A seafood restaurant and a multi-discipline arts
center are coming to spaces controlled by the Detroit Downtown Development Authority in the Paradise Valley Cultural and Entertainment District at
Harmonie Park.
The
Arts League of Michigan will be
developing the Virgil H. Carr Cultural Arts Center in the Harmonie Club
building at 311 E. Grand River Ave. Set to open in January 2009, plans call for two floors of the building, approximately 14,500 square feet, to be used for exhibition and studio space.
Daily classes from a multitude of disciplines -- including visual arts, creative writing, jazz and dance -- will be offered to both youth and adults. "
This will be a non-stop arts facility," says Kenya Vinson, the Arts League's marketing and membership director. "When you come in, you will automatically
hear music and see classes and exhibitions ongoing."
The Arts League is also seeking to raise funds to restore the Harmonie Club's third floor auditorium as a multi-use facility.
Frank Taylor, who owns or operates
several other Detroit restaurants, including South Beach Pizza Bar, Seldom Blues and the Detroit Breakfast House and Grill, will be opening the Detroit
Fish Market @ Paradise Valley in the space formerly occupied by Intermezzo. Taylor seeks to fill a niche left by the closure of Chuck Muer's, with an emphasis on fresh seafood in an upscale, casual environment.
Plans
for Paradise Valley district call for an African-American cultural influence to
honor the legacy of Paradise Valley, with diverse commercial, retail, entertainment,
educational and cultural offerings.
The Arts League had initially planned to relocate to Midtown, but found what they were looking for in the Harmonie Club building and its
proximity to sports venues like Comerica Park and Ford
Field, and entertainment venues like Music Hall, the Gem Theatre and
the Detroit Opera House. "
We absolutely love the location and tying into its history," Vinson says. "There is a lot of
cultural and family-based entertainment that takes place in that area."
The Detroit Downtown Development Authority continues to accept proposals from prospective tenants for other spaces they control in the district.
Source: Kenya Vinson, Arts League of Michigan and DEGC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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