Park plans scrapped. Lafayette Building site to be a field of grass

Where once the Lafayette Building stood – rooftop trees and graffiti-covered windows and all – now rests an empty lot, and rumors on the streets have said the city planned on building a park, neighboring the coney island restaurants and across Michigan Avenue from the Westin Book Cadillac.

We, in this space, have spent a little bit of time wondering what the name of the park should be, particularly since Detroit already has a Lafayette Park.

It turns out there might not be a need for a park name, because it turns out there really isn't going to be a park, at least not in the near future. In light of recent news passed along by landscape crew members working on site, plans have been scaled back and the entire area is being seeded. No trees. No sidewalks. No benches. Just a field of grass, which is better than dirt I suppose, but not quite a park.

To revisit our blow-by-blow of the Lafayette Building demolition, click on the Lafayette Building link below this story. There are some pretty cool photos, including a nice before-and-after.