Allen Park is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2010 census, the population was 28,210. Ford Motor Company is an integral part of the community. Many of the company's offices and facilities lie within the city limits. Since 2002, Allen Park is the practice home of the Detroit Lions football team and is also the site of the team's headquarters. The city is known for its tree-lined streets, brick houses, and the Fairlane Green Shopping Center that opened in 2006. The city was once recognized in Money Magazine's list of America's Best Small Cities. Allen Park is part of the collection of communities known as Downriver.
runs through the southeast corner of Allen Park between Goddard Road and the Lincoln Park border.
runs through the northern portion of Allen Park between Pelham Road and the Rouge River.
, Southfield Road, is an eight-lane boulevard that travels in a northwest/southeast direction between the Lincoln Park border and I-94. It becomes the Southfield Freeway and curves to the northeast after the I-94 interchange.
Fairlane Green and Independence Marketplace
Fairlane Green, also known as "The Hill", is a shopping center located on a large hill between Outer Drive and Oakwood Boulevard. The site is a former clay quarry used to make bricks which was later purchased by Ford to use as a landfill for wastes from the Ford Rouge Plant. After the landfill closed in 2003, construction of retail stores began in 2006 with a focus on green principles. Independence Marketplace is a retail development between the hill and the freeway. It is built on top of the former location of Veterans Administration Hospital. In 1937, Henry and Clara Ford donated 38 acres at the corner of Southfield and Outer Drive for use as a Veterans Administration hospital. Ground-breaking ceremonies for the hospital were held on July 27, 1937, with Henry Ford in attendance. Major additions to the original hospital were made after WWII and during the 1960s. The Allen Park Veterans Administration Medical Center was sometimes referred to as the Dearborn VA Hospital. It was a long time landmark that was both beautiful and interesting in its architecture. The Allen Park VA hospital was deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places on Jan. 6, 1981 but in spite of this fact' it was demolished in 2004.
History
Allen Park was incorporated as a village in 1927, and as a city in 1957. It was named after Lewis Allen, a well-to-do lawyer and lumberman whose 276½ acres of land included holdings in what are now Allen Park and Melvindale. Hubert Champaign and Edward Pepper were two other early residents of the area. In 1950 Allen Park did not include the part of the city directly west of Melvindale; that area was still part of Ecorse Township.
As of the census of 2010, there were 28,210 people, 11,580 households, and 7,606 families living in the city. The population density was. There were 12,206 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 92.9% White, 2.1% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.1% of the population. There were 11,580 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age in the city was 41.7 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 28.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,376 people, 11,974 households, and 8,202 families living in the city. The population density was 4,189.7 per square mile. There were 12,254 housing units at an average density of 1,747.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 95.6% White, 0.7% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.81% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.21% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.73% of the population. There were 11,974 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 women age eighteen and over, there were 88.1 men. The median income for a household in the city was $51,992, and the median income for a family was $63,350. Males had a median income of $50,143 versus $31,168 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,980. About 1.9% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Former Mayor Gary Burtka resigned unexpectedly on May 31, 2011 due to a recently diagnosed cancer. After a state review team recommended an emergency financial manager for the City, Governor Rick Snyder appointed Joyce Parker to the position. Joyce Parker left in 2014 after the financial crisis was determined over by the state.
In 2009, the Professional Bowlers Association announced that Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park would be the primary site for the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling. This unique event featured the first seven tournaments of the PBA's 2009-10 season all contested in the same area. One tournament was contested in nearby Taylor, MI, while the other six took place at Thunderbowl. The 2009 events ran August 2-September 6, with the televised finals being taped by ESPN on September 5–6. Thunderbowl Lanes has hosted additional PBA tournaments since that time, including the five-event in September, 2016 and the PBA Tour Finals. The World Series of Bowling returned to Thunderbowl Lanes for its tenth anniversary in the 2019 PBA Tour season, with events running March 11–21.
