The old Michigan State Fairgrounds bandshell was starting to feel like forgotten history. Not much has been said about the historic gem after it was saved from demolition following the City of Detroit's decision to sell the site to Amazon to build a distribution center in 2020.
Years after a plea to save the bandshell published in Metro Times, which sparked a successful petition in 2020 to save this piece of Michigan music history and plans to move it to Palmer Park, we finally have a glimpse of the bandshell’s future.
People for Palmer Park released new renderings showing the bandshell’s restoration in the park, funded by President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). It will be located in the Northwest portion of Palmer Park off Seven Mile Road. A sign for the rehomed bandshell in Palmer Park reads, “coming summer 2024 Palmer Park Bandshell.”
Many acts from all genres graced the bandshell’s stage in its heyday, including the Jackson 5, Duke Ellington, MC5, and Nina Simone.
In 2022, WXYZ reported the rehoming of the bandshell had been delayed and it was sitting, disassembled, in storage.
According to a social media post by People for Palmer Park, the reconstruction project will also include a new parking lot and restrooms to accommodate the bandshell.
The Palmer Park Bandshell… we can get used to the sound of that.
Subscribe to Metro Times newsletters.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
