Controversial arts center, dividing Detroit and Grosse Pointe Park, gets construction OK

Art centers aren’t normally recognized for controversy — not unless they involve controversial artists like the late Robert Mapplethorpe. But in Grosse Pointe Park and Detroit, residents are divided.

The Schaap Center for Performing Arts, which is being built in Grosse Pointe Park at its western border with Detroit, has caused quite a ruckus, including a lawsuit earlier this year and a shutdown of construction in March. Some people support the center, saying it will help unite Grosse Pointe Park with Detroit, but critics say this center does just the opposite.

Joseph Sutton, a teacher at Southeastern High School in Detroit, has been involved in the community for more than 30 years and supports building the art center.

“Now that I’m a high school teacher in the area, I realize it’s not the lack of talent within our communities, it’s the lack of resources that support the talent. My students need spaces like this after school for after-school activities, school programming, and more importantly, my neighborhood needs spaces like this to build community.”

The Schaap Center, a $45-million project on East Jefferson just east of Alter Road, will become a "world-class performing arts center," according to the website. The 49,000-square-foot building will include a theater seating more than 400 people, a fine art exhibition space and year-round community programming.

Despite the controversy, the project is continuing to move forward after getting permission to proceed from the Detroit Historic District Commission on Wednesday evening — with conditions. Permission from the commission was necessary because the Detroit portion of the project is where a significant LGBTQ+ gathering space once stood.

The commission, on a 6-0 vote, approved the continued construction of the building, with modifications, after hearing from dozens of speakers who argued passionately for and against the arts center.

Lisa DiChiera, deputy director for the Detroit Historic Designation Advisory Board, brought up concerns with the project, and areas for improvement including flood mitigation and preserving the culture.

"Again, we’ve lost a substantial block here. If we’re going to call it a public gathering area, there needs to be something that demonstrates that," she said. "I would encourage also some exploration of some kind of panel signage program that acknowledges the loss of that block, acknowledges the loss of the Deck Bar and its important history to the LGBTQ+ community.”

Modifications include bringing the plaza located near Jefferson to a larger scale, reflecting community engagement. Furthermore, adding amenities to the plaza to increase its use as a gathering space. Additionally, the relationship between the plaza and the Schaap Center needs to be strengthened, connecting the two.

Lastly, a memorial marker is required to acknowledge the cultural significance of the lost building, the Deck Bar. The Deck Bar was one of Detroit's first LGBTQ+ spaces.

Jaime Rae Turnbull, executive director of the Schaap Center, said the project will boost the surrounding neighborhoods. Furthermore, they will collaborate with the Detroit Planning and Development Department to modify the original building plan.

“Community engagement is critical to the success of a project of this size and scope. We’ve had open communication and listening sessions with Detroit residents, neighboring organizations," she said. "The Schaap Center will become a place of fellowship and gathering for the appreciation of art by providing substantial community benefits in the East Jefferson Corridor and surrounding communities."

Michael Curis, the owner of Riverbend Plaza, age 71, felt more positive about the project.

“The historic district is a bunch of boarded-up buildings, so we need something to bring people into the community. We need something to bring life onto the street, and I think this is a good use of the property," Curis said. “It’ll be for both cities and it's for the community. It’s for the area. What we don’t have on Jefferson Avenue is that anchor. We need an anchor and this is the perfect anchor.”

Those in support of the center argued it didn't require city funding, would benefit local businesses, and would unite two communities historically known for racial tensions. The border between Grosse Pointe Park and Detroit has served as a symbolic divider separating the haves and the have-nots, a stone throw's distance covers a steep dive in socioeconomic status.

However, critics felt as though the building design reinforced the division of the two cities, with the back of the art center facing Detroit, quite literally.

“How a building is designed and how it tells people they are or aren’t welcome to that design means something. You can say all day long that Detroiters are welcome, but if it doesn’t appear to Detroiters looking across at the border at the building that they are, it isn’t going to feel welcoming,” said Grosse Pointe Park resident Graig Donnelly, 43. “How is this about stitching communities together versus dividing them because nothing that I’ve seen thus far is about stitching them together.”

He also said the center could have been created using existing buildings but "that’s not what was chosen, what was chosen is a brand new, expensive facility that doesn’t have room for the community."

Critics also expressed concern for the history of the block, which failed to be preserved. Additionally, they argued those responsible for the project failed to involve the community in the planning process, with the exception of one meeting in the multiyear project.

"The Schaap Center will become a place of fellowship and gathering for the appreciation of the arts while providing substantial community benefit for the East Jefferson corridor and surrounding communities," said Turnbull.

She continued, saying the center is still anticipated to open in the spring of 2025. It will be located at Jefferson Avenue and Alter Road, primarily in Grosse Pointe Park, with supporting infrastructure such as the parking lot and plaza in Detroit.

The Detroit Historic District Commission, which created the modifications, includes Tiffany Franklin, chair; James Hamilton; Richard Hosey; Allan Machielse, vice chair; Roderick Hardamon; Adrea Simmons; and Najahyia Chinchilla.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Schaap Center for Performing Arts divides Detroit, Grosse Pointe Park