100 signatures reached
To: MAYOR MARY SHEFFIELD
SAVE THE ETHELDRA MAE WILLIAMS PARK
Mayor Sheffield,
We need a forty-five minute meeting to discuss implementation of the promises made by the previous administration. Please bring to the table corporation counsel, the heads of the DWSD, the DLBA and Housing & Revitalization Department. We have stood strong in the community for seven years offering FREE programs and entertainment to the neighbors and those throughout Metropolitan Detroit. We have removed the blight, illegal activities and returned Burgess Street to a place of glory. We have done so without any tax payer dollars.
In March, 2025, our park received a "Spirit of Detroit" award from Councilwoman Angela Whitfield Calloway and a "Community Impact Honoree" award from the Ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. In June of the same year, we hosted the Detroit Land Bank Authority's "Lot Party" commemorating their accomplishment of 30,000 side-lots sold. Their featured speaker was then Mayor Mike Duggan. Our park has been the feature story in newspapers, magazines, radio and television segments around the country. We promote a positive look at the Brightmoor Community and to shut us down would be a travesty!
Our ask is simple, Please Uphold the promises made by Mayor Mike Duggan and the DLBA. Forty-five minutes with yourself and the aforementioned department heads could bring a resolve to what has lingered for now seven years.
PLEASE MADAM MAYOR, DO NOT LET THIS SPACE CLOSE!
Michael Williams
We need a forty-five minute meeting to discuss implementation of the promises made by the previous administration. Please bring to the table corporation counsel, the heads of the DWSD, the DLBA and Housing & Revitalization Department. We have stood strong in the community for seven years offering FREE programs and entertainment to the neighbors and those throughout Metropolitan Detroit. We have removed the blight, illegal activities and returned Burgess Street to a place of glory. We have done so without any tax payer dollars.
In March, 2025, our park received a "Spirit of Detroit" award from Councilwoman Angela Whitfield Calloway and a "Community Impact Honoree" award from the Ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. In June of the same year, we hosted the Detroit Land Bank Authority's "Lot Party" commemorating their accomplishment of 30,000 side-lots sold. Their featured speaker was then Mayor Mike Duggan. Our park has been the feature story in newspapers, magazines, radio and television segments around the country. We promote a positive look at the Brightmoor Community and to shut us down would be a travesty!
Our ask is simple, Please Uphold the promises made by Mayor Mike Duggan and the DLBA. Forty-five minutes with yourself and the aforementioned department heads could bring a resolve to what has lingered for now seven years.
PLEASE MADAM MAYOR, DO NOT LET THIS SPACE CLOSE!
Michael Williams
Why is this important?
Since November, 2019, the Etheldra Mae Williams Park has been a beacon of hope and joy in the Brightmoor Community, offering FREE, fun, and family-friendly entertainment to all. Our company took on the challenge of revitalizing a once blighted and abandoned street, transforming it into a clean, safe, and vibrant event space that not only serves as a community hub but also enhances the beauty and spirit of our neighborhood. We raise capital through private sources, donations and merchandise sales and we require no tax payer's dollars.
However, the future of our beloved park is now at risk. The property that was promised to us by the Detroit Land Bank Authority (D.L.B.A.) has been taken over by the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department, (D.W.S.D.). This specific parcel of land is crucial to the completion of and continued success of the Etheldra Mae Williams Park. Without it, the park's existence and the benefits it brings to the community could be severely compromised.
We are reaching out to the new administration, urging them to intervene and assist us in acquiring this critical piece of land. The Etheldra Mae Williams Park is more than just a park; it is a symbol of resilience, community spirit, and transformation in Brightmoor. It is home to the Brightmoor Music Series, The Burgess Street Food Festival, Friends With Classic Cars, the Brightmoor Lights Holiday Festival and many more events, all free of charge. Losing it would mean losing a part of our community's heart and soul. We need only a forty five minutes meeting with Mayor Sheffield and the heads of the water department and the Detroit Land Bank Authority.
Everyone deserves access to free and engaging community spaces, especially in areas previously overlooked or neglected. The efforts to maintain and expand the park contribute not just to recreational activities but to community cohesion, safety, and economic opportunities in the area.
We cannot let bureaucratic setbacks tarnish the incredible progress that has been made. We believe in the power of collective action, and we ask you to stand with us in this crucial time to ensure that the Etheldra Mae Williams Park remains a thriving part of the Brightmoor Community.
If you agree that a meeting should take place with our company and the administration, please sign this petition to show your support for saving the Etheldra Mae Williams Park. Together, we can send a strong message to the city administration about the importance of preserving this vital community space for future generations.
However, the future of our beloved park is now at risk. The property that was promised to us by the Detroit Land Bank Authority (D.L.B.A.) has been taken over by the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department, (D.W.S.D.). This specific parcel of land is crucial to the completion of and continued success of the Etheldra Mae Williams Park. Without it, the park's existence and the benefits it brings to the community could be severely compromised.
We are reaching out to the new administration, urging them to intervene and assist us in acquiring this critical piece of land. The Etheldra Mae Williams Park is more than just a park; it is a symbol of resilience, community spirit, and transformation in Brightmoor. It is home to the Brightmoor Music Series, The Burgess Street Food Festival, Friends With Classic Cars, the Brightmoor Lights Holiday Festival and many more events, all free of charge. Losing it would mean losing a part of our community's heart and soul. We need only a forty five minutes meeting with Mayor Sheffield and the heads of the water department and the Detroit Land Bank Authority.
Everyone deserves access to free and engaging community spaces, especially in areas previously overlooked or neglected. The efforts to maintain and expand the park contribute not just to recreational activities but to community cohesion, safety, and economic opportunities in the area.
We cannot let bureaucratic setbacks tarnish the incredible progress that has been made. We believe in the power of collective action, and we ask you to stand with us in this crucial time to ensure that the Etheldra Mae Williams Park remains a thriving part of the Brightmoor Community.
If you agree that a meeting should take place with our company and the administration, please sign this petition to show your support for saving the Etheldra Mae Williams Park. Together, we can send a strong message to the city administration about the importance of preserving this vital community space for future generations.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Michael Williams, President