Brewster-Wheeler Recreation Center facts for kids
The Brewster-Wheeler Recreation Center was a very important building in Detroit, Michigan. It opened way back in 1929. This center was a busy place for fun and learning, especially for people in the Brewster and Brush Park areas. It closed in 2006 because it didn't have enough money and fewer people were visiting. But good news! Since 2015, there have been plans to bring the site back to life. It might include restaurants, homes, and shops.
Contents
A Special History of the Brewster-Wheeler Center
The Brewster-Wheeler Recreation Center is more than just a building. It has a long and amazing history. For many years, it helped a community that didn't have many resources. It started as a public library. Later, it became a sports center where famous athletes like Joe Louis trained.
From Library to Community Hub
The Detroit Public Library first opened a small branch nearby in 1913. It was meant to help poor families in the area. A few years later, plans were made for a new, bigger library. This new library was built on Brewster Street. It was made of beautiful stone and brick. The library opened on May 15, 1917.
However, the library closed just ten years later in 1927. Not enough people were using it. The building was then put up for sale. The public library moved back to its first location in 1928.
A New Beginning for the Community
In the 1920s, many African American families moved to Detroit. They settled in areas like Black Bottom and Paradise Valley. The Detroit Parks Department saw that these communities needed a place for activities. So, they decided to spend $500,000 to change the old library. It would become a community center!
A new two-story part was added. It had classrooms, a swimming pool, a boxing ring, and basketball courts. The old library part became an auditorium.
The new center opened in October 1929. About 5,000 people came to the special opening on November 1. The mayor, John C. Nagle, spoke at the event. He said the building was for everyone in Detroit, no matter their background. He hoped it would help bring people together.
The Brewster Homes and the Center
The 1930s brought big changes to the area around the center. New housing projects called the Brewster Homes were built. Construction started in 1935. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt even helped break ground for the project.
Over the next 20 years, the Brewster Homes grew. They became the largest housing project in Detroit. Many low-income African American families lived there. The recreation center became a key part of this community. The housing projects surrounded the center. By the 1940s and 50s, tall apartment buildings were added. These towers were home to over 10,000 people. Most of them used the recreation center for fun, learning, and safety.
Challenges and Renaming
By the 1960s, the Brewster Homes started to decline. There wasn't enough maintenance. Also, the building of Interstate-75 forced many people to move. This changed the community a lot. Crime increased, and the area faced tough times. The Brewster Center became a safe place for many residents.
In 1969, the center was renamed the Brewster-Wheeler Recreation Center. This was to honor Leon Wheeler.
Leon Wheeler was the first African American recreation employee in Detroit. He managed the center from 1919 to 1945. He created many programs. These included swimming, boxing, track, tennis, drama, and dancing. Over 81 different clubs met at the center every day. The Brewster-Wheeler Recreation Center was a place where thousands of children could be safe and grow. It gave them positive activities instead of being on the streets.
Closure and Efforts to Save It
In later years, it became harder to keep the center running. It relied on donations from famous people who had trained there. For example, NBA star Chris Webber donated a new gym in the 1990s. By the mid-2000s, the Brewster Projects were mostly empty. The center kept offering programs, but plans began to close it.
The recreation center officially closed on August 25, 2006. Less than three years later, the building was empty and abandoned.
After it closed, the building became a home for some people experiencing homelessness. Thieves also took metal from the building. Graffiti artists used the walls as a canvas. After several fires, the city planned to tear it down in 2013. But a local community organizer, Donyetta Hill, fought to save the building. She argued for its historical importance. Her efforts sparked new interest in the building and plans for a major renovation.
Future Plans: Redevelopment
In late 2014, the Brewster-Wheeler Recreation Center was almost torn down. It had been closed for nearly eight years. The building was old and damaged by weather. But Donyetta Hill organized many people. She held meetings and collected over 7,000 signed petitions. She researched the center's history for months.
Donyetta convinced the city of Detroit to save the building. In early 2015, Mayor Mike Duggan announced a $50 million plan. This plan was for the center's redevelopment. The current idea is to turn the building into a restaurant, a bar, and a community center. They also plan to build affordable homes nearby.
What the Redevelopment Will Include
The renovation of the recreation center is being led by Curt Catallo and K.C. Crain Jr. Catallo is known for giving old buildings new life. He plans to include the building's history in the new design. This includes the boxing ring and gym where Joe Louis once trained.
The restaurant will be built over the basketball court. This is where the Harlem Globetrotters played their first away game! There will be a bar where Joe Louis's boxing ring used to be. A mural of Joe Louis will also be part of the design. A brewery will be built where the swimming pool once was.
The project will also have a kitchen incubator. This is a place for new food businesses. There will be a culinary arts studio and catering space. Community and meeting spaces will also be available. Once finished, some Detroit clubs will have space there. The Detroit Chess Club will have event space. Slow Roll Inc., a weekly group bicycle ride, will have its headquarters there. Girls from the Alternative for Girls program, which helps homeless girls, will get first chance at the culinary arts training.
Construction was supposed to start in 2015 and finish by 2016. However, there have been delays. Construction is now planned to begin in 2017.
Jobs for the Community
This project will also help the community around the center. It will create about 300 jobs. About 120 of these will be full-time jobs. During construction, at least 51% of the workers will be from Detroit. Also, 40% of the restaurant workers will be Detroit residents. The goal is to increase this to 70% within four years after the restaurant opens.
Notable People
- Joe Louis, a world-famous boxing champion, trained in the basement of the Brewster-Wheeler Recreation Center.
- The Harlem Globetrotters played their first game away from home at the center in 1932.
- Sugar Ray Robinson often went with Joe Louis to the Brewster Center before moving to Harlem at age 14.
- Eddie Futch sparred with Louis and Robinson at the center. He later became a famous boxing trainer.
- Emanuel Steward started his boxing journey at the Brewster Center. He went on to train many top boxers.
