City to rename Chene Park after Aretha Franklin

What place in Detroit should be named after the Queen of Soul? During Aretha Franklin’s funeral, both Mayor Mike Duggan and City Council President Brenda Jones announced that the city plans on renaming Chene Park Aretha Louise Franklin Amphitheatre.

City Council voted for the resolution on Tuesday, September 4, according to the Neighborhoods.

Chene Park was built in the 1980’s as an outdoor concert venue for Detroiters; Duggan noted that the closest outdoor venue at the time was Pine Knob. It’s popular for jazz, R&B, and hip-hop artists, and annually draws 100,000 visitors. Boats are often seen on the water outside the park during concerts.

The Neighborhoods reports,

“To be a part of honoring the legacy of Aretha Franklin is humbling. It’s a standard that will always have to be lived up to, and so I’m grateful for that,” Shahida Mausi, president of The Right Productions, tells The Neighborhoods just before kicking off a full-capacity tribute concert for Franklin held at the amphitheatre Thursday night. “I’m always grateful for the standard that she set in this industry as a woman (and) as a Detroiter, and a woman in an industry that is tough.”

On Thursday, August 30, over 60 R&B, jazz, and gospel performers gathered for a free concert to honor the legend.

Long live Aretha Louise Franklin Amphitheatre.

Note: This article has been updated since City Council passed a resolution on September 4.