening Historic Fort Wayne to the public on a regular basis. Most interventions listed within this subsection are “low-hanging fruit” that can be implemented with minimal cost, and should be implemented as soon as feasible, given available resources. Early interventions will generate excitement surrounding the site as we seek support for future phases.

Goal: Increase Public Awareness and Generate Interest

1. Establish a visible Parks and Recreation Division presence through improved signage signage . Current signs do not indicate City of Detroit ownership—the only management entity shown is the United States Army Corps of Engineers, giving the impression Historic Fort Wayne remains an active military installation. The Parks and Recreation Improvement Plan recommends consistent look and branding throughout all city parks.

Signs should be installed with park hours and rules, similar to other city parks. (The Fort Wayne deeds also require acknowledging the Federal Lands to Parks Program; however, this requirement may be eliminated as deed restrictions are expected to be revised).

Left to right: Park identification sign; park rules sign; sign recognizing the Federal Lands to Parks program

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 55 2. 2. Create and maintain a standalone website. Funded by the National Park Foundation, the General Services Department has hired a consultant to design and develop a simple and user-friendly website for Historic Fort Wayne. The design, navigation, and functionality will serve three intended audiences: Detroit residents and other guests interested in visiting Historic Fort Wayne, stakeholders looking to get involved in the ongoing planning process, and third parties interested in leasing a building at Historic Fort Wayne.

3. Market existing event spaces. Available indoor and outdoor spaces should be marketed on the Historic Fort Wayne website, on social media, and though other means. The annual Spirit of Recreation guide produced by the Parks and Recreation Division should include information on Historic Fort Wayne, including rental fees. Fees and procedures should be standardized for consistency with picnic shelter rentals, recreation center meeting rooms, etc., citywide. Third-party public events at Historic Fort Wayne could be marketed similarly to other Parks and Recreation Division offerings.

Although it is possible to reserve the restrooms in Building 114 for events for an additional fee, this opportunity is seldom exercised, possibly because event hosts are not aware of the option. Making restrooms available will increase visitor satisfaction.

Historic Fort Wayne offers outstanding event spaces, but these are not well known to the public. Left to right: Mess hall and commercial kitchen in Building 312, meeting space in the Old Barracks, gymnasium in Building 312.

4. Continue stakeholder engagement. Local community organizations have been eager to receive updates and participate in the ongoing planning process at Historic Fort Wayne. Continue meeting with stakeholder groups at every opportunity to avoid losing interest and momentum.

Goal: Enhance the Visitor Experience/Create a Clean, Safe, and Attractive Park Environment

1. Board up or fence off buildings awaiting stabilization. Boarding or fencing serves a dual purpose—it keeps visitors from entering unsafe areas while at the same time signaling that the property is being monitored and maintained. Fencing should be

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 56 combined with signs highlighting the historic nature of the buildings and indicating that rehabilitation work is being planned as funds become available.

Board-ups and fencing must be reviewed and approved by the Historic District Commission and may be subject to a preservation covenant. Such interventions should be visually unobtrusive and be designed to avoid being mistaken for a historic feature. Trompe-l'œil painted door and window images enhance the attractiveness of vacant buildings.

Example fence and sign at Keweenaw National Historical Park.

2. Provide public restrooms. Due to the lack of other public buildings in the vicinity, the lack of a restroom at Historic Fort Wayne discourages visitation, especially by some populations including senior citizens, families with children, or those lacking a car. Current portable restrooms are not accessible to people with disabilities and do not include a hand-washing station. Opening existing public restrooms in Building 114 during park hours and events will increase visitation. Canceling the present contract for portable toilet facilities may offset the cost of restroom maintenance. Some stakeholders have proposed moving the portable restrooms from their current location due to its proximity to the burial mound and a historic Potawatomi village location.

3. Invest in site cleanup and grounds maintenance . Other than cutting grass on the parade ground, GSD staff does not regularly contribute to grounds maintenance. City

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 57 staff should clean up debris and fallen tree branches throughout the site, eliminating hazards and freeing up volunteer resources for other projects.

4. Revise brochure. The “Welcome to Historic Fort Wayne” brochure, jointly authored by the Parks and Recreation Division and the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition, will need to be revised in anticipation of daily visitation. References to “off limits” and “hazardous” areas should be removed as these areas become addressed, and the relationship between the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition and the City of Detroit should be clearly explained.

5. Increase communication with Border Patrol. United States Customs and Border Protection officers frequently patrol Historic Fort Wayne. Dialogue between the City of Detroit and federal law enforcement should focus on creating a welcoming environment for park users while meeting security needs.

Goal: Resolve Legal Obstacles

1. Renegotiate federal deed restrictions. The General Services Department has been working since 2018 to remove deed restrictions from the Federal Lands to Parks Program and Historic Surplus Property Program; future development will instead be governed by a historic preservation covenant with the State Historic Preservation Office. This process (“abrogation”) requires an appraisal of the parcels in question. An appraisal, completed by the Detroit Building Authority in 2019 and received by the General Services Administration, determined that the City of Detroit would pay a fee of $110,002 to complete the abrogation. As of May 2020, remaining steps include completing this transaction, and executing a preservation covenant.

2. Enact zoning change. Historic Fort Wayne is zoned R1: Single-Family Residential District. The General Services Department has proposed a rezoning to PD: Planned Development District, which would allow a broad range of parks and recreation, business, residential, and some industrial uses (subject to approval), to facilitate the revitalization of Historic Fort Wayne. The next step, a statutory public hearing before the City Planning Commission, originally scheduled in March 2020 but postponed, should occur later in 2020.

3. Develop an accounting mechanism to direct event, rental, and license agreement revenue to Historic Fort Wayne rehabilitation and operating costs. Current accounting tools do not provide the option of keeping revenue on site.

4. Consider converting some or all Historic Fort Wayne streets to public rights of way. Conversion will secure additional resources for maintenance and lighting. Brady, Edison, Shelby, and Harrison Streets will require renaming to avoid duplicate names with other Detroit streets; this creates an opportunity to honor the diverse histories of Historic Fort Wayne. (Conversion may require a rethinking of the existing entrance guard booth.)

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 58 5. Execute parcel split. City parcel maps depict show Historic Fort Wayne and the United States Army Corps of Engineers Detroit Area Office as a single tax parcel. This has caused administrative confusion including a misallocation of water and drainage fees and, more importantly, clouded public perception regarding ownership.

A parcel split would be performed City Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works and would require consent of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and a survey of the property.

6. Execute updated agreement with the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition. A prior license agreement is expired and many of the roles of the HFWC have since been determined by verbal agreements. These roles should be formalized in writing, as appropriate. Just as importantly, these items will serve as a general best practice and model for future volunteer organizations that wish to become involved at Historic Fort Wayne. To the maximum extent possible, following the city’s Adopt a Park and Partnered Recreation Centers programs will bring added benefits to both parties:

• Clarify that Historic Fort Wayne will remain open to the public for passive recreation and self-guided tours.

• Develop a protocol to clearly identify HFWC volunteers (verbally or through a name tag, uniform, etc.) when interacting with visitors.

• Note that HFWC may assist with maintenance activities; clarify which will require an Asset Improvement Form, which can be approved by the site manager, and which, if any, are preapproved. HWFC’s role may streamlined by conforming with the city’s Adopt a Park program.

• Also in keeping with the Adopt a Park program, permit HFWC to reserve event space space free of charge in gratitude for its contribution in volunteer labor, subject to the discretion of discretion of the General Services Department director.

• Grant the HFWC use of appropriate buildings for office, storage, and workshop space (use other Partnered Recreation Centers, such as nearby Clark Park, as a model).

• Implement a revenue-sharing agreement for HFWC events that charge admission (if any).

• Allow the HFWC 24/7 access (in practice, this is already granted, and allows the HFWC to do set-up and clean-up for events, and, in some cases, respond to emergencies more quickly than GSD staff).

• Clarify the ability of HFWC to enforce rules upon park visitors (reasonable authority, such as the authority to direct traffic during events, may be granted to HFWC, but park rules should be devised by the General Services Department,

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 59 codified by ordinance, and enforced by city staff, security contractors, or the Detroit Police Department as warranted).

Goal: Safeguard Historic Resources

1. Protect the star fort. The star fort is presently overgrown with extensive vegetation, including many invasive species. Although low growth stabilizes the earthworks from erosion, extensive overgrowth damages the masonry walls and should be removed to prevent further decay. Volunteers frequently remove brush from the star fort and other sensitive areas, but a long- term solution is required. Removal of vegetation will also facilitate inspection and A volunteer restores a window at Building repair of a defective drainage system that is 202. Image: Historic Fort Wayne Coalition contributing to deteriorating of the fort wall. See 6.4: Star Fort.

3. Remove brush from historic buildings. Roots will damage foundations and masonry walls; vegetation can trap moisture and impede drainage, hastening building decay.

3. Remove trees from the burial mound. Tribal nations consulted during this planning process have expressed a desire to remove tree of heaven (ailanthus altissima), a fast- growing invasive plan species, atop the burial mound. Tree roots can loosen soil and disturb human remains and funerary items within the mound. Due to the sensitive nature of this work, Indian tribes and the All Nations Veterans Council should be invited to take part in the process.

4. Develop a stabilization and mothballing plan. As the first step in a rehabilitation and adaptive use program, a stabilization and mothballing plan will identify problems and determine solutions on a building-by-building basis. The plan will make the “business” case for stabilization, identifying needed interventions, costs, and priorities. Stabilization and mothballing will buy time while third-party investment is solicited.

Building stabilization will be cost-intensive, but is a critical early step towards repositioning Fort Wayne for a successful future. Funding for stabilization will likely come from City of Detroit discretionary spending used to leverage state and federal grant funding; investment in stabilization will result in long-term cost savings and revenue generation.

5. Develop an improved events policy. Decisions regarding event approvals should be based in an objective assessment regarding consistency with the Parks and Recreation Division mission statement and the Historic Fort Wayne Statement of Purpose. Concerns

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 60 of revenue generation are secondary. All events must include a plan to protect sensitive areas from damage. (See 6.6: Events Policy and Appendix F: Events Request Form.)

6. Identify and protect archaeological resources. A wealth of subsurface archaeological resources are distributed over almost the entire Historic Fort Wayne property. Any site work involving the breaking of ground must be conducted in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office and other relevant entities, which may include the National Park Service and a number of federally recognized tribes.

Resources include the Fort Wayne Mound in addition to another (destroyed) burial mound site, latrines and other features associated with the Fort Wayne Military Reservation, the location of a possible eighteenth-century Potawatomi village, and a historic barn. Locations of these resources, when known, are documented in state archaeological site files but are not shared with the general public. Items such as tent stakes or fence posts must be placed appropriately with guidance from the State Historic Preservation Office.

5.4 Near-Term Strategies

These goals and strategies are more appropriately implemented once Historic Fort Wayne is open to daily visitation, perhaps one to two years in the future. Visitation will increase as items described below are brought online.

Some of these recommendations involve implementation of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Federal Highway Administration and the State Historic Preservation Office developed in 2008 in parallel with Gordie Howe International Bridge planning efforts (See Appendix D).

Goal: Continue Park Development

1. Improve external wayfinding. The Federal Highway Administration Memorandum of Agreement with the State Historic Preservation provides for additional wayfinding signs for vehicle traffic. The City of Detroit will work with both entities on placement.

2. Create a more welcoming entrance. The current entrance creates an intimidating atmosphere for casual visitors. Funding to design and construct a new entrance will be provided by the Federal Highway Administration.

3. Train and support security staff. Security staff could be trained to greet and orient visitors; alternatively, supplementing security contractors with Parks and Recreation Division “play leader” staff during park hours would create a more welcoming atmosphere. Staff should patrol on foot during open hours to monitor sensitive areas, such as the star fort.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 61 4. 4. Restore trees and vegetation . Trees provide aesthetic benefits as well as environmental benefits, such as noise and dust mitigation. At Historic Fort Wayne, trees and landscaping are an important component of a historic designed landscape. Additional direction is provided in 6.1: Trees and Vegetation. Trees and landscaping elements require approval by the Historic District Commission.

5. Repair and improve lighting. Most outdoor lighting is currently inoperable. Repairing or adding lighting will enable evening meetings or other events, especially during the fall and winter. Even in the summer, athletic events occasionally end after dusk. Lighting must be approved by the Historic District Commission.

6. Reconfigure parking. The current visitors parking lot is not conveniently located for most events and uses. For larger events, the parking lot overflows and visitors park on the grass in violation of the City Code. A parking study will determine demand and investigate the feasibility of on-street parking. Striping of smaller lots located throughout Fort Wayne will also increase capacity.

A new off-street parking lot will be provided by the Federal Highway Administration. This will be located within or adjacent to Fort Wayne but its location is yet to be determined. City of Detroit staff will work with federal and state entities to determine appropriate placement and design. See 6.2 Parking and Motor Vehicle Circulation.

7. Improve motor vehicle circulation. The current street network, designed for military use, is not ideal for pedestrian activity. Minor adjustments can create a more inviting environment for recreational users while also facilitating deliveries to the Detroit Historical Society warehouses. See 6.2 Parking and Motor Vehicle Circulation.

8. Facilitate barrier-free access. Interventions regarding restrooms and parking will enable people with disabilities to more fully enjoy Historic Fort Wayne. According to the Department of Public Works, accessible parking can be provided through marked and signed on-street parking spaces.

Park users have commented that attending events, including soccer games, is difficult for people with limited mobility. Explore strategies to enable people with disabilities or other special needs to access all areas of the facility, especially the athletic fields. This may include on-street parking, the creation of additional surface parking areas, signed parking for people with disabilities, or the striping of existing paved areas to increase capacity. A shuttle service may not be warranted by current visitation levels or funding, but may be desirable as a long term objective.

9. Capitalize on Gordie Howe International Bridge interest. The new bridge will be the most significant public works project created in the Detroit area in a generation. A viewing area along the riverfront will draw curious visitors and creates a potential reservable event space. Recent examples of bridge viewing platforms include one erected

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 62 during the construction of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in New York; such a platform is already being planned for the City of River Rouge at Belanger Park.

Goal: Stabilize Buildings

1. Implement Stabilization and Mothballing Plan. Although stabilization of all vacant buildings could cost up to $5 million,7 securing buildings as soon as possible will result in long-term cost savings and will make the property more attractive for third-party investment. As funds are limited, priorities may be established based on condition, location, or suitability for future use.

Vacant buildings awaiting reuse at Fort Hancock in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Photo: Shinya Suzuki (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Funding for stabilization and mothballing will necessarily come from a combination of discretionary spending, lease agreements, grants, philanthropy, and on-site revenue generation. For buildings subject to a third party lease or similar agreement, a requirement for stabilization should be incorporated into any legal agreement as an initial benchmark.

7 As a rule of thumb, ten percent of the $48-$54 million for rehabilitation as estimated by the 2015 Vision. National Park Service, Preservation Brief 31: Mothballing Historic Buildings, 1.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 63 Goal: Host Major Events to Develop Enthusiasm and Generate Revenue

1. Actively recruit third-party events. Major events such as music festivals or bike rides have inherent value in that they provide recreational and cultural experiences for Detroit residents. Further, events introduce the broader population to Historic Fort Wayne and may generate revenue through ticket sales.

Historic Fort Wayne is already well known as a venue for events. Staff will will actively recruit additional events, such as bike rides, running or walking events, and music festivals in order to increase visitation and interest. Event promoters should be required to include Parks and Recreation Division information in promotional materials to increase public awareness and understanding. (At present, most events outside the 1949 parcel will require approval from the National Park Service. See 2.1 Historic Surplus Property Program and Federal Lands to Parks Program.) All events should be consistent with the Historic Fort Wayne Statement of Purpose (See 3.4: Statement of Purpose) and the Parks and Recreation Division Mission Statement.

All events must be monitored to protect the site. Public events should take priority, but compatible private events, such as weddings, family reunions, or corporate picnics, as well as ticketed events, are appropriate in some cases (see 6.6: Events Policy and Appendix F: Event Request Form).

Goal: Develop Interpretation Guidelines

1. Prepare an interpretation plan. Providing quality interpretation and programming is challenging due to the complex and diverse history expressed in the site’s built environment. As additional public-facing partners become involved at Historic Fort Wayne, developing a consensus around interpretive themes and ensuring consistent messaging will become increasingly essential. Professional planners will involve community members and other stakeholders and build a consensus around how to tell Fort Wayne’s story, producing guidelines that will direct content for signs, brochures, and other educational materials.

GSD staff does not have the resources or expertise required for professional interpretive planning. Technical assistance from regional entities such as MotorCities National Heritage Area, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, and educational institutions will be required. The National Park Service manual, Comprehensive Interpretive Planning (2000) establishes best practices regarding interpretation plans.

2. Avoid conjectural features. Anachronistic items, such as military vehicles or monuments not connected to Fort Wayne’s history, are contrary to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and should be discouraged as they detract from accurate

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 64 interpretation of the site. Avoiding such features is the practice of major interpretive entities, such as the National Park Service.

5.5 Long-Term Direction

As Historic Fort Wayne transitions to a more attractive and appealing environment, and public awareness and attendance increase, supporting additional investments and programming, we will shift our attention to issues of long-term stewardship and sustainability. Long-term goals and strategies will be implemented five years or more in the future, and would most effectively be timed to correspond with the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge and the completion of the Joe Louis Greenway.

Goal: Invest in Site Improvements

1. Increase opportunities for active recreation. Further opportunities will increase visitation and visitor satisfaction. Improvements may be made over time as funding allows. Among ideas heard from the community are:

• Improve athletic fields with lighting, seating, etc.

• Create opportunities for riverfront recreation, including fishing, swimming, and kayaking.

• Replicate historic bandstand (at least two versions appear to have existed, one formerly located at the foot of Shelby St., and another further east) for use as a reserveable picnic shelter.

• Create a riverfront camping area for organized groups (this would require an amendment to Sec. 33-1-32 of the City Code, which currently prohibits camping in all parks and public places in the city).

• Examine feasibility of natural shoreline restoration or alternatives.

2. Explore partnerships to enhance the Fort Wayne Mound. The burial mound has immense significance and is a sacred or culturally important space to multiple communities and traditions. Replacing the existing chain link fence with more appropriate, less intrusive fencing, the creation of a platform or other area for respectful viewing, and preparation of improved interpretive signage may enhance and honor the site.

Any management decisions must involve a consensus-building process among interested Indian tribes and other Native American stakeholder groups. One example suggested by Tribal stakeholders is that of the Nikwasi Mound in Franklin, North Carolina. The burial mound, on park land owned by the municipality, was recently deeded to the Nikwasi Initiative, a nonprofit organization owned by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, whose ancestors likely created the mound.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 65 3. Develop 1970s berm. The berm was built by the Detroit Historical Department as a screening mechanism, and is presently overgrown with weeds. This feature provides an outstanding opportunity to showcase native plants, increase tree cover, or provide recreational amenities such as an amphitheater or sledding hill. Prior to development, boulders or other barriers would discourage vehicles from driving on the berm.

The Hills at Governors Island. Photo: Inhabitat (CC BY- NC-ND 2.0)

Goal: Activate Vacant Buildings

1. Locate City of Detroit offices or facilities at Historic Fort Wayne, when feasible. Some city entities, including General Services Department operations staff, may be a good candidate to use some buildings for workshops, offices, or equipment storage. Even residential use has a precedent, as some Historical Department staff members lived on site for several years during the 1980s.

2. Implement leasing program through continued Request for Information or Request for Proposals process. An initial RFI process conducted in early 2020 yielded three responses. While this is an encouraging start, case studies suggest a rolling process extending over a decade or more will be required before most buildings are activated. Nonprofit and real estate stakeholders consulted during this planning process have stated that organizations will respond with enthusiasm as park visitation is increased, especially if the star fort and other key historic assets are adopted by major public entities to serve as an anchor. A draft RFI document is included as Appendix E.

Goal: Enhance Connectivity to Nearby Assets

1. Improve fencing and buffering. Care given to appropriate perimeter fencing and vegetative buffering will increase security, improve the appearance of the site to passing traffic, and create a buffer against noise, dust, and air pollution. The FHWA and SHPO Memorandum of Agreement (see Appendix D) promises “a new decorative and

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 66 historically appropriate fence.” As the design of the fence is not yet determined, the General Services Department will work with both entities on selecting an appropriate fence.

2. Enhance boundary with United States Army Corps of Engineers property. Historic Fort Wayne and its eastern neighbor, the United States Army Corps of Engineers Detroit Area Office, share a lengthy boundary, much of which is defined by a chain link fence placed by the Army Corps and a row of trees placed by the Parks and Recreation Department to provide vegetative screening). The Army Corps has been taking steps to improve the appearance and functionality of this boundary in recent years.

Dialogue with the Army Corps will continue to redesign this transition area with a mutually agreed-upon treatment that satisfies the needs of each party: security and visibility (Army Corps of Engineers) and visual screening and compatibility with outdoor recreation (City of Detroit).

3. Create connection with adjacent Detroit River Fishing Access Site. To the southwest, Historic Fort Wayne is separated from the neighboring public access site and boat launch by a fence and retaining wall; several sections of the fence are on the verge of collapse. Continue discussion with DTE Energy, the owner of the facility, regarding possible treatments, including possible removal of the fence and integration of the two properties. This may create opportunities to share resources, such as security staff, for mutual benefit.

Parks and Recreation Division staff have received frequent inquiries from visitors wishing to access Historic Fort Wayne by boat or to host maritime-themed events. Connecting to the Detroit River Fishing Access Site would facilitate such access.

4. Connect to Joe Louis Greenway and Gordie Howe International Bridge. Both the greenway and bridge will include pedestrian and bicycle facilities immediately across Jefferson Avenue from Historic Fort Wayne. Further, the FHWA and SHPO Memorandum of Agreement (see Appendix D) promises wayfinding signs, an “entryway treatment” and landscaping to enhance the approach to Historic Fort Wayne. Dialogue with these entities and the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority will ensure a seamless connection to Historic Fort Wayne.

5. Explore connection to Detroit RiverWalk. Port facilities to the east preclude extension of the RiverWalk to connect with Historic Fort Wayne. Many stakeholders have suggested a water taxi service. Although current visitation levels would not support such a service, this remains a possibility for the future.

Goal: Stabilize and Repair the Star Fort

1. Correct longstanding structural deficiencies. Should the City of Detroit retain ownership and management of the star fort, structural deficiencies much be corrected

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 67 before critical failure occurs. Begin by retaining an experienced consultant to prepare a historic structure report and plan for star fort preservation. A major campaign using multiple sources of capital, including grant funding and philanthropy, over a period of several years to a decade or more will be required to fund star fort repairs. See 6.4: Star Fort.

Goal: Establish an Institutional Anchor

1. Contemplate National Park Service donation. The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 provides a a unique and unprecedented opportunity for parts of Historic Fort Wayne to become operated as a unit of the National Park Service.

Donating the star fort, in particular, would bring additional resources to bear on deferred maintenance issues, increase park hours and visitation, and create a powerful anchor that would leverage additional interest in surrounding areas of Historic Fort Wayne. Doing so in the near-term would enhance the attractiveness of Fort Wayne to potential partners during a future Request for Information process, as well as The Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. free up city resources to be Augustine, Florida, operated by the National Park Service, reallocated towards stabilization received 748,000 visitors in 2018, contributing $44.2 and improvement of other areas of million to the local economy. Photo: NPS the site. Land suitable for donation would likely include the star fort, the Fort Wayne Mound, and the northern portion of the parade ground area.

More detail on this process is provided in 6.8: National Park Service Donation.

2. Explore relationships with Wayne County Parks and the Huron-Clinton Metroparks Authority. Initial discussions with these entities began in the wake of the 2003 Historic Fort Wayne Master Plan, but a formal proposal was never prepared.

Goal: Enhance Historical Interpretation

1. Invest in interpretive amenities and programming. City of Detroit staff do not have the capacity to property interpret the site. Tours provided by the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition are well-received and in demand, but rely on volunteer availability and

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 68 enthusiasm. Interpretive signs throughout the site are lacking in number and detail, and are not cohesive in terms of branding or theme.

Interpretation at Fort Wayne could be expanded, either by increasing volunteer capacity, or through partnerships with other governmental or nonprofit entities with a proven track record in education and historic interpretation.

2. Consider opening Building 110 and Warehouse 2 for public visitation. Building 110, the Commanding Officers House, is a restored house museum with finished interiors and period furniture. Operated by the Detroit Historical Society, it is seldom open. Warehouse 2 comprises the Collections Resource Center, a storage and conservation facility for the Detroit Historical Society museums. A recent trend in museum curation, “open storage” would enable public visitation and appreciation of these collections, which are largely owned by the City of Detroit.

3. Restore historic paint colors. Although walls, doors, windows, and the interior of Building 507 (the Old Barracks) have been painted white since at least the 1970s, historical black-and-white photos suggest a multicolored paint scheme. A professional paint analysis can determine original paint colors and plan for an appropriate restoration. Aspects of the star fort, such as casement doors, are also likely to have been a different color in earlier eras. Colors for each space should be selected based on a period of significance determined through an interpretation plan.

Goal: Seek Additional Sources of Support

1. Create a trust or conservancy. A nonprofit support entity is better positioned to a accept major financial gifts or in-kind donations. Professional development staff would be able to use this Strategic Plan and the forthcoming Stabilization and Mothballing plan, already vetted by the community and supported by a broad range of stakeholders, as a checklist when seeking philanthropic or donor support.

Eastern comma at Historic Fort Wayne. Photo: Melissa Macleod

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 69 SECTION SIX: FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

This section elaborates upon some of the more complex planning challenges referenced in previous sections of this Strategic Plan. In addition to best practices, recommendations below are based in outreach conducted during the 2015 Michigan Economic Development Corporation planning process as well as more recent comments from community members, regional stakeholders, and park users.

6.1 Trees and Vegetation

Officers Row in 1912. Image: Detroit Historical Society

Historical photographs and site plans show that, for most of its history, Fort Wayne had far more trees cover than it does today.

WPA Street Trees

Historic Fort Wayne today contains only about two dozen of the what were once several hundred trees planted by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s. Mostly American elms, they have reached maturity and most have been removed due to age or disease. Fallen trees should be replaced on a one-to-one basis with disease-resistant

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan w 70 cultivars now available. This strategy will increase tree cover without compromising historically significant open spaces or archaeological resources. Selected trees for priority replacement are indicated in Appendix G: Site Plan.

Gardens

Gardens, once located in the open space between NCO Row and Jefferson Avenue, historically provided food for the service members and families stationed at Fort Wayne. Restoration of the gardens would provide an additional amenity for park users, and add visual appeal to traffic on Jefferson Avenue and on the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

The Officers Family Garden at Fort Smith National Historic Site in Arkansas. Image: National Park Service

One model is Fort Smith National Historic Site, where the historic Officers’ Family Garden was restored with period-appropriate plant species identified through volunteer research, and is now tended by members of Girls, Inc. Volunteer interest in gardening already exists at Historic Fort Wayne, where a similar program could involve volunteers or local community organizations. Alternatively, low maintenance crops such a fruit trees or sunflowers could be considered.

Native Plants and Habitat Restoration

Opportunities to enjoy natural, open-space parkland (as opposed to designed landscape) are limited in Detroit, and especially along the Detroit River; providing more natural landscape citywide is a goal of the Parks and Recreation Improvement Plan. Although a

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 71 historic built environment of provides limited opportunity for restoration of natural areas, some areas may be appropriate for this treatment, including parts of the riverfront, as well as the large berm and adjacent open space near the southwestern end of the site. Adding appropriate native plant species to these areas will attract migrating wildlife including migrating butterflies and birds, and mitigate the loss of vegetation in the star fort area (see 6.4: Star Fort).

Springwells

Although development of Fort Wayne and the surrounding area has altered the topography significantly since the earliest written accounts, the star fort was constructed atop what was once as a distinct landmark—a series of elevated, sandy bluffs that produced a number of number of natural springs. These springs earned the location the name of Belle Fontaine, or Springwells, as it would come to be called by English- speaking arrivals to the area.

The springs have long since ceased to flow, and their exact location is not known. However, an 1868 report by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers suggests they were found near the base of the star fort wall, and a present-day area of willow trees and cattails in the northern moat hints at their former location.

Potential "Springwells" location.

Restoration of this area with appropriate native aquatic plants and interpretive signage would provide a valuable reminder of the springs for which the Springwells neighborhood of Detroit was named.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 72 6.2 Parking and Motor Vehicle Circulation

Stakeholders have identified a number of concerns pertaining to motor vehicle access at Historic Fort Wayne. Most importantly, the location of the main parking lot with respect to destinations including the parade ground and star fort make access difficult or impossible for some families or people with disabilities or other mobility concerns. Accessible parking spaces are lacking. The high potential for pedestrian-vehicle conflicts requires traffic to be actively managed during most moderately sized events. Finally, the route to the Detroit Historical Society warehouse requires navigating several tight turns, challenging for drivers; this results in repeated truck damage to curbs and grass.

Another concern is the ability of the site to accommodate increased traffic, especially as tenants occupy buildings as a result of a future leasing program. The present parking lot is not ideally situated for most destinations, and on-street parking lot is discouraged by security staff. Already, during large events, visitors often park on the grass, in violation of the City Code.

Selective widening of certain intersections, combined with the closure of other areas to motor vehicles, would provide a dedicated delivery route while directing motor vehicles away from the most pedestrian-heavy areas. Allowing on-street parking provides an opportunity for the creation of accessible parking spaces (on streets with adequate width).

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 73 Finally, striping of existing paved areas behind Building 312, near Buildings 202 and 205, and adjacent to Warehouse 2 provide convenient parking without creating any new paved areas.

Together, these recommendations bring the existing parking capacity of Historic Fort Wayne from less than 500 cars to slightly over 700, adequate to accommodate most conceivable uses of the site, based on Detroit Zoning Ordinance minimum parking requirements (7.6: Events Policy recommends requiring event hosts to provide a parking plan with off-site parking, if needed, for especially large events).

6.3 Adaptive Use and Leasing Program

Although buildings at Historic Fort Wayne have never been marketed on a large scale until 2020, there is clear precedent for a leasing program. Building 207 (the Post Headquarters) was operated during the 1990s as a school building, first by Medicine Bear Academy, a charter school, and subsequently as Head Start facility. This use ended only when an equipment failure caused extensive water damage to the structure and the occupant moved elsewhere.

Adaptive use of presently vacant buildings, a key component of this Strategic Plan, will require a marketing and outreach program to solicit potential partners and to evaluate

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 74 responses, identifying potential entities and uses that are compatible with the Historic Fort Wayne Statement of Purpose.

An initial outreach campaign in early 2020 generated media attention and yielded three adaptive use proposals through a Request for Information process. Identifying occupants for most or all Historic Fort Wayne buildings is expected to take many years to implement, requiring continued oversight. Fort Hancock (part of Gateway National Recreation Area in New Jersey), for example, only in 2016 leased its first building after beginning an outreach and Request for Proposals process four years previously; the remaining buildings have been stabilized awaiting future redevelopment. Historic Fort Wayne, the 2015 Vision envisions a 10-15 year timetable for adaptive use of the Officers Row and NCO Row buildings (longer for the largest structures on the eastern end of the site), recommending that adaptive use be considered only after initial phases have increased interest, awareness, and visitation at the site. Repurposing of historic structures will inevitably be a gradual process.

A draft Request for Information for use in the future is included as Appendix D. Members of the development community contacted during our planning process often commented that they would be more likely to respond to an RFI once initial phases regarding site activation and increased visitation were implemented.

Appropriate Uses

Care must be taken to solicit uses that are appropriate in a park setting, yet are also supported by market conditions. In preparing the 2015 Vision, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation consultant conducted a market study determining which uses would be financially feasible and desired by the community. Upon considering “history,” “culture,” “retail,” “hotel,” “logistics,” and “open space,” the consultant determined that there was market and community support for supportive retail and hospitality uses, along with nonprofit office space, especially if anchored by a core historic and cultural attraction.

Community engagement conducted during our 2018–2020 planning process also encountered broad support for new, adaptive uses for vacant buildings at Historic Fort Wayne. When specific uses were discussed, however, mixed views were expressed regarding the suitability of particular uses, suggesting that additional outreach and consensus-building will be required. Stakeholders also expressed a concern for not discontinuing existing uses. More information is included in Appendix C: Community Meeting Summary.

Feasibility of potential uses is also a consideration. In addition to market conditions, building form plays a major role cost of rehabilitating buildings and converting them to new uses. As most buildings at Historic Fort Wayne originally served residential functions, rehabilitating buildings for this purpose will be most cost-effective.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 75 Conversion to commercial or office uses, however, will be more capital-intensive due to the code requirements inherent in these uses.

Initial community engagement, and the involvement of elected officials, will be required to vet an potential uses. Meetings before the Detroit City Planning Commission and City Council, expected in early 2020, were postponed during the Covid-19 pandemic. These meetings, expected to occur later in the year, will provide additional opportunities to increase public awareness and engagement.

6.4 Star Fort

The star fort is experiencing severe deterioration as a result of lack of maintenance, exacerbated by several decades of improper repairs and alterations. Although a more detailed assessment will be required in order to fully understand the causes of decay, a preliminary analysis by SmithGroup, included within the 2003 Historic Fort Wayne Master Plan, provides a starting point.

The brick masonry star fort wall serves as a retaining wall, holding back a solid earthen embankment. According to SmithGroup, a clogged or broken drainage system allows the embankment to become saturated with water, leading to moisture infiltration and condensation within the walls. A concrete cap, added in the 1970s, lacking proper flashing, contraction joints, or a drip edge, has further contributed to water infiltration and retention. This has allowed freeze-thaw damage and the breakdown of water-soluble materials, destroying both brick and mortar on the outer layers of the star fort wall.

This condition has worsened as a result of misguided repairs made in the 1970s and 1980s. Lime mortar, intended to be both flexible and sacrificial, has been replaced by a harder cement-based mortar. As the newer mortar is relatively impermeable, deterioration of the brick is hastened as a result.

Vaulted casemates and posterns that make Decay due to water infiltration and up the star fort interior spaces do not appear incompatible mortar. to be deteriorating as rapidly; however, water infiltration and damage is nonetheless visible.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 76 Repairs to the star fort will require a comprehensive approach directed by a professional assessment. A starting point will be remove vegetation from the star fort embankments, as tree roots cause additional decay by widening existing cracks. Examination and correction of drainage issues could then take place, followed by rebuilding portions of the masonry wall. If these repairs are not made, conditions will worsen, creating a safety hazard and leading to collapse of the wall.

Concrete cap and overgrowth of vegetation. Due to the extent of the damage, repairs will likely need to be spread out over a period of many years are resources are available. Although a full assessment has not been done, a planning document prepared by the National Park Service (see 7.8: National Park Service Donation) allocates $7.6 million over an unspecified period of time for star fort repairs, suggesting the extent of the work required.

6.5 Archaeological Resources

Historic Fort Wayne contains a number of significant archaeological resources, and almost certainly contains additional resources not yet identified. Prehistoric features include at least two (and possibly more) burial mounds, and a likely village location to the south of the remaining burial mound. Historic features include a likely, but not confirmed, Potawatomi village location on approximately the northern third of the parade ground, a barn foundation predating Fort Wayne, and a number of military resources such as a mortar mill, officers quarters foundations, a cistern, and a latrine. The star fort embankments, themselves, are an archaeological resource as they were built with fill from elsewhere in the vicinity, and may include components of destroyed burial mounds or other features. (See Acknowledgments and Further Reading for more information.) Areas with relatively low archaeological potential include much of the riverfront, as this land was reclaimed in the twentieth century with fill brought from elsewhere. However, the entirety of Historic Fort Wayne should be presumed to have archaeological significance.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 77 Protection of archaeological resources is legally required by state law via the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (Public Act 451 of 1994) and the Fort Wayne Historic District (Sec. 21-2-232 of the City Code); it is also consistent with the Historic Fort Wayne Statement of Purpose and the interests expressed by a wide range of stakeholders. In most cases, any activity that causes ground disturbance will require consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office and the Historic District Commission; in the interest of archaeological stewardship, we should err on the side of consultation even when it is not clearly required by law.

Some potential threats to archaeological resources are:

• Construction . This includes new buildings or additions, underground gas and sewer lines, electrical conduits, and fence posts.

• Landscaping and tree planting . Earth moving grading are a concern, and growth of tree roots can cause damage.

• Temporary uses . Tent stakes and temporary fencing may penetrate deep enough to be problematic in some areas.

• Erosion . This is a particular concern due to the steepness of the star fort embankments, where even light use can gradually cause erosion over time, but is also an issue in any locations that receive heavy traffic. The burial mound should be closed to access except for needed maintenance.

• Theft and vandalism . This is not known to be a concern at Historic Fort Wayne presently, but is a serious issue for archaeological resources in other areas, especially if they are allowed to remain unsecured.

One strategy to protect archaeological resources is to encourage events to be located in low-sensitivity areas. State and federal policies and professional ethics discourage the publication of archaeological site locations, but locational information should be kept internally. High-sensitivity areas should be restricted from events and uses that generate high levels of foot or vehicle traffic.

It may be possible to generate a per-approved list of acceptable event locations. These could include areas along the riverfront, the large 1970s berm, portions of the star fort interior, and areas that have already been disturbed by more recent construction activity; however, this must be determined in discussion with the State Archaeologist. In certain areas, equipment can be restricted and tents can be required to be weighted rather than staked. (See 6.6: Event Policy).

Historic Fort Wayne provides attractive conditions for further archaeological study. Noninvasive (ground-penetrating radar and magnetometery) archaeological studies in 2015 and 2017 yielded promising, though ultimately inconclusive, evidence suggesting significant prehistoric and historic features beneath the parade ground (see

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 78 Acknowledgements and Further Reading). However, even noninvasive study should be performed in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office and federally recognized Indian tribes; invasive techniques are rarely appropriate.

6.6 Events Policy

Future management should strive to ensure that inappropriate or inadequately planned events do not have a negative impact on the environment of Historic Fort Wayne. Potential concerns include:

• Events that attract vehicles in excess of parking capacity, encouraging visitors to drive or park on the grass

• Pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, especially during high-traffic events

• Damage to the grass lawn surface by set-up vehicles, equipment, or large animals (especially during rain when the ground is wet)

• Disturbance of archaeological resources from tent stakes or erosion

• Vandalism, theft, or unauthorized access to buildings

• Unnecessary closing of public spaces to park users

Models for a successful event policy at Historic Fort Wayne include the National Park Service Director’s Order #53: Special Park Uses, which governs special events at National Parks, the Parks and Recreation Division policies for Specialty Venues, such as Hart Plaza, and example from other comparable indoor/outdoor historic interpretive settings.

At a minimum, events must also comply with federal deed restrictions and oversight responsibilities (see 2.1: Historic Surplus Property Program and Federal Lands to Parks Program).

A revised event form can ensure that proposed events are properly screened and vetted. (See Appendix F: Event Request Form.)

6.7 Funding Sources

Successful transformations of former military installations or collections of historic buildings to public park lands are often catalyzed at the earliest stages by a mix of public funding sources; as momentum and interest build, much greater contributions will come from private sources, such as tenant contributions and philanthropy.

Possible funding sources for initial phases include:

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 79  Department of Housing and Urban Development entitlement programs (Community Development Block Grants, Neighborhood Stabilization Program)

 Competitive federal grants (Certified Local Government Program, Save America’s Treasures)

 State of Michigan grants (Transportation Alternatives Program)

 Private grants focusing on planning and capacity building (Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Great Urban Parks Campaign, Land and Water Conservation Fund)

 In-kind contributions from partner organizations (Historic Fort Wayne Coalition, Friends of Fort Wayne)

As site development is underway, other sources may be utilized:

 Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit (will require a ground lease structure)

 State of Michigan Historic Tax Credit (proposed)

 Site revenues (rents, concessions, user fees, revenue-sharing from ticketed events)

 In-kind contributions from tenants in lieu of rent

 Foundation or corporate philanthropy

 State of Michigan, Wayne County, or City of Detroit budget allocations

Application for grant funding should begin immediately, as present National Park Foundation and Kresge Foundation involvement provides leverage that can be used to attract additional opportunities.

Updated National Register of Historic Places documentation, completed by the Historic Designation Advisory Board in 2019, allows use of historic rehabilitation tax credits by ground lease holders, ensures eligibility for federal grant funding from the Save America’s Treasures program, and provides City of Detroit staff and the Historic District Commission with a framework for reviewing redevelopment proposals.

6.8 National Park Service Donation

Over the past decade, actions by the United States Congress and the Department of the Interior have created a path for a portion Historic Fort Wayne to become a unit of the National Park Service. This process was set in motion by federal legislators in 2009, without involvement from the City of Detroit. or outreach.

Enabling Legislation and Federal Acquisition

Congressional enabling legislation (the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009)

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 80 created River Raisin National Battlefield Park, based in Frenchtown Township in Monroe County, Michigan. The park has a mandate to “preserve and interpret” sites in Monroe County and Wayne County “relating to the Battles of the River Raisin … or the aftermath of the battles.” The legislation requires that the National Park Service “shall accept” donation of any such land, which would then be managed as unit of the River Raisin National Battlefield Park.

Potential River Raisin National Battlefield Park units. Map: NPS

Land Protection Plan. The Battles of the River Raisin were fought at Frenchtown from January 18–23, 1813; their aftermath includes the conclusion of the War of 1812 and the legacy of Indian Removal in Michigan. In order to carry out its mandate, the National Park Service proactively sought to identify locations in both counties with a connection to the battles and their aftermath. A 2016 (draft) Land Protection Plan by the National Park Service recommends a number of properties for establishment as units within River Raisin National Battlefield Park. Significantly, a portion of Historic Fort Wayne—the star fort, burial mound, parking lot, and part of the “parade ground” athletic fields—are recommended for as the “Springwells Unit” of River Raisin National Battlefield Park. Sites

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 81 were assigned one of four priority levels based on “threats and relative importance”; the Springwells Unit is identified as “Priority 1.”8

According to the Land Protection Plan, “a total of 35.73 acres within the Historic Fort Wayne complex is recommended to be preserved, protected, and interpreted.” Noting that “the City of Detroit has been unable to provide adequate resources,” the report concludes that “NPS fee simple ownership is recommended.”9

Donation process. Should the City of Detroit choose to donate the applicable portion of Historic Fort Wayne to the National Park Service, the next step would be a “Notice of Intent to Donate,” from the Mayor and addressed to the Superintendent of River Raisin National Battlefield Park and the Director of the Midwest Region of the National Park Service. This would commence discussions regarding establishment of the Springwells Unit.

8 87. 9 83.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 82 Federal due diligence. Prior to acquisition, the property must be found to meet federal guidelines for acceptance. The Department of the Interior will prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment and Due Care Plan, and may be able to reject the donation if the cost of any needed remediation is deemed excessive. The Department of Justice must then give clearance regarding the suitability of title and impose any needed deed restrictions. Finally, congressional subcommittees are informed of estimated total costs and other liabilities pertaining to acquisition, to provide an opportunity for amendment of the enabling legislation.

Future as a National Park

If the donation is accepted, Historic Fort Wayne will be operated as the Springwells Unit of the River Raisin National Battlefield Park.

Funding. Funding requests will be made by the NPS Midwest Regional Director based on a formula that includes an Asset Priority Index (taking into account visitor count, uniqueness of the asset, and relevance to the park mission, as determined in consultation with park stakeholders) and a Facility Condition Index (essentially, the dollar amount of defered maintenance). This formula allows all National Park Service facilities to compete on a level playing field for funding.

The draft Land Protection Plan tentatively suggests an annual budget for the Springwells Unit of over $850,000 plus $1.3 million in one-time capital improvements including exhibits, signs, trails, and a kayak launch, in addition to $7.6 million in requests toward star fort repairs.

Economic impact of River Raisin National Battlefield Park. Image: NPS

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 83 Economic development. According to a study by the National Park Service, 240,548 visitors to River Raisin National Battlefield Park in 2018 contributed $14.2 million to the local economy, creating 201 jobs.10 Similar or greater impacts would reasonably be expected in Detroit if Historic Fort Wayne were to become a National Park Service unit.

7.9 Management Entity

Distinct components within Historic Fort Wayne will have different needs, suggesting a hybrid of multiple management entities will best leverage the strengths of two or more governmental agencies or nonprofit organizations.

The ideal steward for resources of the Star Fort, Old Barracks, and Burial Mound Zone (see 5.2: Management Zones) would be a public entity with experience operating historic interpretive sites or outdoor museums as well as adequate capitalization to undertake critical repairs to the star fort. Also, such an entity would have the capacity to generate revenue through user fees (including entrance fees) and to receive public appropriations. The National Park Service is a clear fit for this role; agencies such as the Huron-Clinton Metroparks Authority and Wayne County Parks (as contemplated in the 2003 Historic Fort Master Plan) may also be well suited. The State of Michigan is a possibility, though the state may lack the ability to engage in another major park and open space investment in Detroit after recent undertakings at Belle Isle Park and William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor. It is possible that a federally recognized Indian tribe may come forward with an interest in stewardship of the Fort Wayne Mound and surrounding area.

Adaptive use of buildings may be overseen in-house by the City of Detroit General Services Division, though comparable case studies show this will require dedicated staff. More commonly, the creation of a nonprofit trust (as with Governors Island) can oversee management as well as bring in the added fundraising capability of a nongovernmental organization with respect to donor and tenant engagement. Alternatively, an existing local organization could be identified to manage implementation.

10 National Park Service, 2018 National Park Visitor Spending Effects: Economic Contributions to Local Communities, States, and the Nation, (Fort Collins, Colorado: 2019), 33.

2020 Historic Fort Wayne Strategic Plan 84