  Detroitbill Member Username: Detroitbill Post Number: 99 Registered: 09-2006 |
Just got back from a walk with friends from home to the CM Ice Rink, ,, tons of people of all types skating, enjoying themselves and just watching everything going on under the big Christmas Tree, everything really looks great, Festival of the Trees in Compuware is enjoyable also .. lots of people there and walking around the streets,, The Downtown is looking good. | ||
Beadgrl Member Username: Beadgrl Post Number: 61 Registered: 07-2006 |
Glad to hear it! I need to get downtown to CM. I'd like to see the tree. It's kinda like our own Rockafeller Center. | ||
Dougw Member Username: Dougw Post Number: 1453 Registered: 11-2003 |
This article on the top public squares in the U.S. is not new, but it's a feel-good read regarding Campus Martius if you haven't already seen it: http://www.pps.org/info/newsle tter/december2005/us_canada_sq uares | ||
Magnasco Member Username: Magnasco Post Number: 180 Registered: 10-2003 |
Gotta love an article that starts: "The recent transformation of the main intersection in downtown Detroit into a spectacular civic square is one of the great stories of urban regeneration in America." | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 4040 Registered: 11-2004 |
Having just gotten back from NYC and seen Rockefeller Center's puny little ice surface, it makes me happy to have Campus Martius. Our city's little gem is massive compared to that rink! | ||
Spitty Member Username: Spitty Post Number: 497 Registered: 07-2004 |
I've asked this before, but besides Clark Park, does anyone know of other outdoor ice rinks in the city? I know Hart Plaza used to have skating, but wouldn't it be nice to have a huge rink on Belle Isle like the one in Central Park so people could let loose a little more? | ||
Detroitstar Member Username: Detroitstar Post Number: 339 Registered: 01-2006 |
Was there skating at Belle Isle in the past? Everything I've read has led me to believe that there was. BI could be a winter outdoor wonderland, if someone would step up and support a program financially. | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 142 Registered: 05-2006 |
Skating used to be allowed on the lagoon north of the Strand when our winters were cold enough for it to freeze over. I believe legal liabilities and global warming have put an end to that. There was also a large outdoor rink in Rouge Park until Coleman Young decided to use the site as a toxic waste dump. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 60 Registered: 10-2006 |
The motown winter blast downtown might be something that you were thinking to put on Belle isle, perhaps, but I would continue to focus on the downtown first until it is so full of events that we need more room and to spread out to Belle Isle. | ||
Neilr Member Username: Neilr Post Number: 392 Registered: 06-2005 |
There was outdoor skating in Palmer Park. Also, there was a large indoor rink at the State Fair Grounds. | ||
Spitty Member Username: Spitty Post Number: 498 Registered: 07-2004 |
In the movie Four Brothers which was filmed in Detroit for some scenes, they play hockey at an outdoor rink. Does anyone know if that scene was shot in Detroit, or was that shot in Toronto? If it was in Detroit, does anyone know where the rink is where that scene was shot? | ||
Waz Member Username: Waz Post Number: 1 Registered: 11-2006 |
The Flynn Skating pavilion on Belle Isle was slated for remodeling a few years back. I saw some work going on there at the time. Don't know where that stands now. I went to Palmer Park to skate several times as a kid. What a beautiful pond for skating. | ||
Beadgrl Member Username: Beadgrl Post Number: 64 Registered: 07-2006 |
I'm sure most of Four Brothers was filmed in Toronto. Whenever Hollywood sets a movie in Detroit, they film most of it in Toronto. They say it is easier and cheaper to film there. | ||
Enduro Member Username: Enduro Post Number: 6 Registered: 11-2006 |
Tell me more about Coleman's dumping in Rogue Park if you'd be so kind... | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 428 Registered: 04-2006 |
During the CAY adminstration, a plan to expand the winter sports area in Rouge Park became a nightmare. It turns out that they were using indiscriminante fill dirt to build on the large hills in hopes to create ski hills out of tobaggan runs. This fill ended up screwing up the river and closed the skate rink. I think its unfair to us the 'Blame Coleman' card on this one. Coleman did not purposefully put contaminated soil there, it just happened that the contractors were not being honest. | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 143 Registered: 05-2006 |
Detroitplanner, I think you're somewhat confused. Coleman did intentionally dump contaminated soil there. In 1984 the city of Detroit started to develop what was then known as the Detroit Linked Riverfront Parks system by building Mt. Elliott Park, Chene Park and St. Aubin Park and Marina. During the dredging to create the basin for the St. Aubin Marina it was found that the soil was highly toxic. The cost to properly dispose of this contaminated soil was more than the city could afford and the project was put in jeopardy. The City received permission from the DNR to dispose of this soil by dumping it in an area of Rouge Park directly north of Joy and west of Lahser Roads. The City capped this dump with clay and erected a chain link fence around it to prohibit public access. A few years later it was found that this huge pile of toxic soil was sliding towards the Rouge River and steps were taken to “stabilize” it. Since the mid 80’s, to the best of my knowledge, nothing has been done to address this environmental hazard. I have searched the internet for information about this but since these events occurred years before newspapers routinely digitized there content, I have had little success. When I find the time I will visit the library and search their microfilm files. The parks were designed by Schervish Vogel Merz Cardoza so perhaps a call to them would yield additional information. Below is a satellite view of the area in question.  (Message edited by Ramcharger on November 28, 2006) | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 429 Registered: 04-2006 |
Whoops.... Please forgive me, now that you mention it, it does sound familiar! I was but a teen in 1984 living to the right side of the picture you have up there. | ||
Magnasco Member Username: Magnasco Post Number: 192 Registered: 10-2003 |
That story just has me saying wtf. Is that really true? And did the DNR really sign off on that? | ||
Rbdetsport Member Username: Rbdetsport Post Number: 182 Registered: 11-2005 |
Does anyone know a website where I can find the square feet of Rockefeller's Rink and Campus Martius's Rink? | ||
Scottr Member Username: Scottr Post Number: 90 Registered: 07-2006 |
rockefeller is 122' x 59' http://www.nyctourist.com/rock _center_ice.htm still looking for campus martius' size | ||
Scottr Member Username: Scottr Post Number: 91 Registered: 07-2006 |
i searched all over, but the best i could find on it was a cached thread from almost exactly 2 years ago from dyes, where Panson said it was announced while skating at campus martius that it was over 400 sq feet better. the next post was by Dabirch stating the size of rockefeller, and asked the size of c-mart's rink. it unfortunately wasn't answered. i'd be interested in knowing though. | ||
Cman710 Member Username: Cman710 Post Number: 34 Registered: 07-2006 |
If there is a vast quantity of toxic soil sitting in a park, that is scandalous. Perhaps we should get an enterprising young reporter on the trail! | ||
Sharmaal Member Username: Sharmaal Post Number: 960 Registered: 09-2004 |
A few weeks ago I was also trying to do some comparisons. I was able to find the size of skating rinks at Rockefeller and Millenium Park. Alas, no numbers for Campus Martius. | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 4044 Registered: 11-2004 |
I remember when CMart's rink was first put in and the comparisons to Rockefeller Center were in full bloom and I remember the website then proudly touting how much larger our ice surface is compared to theirs. Why they don't list the square footage is beyond me now. | ||
Spiritofdetroit Member Username: Spiritofdetroit Post Number: 75 Registered: 11-2006 |
My mom was recently in New York and said that it appeared the Rockefeller Ice Rink was quite a bit smaller than CMP | ||
Crash_nyc Member Username: Crash_nyc Post Number: 682 Registered: 08-2004 |
The Campus Martius rink is definitely a LOT bigger than Rockefeller Plaza's rink. Skating under the Rock's 88-foot-high Christmas tree is pretty cool, but mainly for tourists. The line to get on the ice can get ridiculously long during the holiday season. Most NYC locals opt for the enormous Wollman Rinks, one in Central Park (the 'Trump rink'), and one in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. http://www.wollmanskatingrink. com/ http://www.prospectpark.org/ I hope they get the rink on Belle Isle back in operation soon. | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 159 Registered: 05-2006 |
More chill at downtown rink Campus Martius - 120'x64'=7680 sq.ft. Rockefeller Center - 122'x59'=7198 sq.ft. (Message edited by Ramcharger on December 08, 2006) | ||
Aschar76 Member Username: Aschar76 Post Number: 37 Registered: 11-2006 |
Last Saturday's pics   | ||
Jjw Member Username: Jjw Post Number: 202 Registered: 10-2005 |
Sadly, the rink may be a bit bigger and it is definitely a nice addition to the downtown scene. But again, where are the people? I was there last weekend and wow---it is quite an empty downtown area. I have never skated in the Rock--too crowded. But, Central Park is a great alternative. | ||
Spiritofdetroit Member Username: Spiritofdetroit Post Number: 100 Registered: 11-2006 |
Well, it is improving. Year one there were over 50,000 skaters, last year 60,000, and this year it is up 25%. It'll take time, but there is certainly more activity than there was. | ||
Hagglerock Member Username: Hagglerock Post Number: 352 Registered: 03-2005 |
Wonderful pics! Just curious to how busy does the rink gets? Are the lines bad, if any? | ||
Tetsua Member Username: Tetsua Post Number: 964 Registered: 01-2004 |
It gets pretty busy during the weekend nights. | ||
Spiritofdetroit Member Username: Spiritofdetroit Post Number: 101 Registered: 11-2006 |
during the day, no problem... Check the webcam before you go for an idea... However, Thanksgiving weekend I went (Saturday), and the line was wrapped around the entire building, and there was a line to get on the rink itseld as it was overcapacity. I'll try and post some pics in a bit. I ended up just wandering around and had a great time without the skating. It was quite an atmosphere with all of the lights and people downtown. | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 4061 Registered: 11-2004 |
I never recalled the skating rink at Hart Plaza having this sort of crowd so no matter, I still think the Campus Martius rink is better than anything we've had in a long long while. | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 161 Registered: 05-2006 |
The Hart Plaza rink had a pretty good crowd the first couple of years it was open. When the restaurant closed it became quite desolate down there. Also, the wind off the river made for very frigid skating. | ||
Busterwmu Member Username: Busterwmu Post Number: 317 Registered: 09-2004 |
Looks like a busy place this Saturday evening (12/9) just before 8PM (the clock is off by a few hours)  | ||
Oldredfordette Member Username: Oldredfordette Post Number: 848 Registered: 02-2004 |
I walked up there last night on my lunch hour. It makes a bitter old Detroiter so happy to see the simplest thing. People having fun in Detroit. Oh yeah. | ||
Pythonmaster Member Username: Pythonmaster Post Number: 5 Registered: 12-2006 |
Went and got our tree from Eastern Market Sunday night and then over to the CM rink. There was a nice atmosphere downtown last night. | ||
Detroitbill Member Username: Detroitbill Post Number: 120 Registered: 09-2006 |
I agree, walked over last night after 7pm and watched the skaters, All types having fun,, This is definitely a good addition for the city |
