By Jeremy Adragna
C & G Staff Writer

MADISON HEIGHTS — City leaders have come up with a compromise plan as they attempt to spruce up Rosie’s Park and attract families back to the city’s largest public green space.

A new pavilion will be constructed on the northwestern end of the 31-acre park, located along 11 Mile between John R and Dequindre.    

Construction of the $30,000 pavilion has already been earmarked as part of a five-year capital improvement plan, which includes new construction projects throughout the city.

Earlier this year, Madison Heights City Council asked that the city administration reconsider the installation of a rock climbing wall and upgrades to a BMX adventure course that wraps through the center of the park as part of this year’s park upgrades.

Some said the kind of amenities the city was considering were not that popular among residents and are often underutilized, like a new climbing wall constructed near Edison School last spring.

“It’s getting used, but it’s not getting super used,” said Madison Heights Recreation Director Jenny Martin. “We thought it might be a better idea to forget the BMX and climbing wall for now.”

As a compromise plan, city officials have decided to beef up the BMX course without spending any city funds. Some dirt and other material will that will be hauled out to make way for parking lot upgrades will go into building terrain on the course, Martin said.

“Some of the dirt that they are going to dig up for the parking lot they are going to go over there and spruce up the BMX track,” said Martin. “The BMXers will get something out of it.”

The project will get under way in August, she said.

Residents on the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board agreed to build the pavilion instead of putting money into the BMX track and rock-climbing wall. The project will likely be voted on by City Council at an upcoming meeting. 

“Given that the council really asked the Parks and Rec board to review that and come up with a recommendation, we put a staff proposal together,” said City Manager Jon Austin of the compromise plan. “It’s been part of our master plan, something that we’ve been working toward. It was still down the line.”

A $10,000 donation made by Friends of Madison Heights Youth to help fund the BMX course and climbing wall will not go into building the pavilion, city officials said. That and $6,000 in other donations made to the city will likely go to fund a new playground in the park.

“We’re trying to get more families back into the park,” said Martin. “We thought it would just be nice. There are lots of baseball games and softball games going on over at the park. People are always calling us to use our pavilions.”

The pavilion was originally designed to be a 1,800-square-foot shelter located on the westernmost part of the park between two parking lots. The city’s master plan calls for the project because of a high demand for shelters and as an additional rental location to other pavilions in nearby parks.

A second pavilion is also in the hopper for 2009 or 2010 at Rosie’s Park. The next pavilion would create a “decorative plaza” for residents using play equipment and a baseball field that would be connected to a concession stand.

You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Adragna at jadragna@candgnews.com or at (586) 279-1101.