Robocop at the Imagination Station

A few days ago, someone in Massachusetts sent a Twitter message to Mayor Bing suggesting that Detroit build a Robocop statue. Bing responded with a polite "no, thank you." Amazingly, a debate is now raging over the merits of a Robocop statue, and it kind of seems like this is actually going to happen. Some people have taken up the cause and are attempting to raise money and find a suitable location for the proposed seven-foot monument. The project's website is http://detroitneedsrobocop.com/, and as I write this, over $5,200 has been donated, which is 10% of the goal amount.

At the moment, the Imagination Station has offered a piece of their property as a home for the statue. The Imagination Station is a non-profit that recently purchased two abandoned homes and some other land on the edge of Roosevelt Park in Corktown. The group's mission is to renovate these two structures and eventually turn the property into a combination public art space/media center/artist residency program.




One of two abandoned homes being re-purposed by the Imagination Station. Photo by Margaret O'Leary.





Looking down 14th Street towards Michigan Avenue. The photocopies on the facade of the abandoned Roosevelt Hotel, which stands on the lot next to the Imagination Station, spell out "Face the Station." This block has been seeing a lot of activity in the past several months. Photo by Margaret O'Leary.


This whole Robocop statue idea is very surreal. Honestly, I'm having a hard time deciding whether it's a good idea or not. It's hard to tell whether a statue of Robocop would be a quirky addition to Corktown or just a joke that's been allowed to go way too far. Still, I think this is a testament to Detroit's uniqueness and endless possibilities at this point in time. I can't think of another city in which you can say, "You need a spot to build your Robocop statue? How about you put it in front of the two houses I'm converting into a community media and art center?"