November 29, 2022
Since opening its doors in 1998, Universal Academy has shared a border and a history with Romanowski Park in Southwest Detroit. Students and families live within walking distance of the school and many make their way through the park on a daily basis. In addition to a pathway to school, the park is a place where students and families gather to play, rest and celebrate.
Though it now serves as a hub for community events; this was not always the case. More than a decade ago, the park was deemed unsafe for children and suffered from much of the neglect that affected Detroit as a whole. Nevertheless, many children made their way through the park enroute to school and would play there after school. Recognizing the importance of the park to the community and the school, Universal school representatives have worked to improve this vital area, participating in the Greening of Detroit in 2011, and the Safe Routes to School federal program in 2012-13.
More recently, Universal Academy staff, its families and other community leaders began to meet regularly starting in 2018, with Detroit Parks & Recreation to provide input and guidance on a more ambitious vision for the park. Universal’s student government representatives enthusiastically shared their thoughts and plans with regard to the equipment to be installed in the play area. Their persistence has paid off. As a result of this collaboration with the City of Detroit and with the support of the Detroit Pistons, the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation, and the Michigan DNR, the park underwent a $1.65 million-dollar renovation in 2020.
The park now sports 8 soccer fields with movable bleachers, 18 basketball courts, new playground equipment, improvements to the Romanowski Farm Garden and shedded areas for family activities. In addition, there is a pathway through the space - perfect for students walking to-and-from school, morning joggers or those taking an afternoon stroll.
On December 10, 2021, Mayor Mike Duggan asked Universal Academy students to join him in the official ribbon cutting ceremony. He stated that it was the people who live in the area who had the vision of what Romanowski Park could be and was slightly surprised when neighbors said the “number one thing you can do to improve our quality of life is make a major investment to the Romanowski Park. We consider it our park.” The park is also part of the greater Joe Louis Greenway which will connect many neighborhoods in Detroit as part of the city’s long-term renaissance plan.
For additional information, read the Click on Detroit article or view the City of Detroit’s press conference.