DETROIT – It’s been one of Detroit’s landmarks for decades along the Detroit River, and it’s in the national spot as it just earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hart Plaza was one of two Michigan sites to be added to the register in late August, according to the National Parks Service. The second place was Rogers Theater in Presque Isle County.
According to the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Hart Plaza opened in 1975 along the Detroit Riverfront at the intersection of Woodward Ave. and Jefferson.
It was named for the late U.S. Senator Philip Hart. In July 2023, Detroit City Council Member Mary Waters proposed renaming it to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza. Some community members said they would support the name change and others said it should remain the same.
According to the conservancy, Hart Plaza can hold up to 40,000 people. You can see the plaza fill with people during its numerous events which include, The Ford Fireworks, Movement Festival, Motor City Pride, Detroit Jazz Festival, and for the first time, the 2024 NFL Draft last spring.
The most iconic piece of Hart Plaza is the Dodge Fountain which faced many challenges over the years.
The Horace E. Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain began running in 1976.
In October 2023, crews started renovating the fountain to get it up and running again after it sat dormant for nearly a decade.
There were 72 panels that had to be repaired. “Each one of those panels had to be buffed down, neutral and redone. It took about 7 to 10 hours for each panel to be polished, and patina put on,” Ryan Miller, the project manager from Fountains by Water Works said.
The city put more than $6 million into the fountain to get it running. The work included removing metal panels from the dome, installing nozzles, repairing jets, lighting, plumbing, and replacing the steel pipes with PVC.
Hart Plaza also includes two amphitheaters, multiple outdoor sculptures and a subterranean level.