DETROIT – What was once an open, flat stretch of dirt along the riverfront has been transformed into the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park.
It’s a 22-acre public space meant, in part, to reflect the values and passions of the late Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.
Mary Wilson, Ralph Wilson’s widow, toured the completed park for the first time on Friday, in advance of its official ribbon-cutting.
“Stepping in, number one, I was in tears.”
She called the park a special gift to the city her husband called home.
“When you see it, you think it’s going to be overpowering. But it isn’t. When we first came here, it was flat. It was dirt. And to come here, when we first came in, it was like, wow,” she said, recalling the park’s dramatic transformation.
Designed as a welcoming place for families and community groups, the Ralph C. Wilson Centennial Park includes multiple zones with innovative play areas for children of all ages, a year-round Sports House for recreation, and a serene water garden.
The site intentionally connects visitors to the Detroit River with natural landscaping, grasses and trees that encourage quiet reflection.
“I think what I love about it is it’s touch with the water and the natural feel. The beautiful grasses and the beautiful trees. Just being with nature and being a child,” Mary Wilson said.
The park also features seating and green spaces where visitors can relax and take in views of the river.
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation provided a sizeable donation to make the park a reality. David Egner, a representative of the Foundation, said the opening is an important milestone for the organization.
“The fact that we could have this park open, for the citizens of this city and this region, it’s a big day for the Foundation,” Egner said.
Mary Wilson emphasized the park’s role as a community gathering place.
“To think what Ralph is doing bringing community together, once again. All walks of life will be here. Children for generations upon generations will enjoy this park,” she said.
She added that the park feels as though it always belonged on Detroit’s riverfront and is built to last.
“It belongs here. It always belonged here. And it will be here forever,” Mary Wilson said.
For more information about the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, visit here.
For more details about the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park, visit here.