Dearborn officially cut the ribbon on Peace Park South this week, closing out the city’s three-park PEACE Project and wrapping a $29.2 million, grant-funded push to add more green space. The new south-end park comes stocked with a league-quality basketball court, a junior soccer field, two pickleball courts, a landscaped garden walk with a labyrinth and a granite folly, plus a connected system of bioswales designed to manage stormwater.
Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud and several city council members took the ceremonial scissors on June 3 alongside Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun, according to MLive. The outlet notes that Peace Park South is the third and final PEACE greenspace, capping a multi-site effort that also funded pool and playground upgrades around the city.
Design and green infrastructure
Project teams leaned on low-impact materials and stormwater-minded design so the parks would be both durable and sustainable. A case study from Techo-Bloc describes earlier PEACE Park phases using permeable paving, rain gardens and porous surfaces to cut down on runoff, and Imagine Design & Build, the parks’ design-builder, says the sites were planned to be inclusive and resilient.
Funding and timeline
The PEACE Project is backed by a mix of grants totaling $29.2 million. The city lists roughly $10 million from municipal sources, $9.6 million from Wayne County and $8 million from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation among the contributors. Construction on PEACE Park South kicked off in September 2024, and the city notes the site includes seven interconnected bioswales that collect and filter rainwater to help reduce flooding and runoff. According to the City of Dearborn, the work was completed with grant dollars and did not add new costs for taxpayers.
“We are excited to welcome every Dearborn resident and visitor to PEACE Park South, a beautiful and inclusive space built to bring our community together, protect our environment, and help our city thrive,” Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud said in a city statement. The opening completes a trio of pocket parks that officials say will serve as neighborhood anchors for recreation and local programming, per the City of Dearborn.
From prototype to a connected network
Peace Park South follows Peace Park West and Peace Park East, both opened in 2024, finishing a sequence that has already reshaped parts of downtown Dearborn. Local reporting and community outlets have framed the PEACE initiative as a place-based investment using one-time grant funding and ARPA dollars to boost environmental resiliency and neighborhood amenities, according to The Arab American News.
What residents can expect
With a mix of courts, green space and flexible plazas, the PEACE parks are already being folded into the city’s events calendar. The Dearborn Area Chamber has a Taste of Dearborn event slated for Peace Park West on June 17, and local leaders say the parks are meant to strengthen neighborhood life and create fresh venues for markets, performances and everyday recreation. The chamber’s event listing includes directions and ticket information.
Officials and regional planners say the PEACE parks are designed to expand equitable access to recreation while also cutting flood risk through green infrastructure. The initiative’s full name, Park Equity and Access for Civil Engagement, reflects that goal, and regional groups have pointed to the project as a model for placemaking and resilience.
