http://www.motorcitymuckraker.com/2013/05/21/artists-to-transform-historic-fort-wayne-into-virtual-world-of-imagination-sunday/
Hello Everyone:
Yesterday we talked about two serious issues affecting the Detroit, Michigan area. First, there was the gentrification charge led by head of economic development George Jackson Jr. Mr. Jackson is an avid supporter of gentrifying the Detroit downtown area in an effort to increase the tax base in order to pay for necessary public services. He seemed to be oblivious of the possible consequences of gentrification on the low- to moderate-income families and individuals. The second topic we discussed was eviction by neglect. In this post we used the Regency Towers as an example of how the out-of-state landlords were attempting to get rid of the low-income tenants by allowing the building to fall into disrepair. The corollary to this is demolition by neglect, similar concept but the end result is the building falls into a state of hopeless disrepair that it has to be demolished. All this is taking place while the owners continue to collect federal tax subsidies for providing housing to the disabled and seniors.
Today, I'd like to continue with the Motor City and look at an event that took place over the Memorial Day Weekend called "Hold the Fort." This event was designed to support the local arts community, Detroit's non-profit organizations, and promote a positive image of the city. The fort in this case is the Historic Fort Wayne, an 88-acre site near the city. Historic Fort Wayne is located in Detroit at the foot of Livernois Avenue in the Delray district, about a mile from the Canadian shore of the Great Lakes. The fort was opened in 1849 and the architect of record is Brigadier General Montgomery C. Meigs (1816-1892). (http://www.historicfortwaynecoalition.com/). A brief, but interesting digression for a moment, Montegomery C. Meigs was a career United States officer, civil engineer, and construction engineer, and quartermaster. General Meigs supervised the building of the wings and dome of the United States Capitol Building from 1855-1859.
"Hold the Fort" took place on Sunday May 26, 2013 and brought together local and global artists, building innovators, and community groups in order to create a "temporary world that provokes imagination and stimulates participatory engagement." The mission of this event is to create an annual exposition that inspires and engages future generations through creative collaboration. While Detroit is more known as an industrial center, this event hoped to harness the city's cultural DNA by presenting large-scale installation art and participatory programming. The goal is to bring together local communities together and empower them with pride as stakeholders in their city. "Hold the Fort" was also intended to act as a fund raiser for community organizations which benefit future Detroiters and promote the spirit of the city. (http://www.detroited.org/holdthefort/) Sounds like an exciting and fun way to spend a Sunday. The organizers intended to use the fort as a stage for this first-time annual event.
Why chose the fort to begin with? Historic Fort Wayne has a close connection to the city dating back to colonial times. It was first built by the French in 1701 and, in 1760, it was surrendered to the British during the French-Indian War. The British built a new fort, renaming it Fort Lernoult and occupied until 1796 when the United States took over Detroit and renamed it Fort Shelby. The fort was named for General "Mad" Anthony Wayne who defeated the British in 1796 and led to the American occupation of the Northwest Territories. This location has served as an induction point for American service personal from the Civil War through Viet Nam. In 1948, Fort Wayne was given to the City of Detroit in parcels and overtime, the city would come to own the entire lot. Currently, preservation efforts are underway to restore and clean-up the fort.
Interesting use for a historic site.
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