Hart Plaza resides in the heart of the city in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Located along the Detroit River, the plaza has become part of the Detroit RiverWalk and features numerous monuments, all of which have helped it to become a hub of activity for the city. With a capacity that enables it to host thousands of people for all types of events, Hart Plaza showcases how what might otherwise be an empty or non-descript space can become something monumentous.
Commemorating the Very Beginning of Detroit
Hart Plaza is situated on the approximate site of where Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac landed in 1701 and founded a settlement. Soon after planting the flag of France along the bank he helped begin the erection of a fortress. From this fort and settlement, Detroit takes its origin.
Named in honor of the late Senator Philip A. Hart and opened in 1975, Hart Plaza itself is the result of an effort to transform Detroit’s waterfront that dates back to 1890. That goal would eventually lead to an idea for a concrete plaza with several built-in amphitheaters for concerts as well as a prominent fountain. The completion of this vision saw the official dedication of Hart Plaza in 1978.
The lower level of Hart Plaza includes an open-air amphitheater, dressing rooms, food preparation areas with kitchen service food court, three sets of public restrooms, permanent beverage booths, temporary storage areas, offices, the gallery, underground theater and loading dock. These features have allowed Hart Plaza to become an integral part of the community while promoting the future growth and interests of the City of Detroit.
A statue of Cadillac and plaque that commemorates the history of the city was unveiled in 2001, but this monument is just one of the many attractions that Hart Plaza contains.
Remembering the Underground Railroad and the Labor Movement
The Horace E. Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain was built in 1981 and has become the central point of focus of Hart Plaza. Anna Thompson Dodge, the widow of auto pioneer Horace E. Dodge, bequeathed $1,000,000 to the city of Detroit for the construction of a fountain in the memory of her late husband and son. The 30-foot tall sculpture consists of a stainless steel ring suspended on two support legs over a black, granite pool. Along with the “Spirit of Detroit”, it has become one of the most recognizable symbols of the city.
Located nearby is a stainless steel spire sculpture near the entrance to Hart Plaza. “Pylon” is a double helix inspired by the structure of DNA that appears to make a quarter turn between the bottom and the top. It was built as a companion piece to Dodge Fountain in 1981.
Installed in 2003, “Transcending” is located west of the entrance to Hart Plaza and has come to dominate the space. It is an incomplete arch sculpture that symbolizes Michigan’s contributions to the labor movement. Fourteen granite boulders feature reliefs that are meant to symbolize the sacrifices and achievements of American workers. There are also more than a dozen plaques commemorating the accomplishments of the American labor movement such as the prohibition of child labor, free public school education and employer-paid pensions and health care.
Near the Detroit River is the “Gateway to Freedom International Memorial to the Underground Railroad” monument that commemorates Detroit’s role in the Underground Railroad. Dedicated in 2001, it recognizes how until Emancipation, Detroit and the Detroit River community served as a gateway to freedom for thousands of African American people escaping enslavement. The memorial features two gateway pillars that surround a sculpture showing six fugitive slaves ready to board a boat to cross to Canada, which became a safer sanctuary after slavery was abolished there in 1834.
“The Monument to Joe Louis”, also known also as “The Fist” is a 24-foot bronze arm and fist suspended from a 24-foot pyramid. Dedicated in 1986, the piece is designed to represent the power of Lewis’ punch both inside and outside the ring. It has helped Hart Plaza form an identity to spur that has helped to spur tremendous economic and cultural developments and opportunities.
Activities, Events and More
Joggers, dog walkers, and workers on their lunch break can relaxingly experience all of what Hart Plaza has to offer while getting great views of the city’s central business district and the Detroit River. There are plenty of specific activities that take place in the plaza throughout the year though.
Thousands of people from the Midwest and Canada come together during the summer for celebrations, concerts held in one of the plaza’s two open-air amphitheaters, and festivals generally held from May through September. Hart Plaza is the site of Detroit’s summer-long riverfront festivals and the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival. Other events that take place in the plaza include Motor City Pride, a Fireworks Day, The Great American Lobster Fest, Out of the Darkness Walk and Light the Night from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
The space can also be booked for various types of private events, all of which represent a powerful source of revenue. The space is intended to be a premier venue and meeting space for outdoor cultural, musical, entertainment, and special events.
These events have helped drive direct revenue for stakeholders but also have enabled it to become a destination that is called out in maps and guides to the city, attracting audiences from all over. This attention has also helped stakeholders to elicit direct support for the creation and upkeep of the monument and activities through the plaza.
All of this interest and activity has directly enabled a legacy that Hart Plaza embodies by pulling together the past and future of Detroit and all of Michigan.
A Destination for Detroit
Squares and plazas of all types and sizes have been used to do everything from turn an empty space into a destination to provide residents and visitors with a place to relax. By doing both of these things and featuring icons of the past, present and future of Detroit, Hart Plaza highlights what it can mean to transform a space into something that impacts and positively impacts the economy and culture of an entire region.
