Detroit’s Chandler Park gets funding approved for giant inflatable air dome

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Rendering of air dome proposed for Chandler Park in Detroit. Photo courtesy of city of Detroit

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Funding for an inflatable dome in Chandler Park in Detroit was approved by the city council Tuesday, green lighting a project that will expand outdoor recreation opportunities for neighbors.

Detroit will spend more than $13 million on the air dome for the east side park. Funding is through the American Rescue Plan Act.

A timeline for improving the park has been in motion since 2022 with planning for new playgrounds, picnic shelters, and other amenities being discussed at community meetings. The dome will be located across from restrooms on Chandler Park Road. It will come with a parking lot.

A community presentation in 2022 compared it to an indoor facility in Brighton.

Despite its unanimous approval, several city council members voiced concerns about the funding being used for an inflatable dome instead of a permanent building.

"I absolutely support my colleague in District 4, but just $13 million ARPA dollars on a pop-up dome, an athletic pop-up dome, to me, is a waste of…ARPA dollars," said Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway. "$13 million could absolutely build a brick and mortar. A brick and mortar - something permanent that can be used all year and hold events."

Councilmember Latisha Johnson, who oversees the district where Chandler Park is located, said if the money could be used for another project before it must be spent, then she would have supported another proposal.

"I really don't want to have our residents continue to go without access to recreation," she said.

The city of Detroit is required to allocate ARPA dollars by the end of 2024 and spend it by the end of 2026.