Led by Dearborn Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud, the Park Equity and Access for Civil Engagement (PEACE) Project is a historic multi-million dollar investment in the city's parks and greenspaces, funded entirely by grant award dollars with no added cost to taxpayers.
The $29.2 million in grant funding consists of $10 million from the City, $9.6 million from a Wayne County funding grant, $8 million from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, a $787,000 MEDC RAP fund grant with a match from the East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority totaling $1.5 million, and $100,000 from the West Dearborn Downtown Development Authority.
The project funds the creation of three brand-new, state-of-the-art community PEACE parks in Dearborn's West Downtown, East Downtown, and Dix-Vernor Business Corridor, located in the city's southend. Additional PEACE Project funds have been used to facilitate renovations at three of the City’s outdoor pools, to upgrade park amenities and playground equipment at several Dearborn parks, and to complete renovations at Camp Dearborn in Milford.
The first of the three parks opened to the public along West Village Drive on the City's west side in September 2024. With it, the City also constructed West Village Commons, a community gathering and outdoor dining space in what was previously a small surface parking lot. Both parks, which are steps away from local businesses, offer ample outdoor seating, wifi, shaded walkways, and room for markets and events. The City has started construction on a second PEACE Park in Dearborn's eastside downtown along Michigan Ave and Schaefer Rd, next to the site of the City's former City Hall building and across from the Arab American National Museum. The third PEACE Park will be constructed in the City's southend starting in 2025.
Through the renovation of ten existing City parks and pools and the construction of three new PEACE Parks, the Dearborn PEACE Project seeks to:
- Foster community in every corner of the city.
- Ensure equity in access to parks and recreation for residents of all incomes, abilities, and backgrounds.
- Add to green infrastructure initiatives to support stormwater management.
- Promote environmental justice for all.
- Mitigate the environmental health hazards of air pollution and flooding.
- Support recreation among neighborhoods isolated by Covid-19.
The City of Dearborn has broken ground on a second PEACE Park location in East Downtown Dearborn at the site of the former Dearborn City Hall on Michigan Ave and Schaefer Rd.
A third PEACE park is planned for Dearborn's southend in the Dix-Vernor Business Corridor.