DETROIT – A former private golf course along 7 Mile Road and Berg Road has quietly transformed into one of Detroit’s newest public green spaces, a 98-acre nature park that neighbors hope will become a signature recreation destination for the city.
“It was just, simply, happy,” said Steve Edwards, who recently took his first walk through the park. “Just happy.”
Rogell Park, located at 18600 Berg Road, features expansive nature trails, wetlands, and meadows, along with overlooks, pathways, and boardwalks designed to help visitors experience the landscape and wildlife.
Community members say their input helped shape the park as it is today, with many advocating for a more peaceful, nature-forward design.
“The majority of the voices said they wanted something passive,” said Crystal Perkins, Director of Detroit’s General Services Department. “They wanted something that they can come and be one with nature.”
For neighbors like Darryl Edwards, the park is the result of years of persistence and a long-awaited vision finally coming to life.
“We have built something just fantastic, just great right now,” said Edwards. “I’m just overwhelmed. Just so happy that we got this done.”
The Rogell Park development has been more than a decade in the making, and the transformation wasn’t without challenges.
Cleanup work included removing chemicals used to keep the former golf course greens weed-free, a process neighbors say was worth the wait.
“For our kids, and our grandkids, I’m a grandparent; it’s just the possibilities are endless,” Steve Edwards said.
Neighbors also hope the park’s opening helps bring broader momentum and investment to the surrounding community.
“I believe that this community, with this nature park, is going to bring other things besides the nature park,” Edwards said. “We deserve something in our community. I’ve looked around the city, and what I see in the city is great parks. And this is going to be a park that’s added to that number.”
City leaders say the park is not yet in its final form.
Additional features and amenities are planned as future funding becomes available.