On Thursday, June 16, 2022, Michigan-Hartford Memorial Baptist Church hosted a groundbreaking event to renovate and rename Luger Park in honor of former Detroit mayor and Detroit Pistons legend Dave Bing.
Several community leaders and Detroit Pistons legends showed up to support the initiative. But the event was also to celebrate former Mayor Bing for his many contributions to the city of Detroit.
“In all the awards and recognition I’ve received over the years, there is none greater than to be acknowledged by the residents of the city I’ve called home for nearly six decades,” said Bing. “This park may bear my name, but it belongs to the residents of Detroit.”
Complete with a walking track, multiple basketball courts, tennis courts, and a host of other upgrades, the new Dave Bing Community Park will be a modern space where the community can congregate, grow closer together, and stay healthy by engaging in outdoor activities.
The original idea for the park came from Hartford’s pastor, Pastor Christian Adams. He presented the idea to Bing, who is a member and trustee of the church. Once he was on board, progress started to accelerate.
”This park will help make sure that every child has a safe place to play, that every adult has a place to stay healthy, and that every senior can maintain their golden years, o that they may roll on just a little while longer,” Pastor Adams told an enthusiastic crowd. “We want to do what we can, for who we can, when we can, where we can. So that they can do something for somebody else.”
One of the things that sped the process along was Bing securing a sizable contribution from the Detroit Pistons.
“I know this city has improved itself across the board by the Pistons investing in a lot of courts around the city,” Bing said. “So when I went to the Pistons and asked them to give me some support for this park; they didn’t hesitate.”
The facilities will be top-tier, but for Bing, the location of the park represents a full circle moment.
“This was the first neighborhood that I moved to when I came here [to Detroit], so it’s left a nice scar on me. But even though I’ve moved out of the neighborhood, I never forgot the neighborhood …,” Bing said. “It is a blessing for the total community. Our church is a stalwart in this community, so I want people to have a first-class park to go to and celebrate.”
