LaNita’s Memorial Park Ribbon Cutting Celebration
On Friday, August 2nd, the purple ribbon was cut to officially open LaNita’s Memorial Park in Detroit! The park’s design, flower selection, and location are inspired by LaNita. She lost her battle with cancer in 2007. She was a proud resident of Detroit’s Midwest Neighborhood (affectionately known as “The Old Westside”), a mother, daughter, grandmother, dear friend and champion for the people she was. LaNita is known for her kindness, wisdom and way with words. She is greatly missed but certainly not forgotten. LaNita’s favorite musical artist was Prince. Her favorite color was purple and the only place she truly called home was Hartford St. LaNita’s Memorial Park has both a rain and pollinator garden. It has a variety of plant species, and is meant to be enjoyed by humans and native wildlife.
Located at 5639 Hartford St, Detroit 48210 the park boasts an 900 sq ft native rain garden managing stormwater off Hartford St. The rain garden can hold up to 6,732 gallons per storm! Harford Street would flood frequently, and with no driveways to their home, residents had to wade to water to get to their vehicle. Now, the rain garden captures all that water and keeps it out of the sewer system, helping keep our local rivers clean and roads from flooding. The 850 sq ft pollinator garden has a variety of beautiful purple flowers around a Prince symbol walkway. These native plants support native pollinators and wildlife like butterflies, birds, bees, and so much more! The park also has benches and lighting for residents to enjoy at any time.
Some purple pollinator plants for you to try at home to catch some Purple Rain!
- Blazing Star (Liatris)
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) [shown on left]
- Bee Balm (Monarda)
- New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
- Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor)
Learn more about LaNita’s Memorial Park and My Community Speaks
Generously Funded By:
Renderings of LaNita’s Memorial Park.
Ariel photo above LaNita’s Memorial park after the rain garden was planted in fall 2023.
The purple ribbon and purple balloon columns to celebrate the park opening.
The cutting of the ribbon with involved FOTR staff, My Community Speaks board, family members of LaNita, and community members who helped make the park a reality.
A poster board showing the construction documents for the rain garden along with info about the project, photos of the street flooding, and some information about LaNita adorned with big purple butterfly wings.
Michael, FOTR, admiring the native plants in the rain garden.
