Grosse Pointe News

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Pier Park to welcome new gazeboFree Access


GROSSE POINTE FARMS — With a $100,000 donation from the Grosse Pointe Farms Foundation, and in partnership with city funding, Farms residents soon will be able to enjoy a new gazebo at Pier Park.

Construction of the replacement gazebo is expected to be complete by the end of May. Rendering courtesy of Grissim Metz Andriese Landscape Architects

The prior gazebo, which served two decades as a gathering place for weddings, family photos and enjoying the view of Lake St. Clair, was demolished mid-October after it was discovered the foundation and supports were failing to a point where the structure was deemed unsafe.

“This is one of the key spots in the park that has really drawn people to our park,” Mayor Louis Theros said. “It was also the site of a tragedy many, many years ago that many people remember. It has a long storied history in the Farms and its replacement is absolutely vital to remember those injured and lost in that tragedy many years ago and those who still enjoy it and start their lives anew with (weddings).”

With construction anticipated to begin within the next couple weeks and conclude by the end of May in time for the season opening, the replacement gazebo will be Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, with a ramp on the side toward the community building, and approximately four feet larger in total diameter than the original.

Designed by Grissim Metz Andriese Landscape Architects, the gazebo will mimic the architecture from the community building, booster pump station and fire pit to create harmony among the structures.

Bids for the project were surprisingly high, City Manager Shane Reeside said, because of high material and labor costs, as well as the challenge of the gazebo’s location. Heavy equipment such as gravel and cement trucks cannot be brought along the pathways and instead will require smaller vehicles to shuttle back and forth.

Awarded to Backer Landscaping, which was the low bidder and recently did extensive work at Kerby Field, in the amount of $226,371 with $15,921 for site work, the total project cost comes to $242,312.

Along with the community donations, the city also may be able to cut down on the site work costs by having some of the work done in-house by the department of public works.

The gazebo itself is in the $100,000 range, Reeside added, with the site work, foundation work, pavers and more adding to the cost.

“I think it’s a very nice looking design,” Councilman Lev Wood said. “We can afford it. We have the money in the budget and I think it’s well worth it, especially considering we’re going to be getting money from the foundation.”

Approval for the project passed council 6-1 during the meeting Monday, March 8, with Councilman Neil Sroka opposed, calling himself not anti-gazebo, but anti-really-expensive gazebo.

“I think it would be a wonderful addition to the park in terms of just the aesthetics,” he said, adding that spending $50,000 of taxpayer money on this would be more reasonable. “… It just seems like a heck of a lot of money to pay for a nice, pretty thing as opposed to something that could be a lot more functional and, frankly, be impactful on a larger group of people.”

While it wasn’t anticipated that the gazebo would need to be replaced as quickly as it has, it was deemed an integral part of an evolving master plan for Pier Park, which also includes considerations for upcoming work on the swimming pool, bathhouse and tot lot as bonds on the community building and harbor expansion improvements approach being paid off.

“(The gazebo) was envisioned really as a focal point to kind of the only great lawn area that we have at the park,” Reeside said. “I think it will be much more used for events. For weddings; for an outdoor concert or family gatherings; for people just to sit under and play a game of mahjong or checkers. We envisioned it to be a very integral part of the park.”

Availability remains for naming rights, which would include a plaque in recognition of a substantial gift. Anyone interested in a naming opportunity should contact Reeside at sreeside@grossepointefarms.org.

“This is a signature project,” said Jeff Huebner, chairman of the Farms foundation. “It’s a special project. It’s a generational project. The last gazebo lasted more than 20 years. We’re hoping this one lasts much longer and to have some special recognition on this project, I think, would be valuable (and) would be appreciated by any additional donors.”