City of Detroit renames Troester-Hayes Park after community activist Marlowe Stoudamire
(CBS DETROIT) - The Detroit City Council approved renaming Troester-Hayes Park in honor of community activist Marlowe Stoudamire.
Stoudamire died in March 2020 from COVID-19.
"What made Marlowe special wasn't just the fact that he could connect one-on-one with anybody; it was the fact that he would take those connections and find commonality between individuals of different backgrounds and cultivate ways to bring them together to collaborate on shared interests and needs," Stoudamire's widow, Valencia Stoudamire, said in a statement.
City officials, community leaders and more than 700 neighbors secured the renaming of the 1-acre park at Troester and Hayes streets to Marlowe Stoudamire Park, which is blocks from his childhood home.
Officials say with renaming the park, they are looking to make improvements. The city announced $240,000 from the Pistons Palace endowment with the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan for capital improvements. The project would include a full park renovation over the next year.
The Detroit Parks and Recreation Division (DPRD) plans to conduct community engagement to gather feedback before project is finalized for construction.
"Marlowe Stoudamire was loved, admired, and respected by those who knew him," said Councilwoman Latisha Johnson. "The reason is simply that he loved, admired, and respected them. His life's work is a testament to this fact. His intelligence, compassion, and selflessness enabled him to accomplish so much for many in such a short time. Marlowe leaves a legacy of love, and the Marlowe Stoudamire Park is a fitting tribute to his legacy and will forever remind us of his goodness and charity."
