John R. - Watson Park

Thanks to the addition of three vacant parcels adjacent to the park, John R. Watson is now twice it's former size!  The expanded property serves as a 1.1 acre neighborhood park located at 202 Watson St within the Brush Park Historic District  in Council District 5 near downtown Detroit.  Designed to be a passive park, John R-Watson features benches and shade.  

JOHN R-WATSON PARK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

PROJECT MANAGER CONTACT INFORMATION:

Shamori Whitt, Senior Parks Planner

John DeRuiter, Assistant Chief of Landscape Architecture

Back in 2018, GSD began collaborating with the Brush Park CDC to conduct a rigorous collaborative design process for improvements to John R-Watson Park. Unfortunately, due to the Pandemic, the City of Detroit reallocated the project funding toward emergency measures.  Then, in 2022, GSD requested for funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to complete the project.  Once the funding was approved, GSD went right back to work in making this concept a reality. Construction will soon commence at the park that is anticipated to be complete by the end of the year.

Improvements will include improvements to the lawn, a concrete walkway system, planting and shrub beds,  ornamental and shade trees, brick piers, benches, upgraded park lighting, a playground with swings, and a nature play/sensory zone.
 

STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES!