Tony Hawk partners to bring a skate park to the Monroe Blocks downtown

We’re going to see some property downtown changing pretty quickly over the next few months.

The Monroe Blocks—bordered by Randolph, Bates, Monroe, and Cadillac Square—will turn into an art installation and skate park called Wayfinding starting August 16. A partnership between skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, artist Ryan McGinness, Quicken Loans, and Bedrock, the park will be a temporary installation on the site until January 2018, when Bedrock plans to break ground on new office towers and residential.

The project is funded by the Quicken Loans Family of Companies and is is part of their investment in placemaking and commitment to the civic and cultural projects that activate and animate the city.

The 4,600-square-foot temporary public skate park is partly designed by Tony Hawk, and built by George Leichtweis from Modern Skate and Surf (and designer of the Fisher Halfpipe). The park will have six skateable elements inspired by Detroit as well as a viewing area for spectators. The project is produced by Library Street Collective with assistance from Cranbrook Art Museum.

The design of Wayfinding will allow it to move to another location in the city after the Monroe Block groundbreaking.

The project was originally proposed by local gallery Library Street Collective. “The Wayfinding skate park truly captures the creative and collaborative spirit of Detroit—we’ve brought together a unique team of artists, professional athletes, architects, and programming experts to bring this project to life,” said Anthony Curis, Library Street Collective.

Rendering courtesy of Bedrock

Library Street Collective will be partnering with Cranbrook Art Museum on the project. According to a press release, Cranbrook will present a series of performances and activities between August and October co-curated by Laura Mott, Curator of Contemporary Art and Design at Cranbrook Art Museum, and Ryan Myers-Johnson, Director and Founder of Sidewalk Detroit.

Ryan McGinness will launch an exhibition at Cranbrook Art Museum with support from Library Street Collective in November 2017. The exhibition, Ryan McGinness: Studio Views, will consist of a large-scale installation based on his studio practice and a presentation of drawings and iconography created from artworks in the Museum’s collection.