Red Oaks Park
Red Oaks Play Garden is a 7-acre area (formerly known as Ambassador Park) located on Thirteen Mile Road in Madison Heights as part of Red Oaks County Park. It is in the initial construction phase of the Healthy Communities Park and Outdoor Recreation Investment Plan. The anticipated investment of $7.14M includes $2.75M from the American Recovery Plan Act and $4.39M from Oakland County Parks’ capital improvement fund.
The new play garden will honor Gary R. McGillivray, a longtime Oakland County Commissioner (2008-23) who represented District 3, which included the Madison Heights community he called home. Commissioner McGillivray was appointed to the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission (OCPRC) in 2011 and was a key architect of the partnership between Oakland County Parks (OCP) and the City of Madison Heights, including being a dedicated champion of the nature center that is now part of Red Oaks County Park. Commissioner McGillivray was serving as chair of the OCPRC at the time of his passing in 2023.
During his tenure as chair, OCP helped allocate millions of dollars in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for park and recreation projects across the county, including the development of the space that will become the Red Oaks Play Garden.
Commissioner McGillivray was passionate about the county park system and – throughout his long career – was committed to putting the best interests of Oakland County residents first. He loved to see families coming together, having fun outdoors and making special memories. The vision for the new play garden is to create a place for families to do just that and is a perfect way to honor his memory.
As we build the play garden, this portion of Red Oaks County Park closed in May 2025 for renovation. Construction is expected to continue throughout 2026 for an anticipated Autumn 2026 re-opening.
Phases
Public Engagement
Purpose
The purpose of this public engagement was to communicate with the stakeholders and community members who are already invested in the property of Red Oaks County Park, to gain any insights they might have, and to evaluate what the community would like to see in the park under Oakland County Parks management and through capital improvements. The outreach methods used were also designed to reach community members who are not currently engaged in the park or who have not historically felt welcomed or invited into parks, identify barriers to their participation and address gaps in equitable park access.
Methods
The public engagement methods used included an online survey and three public open houses held at various locations in Madison Heights. The survey was available online for two weeks, September 11 – 24, 2023. Paper copies of the survey were available at the open houses in English and Mandarin.
Three open houses were held at various locations in Madison Heights. Open house participants had a variety of ways in which to engage and provide input Red Oaks County Park. A large park map was displayed and allowed opportunities for discussion with staff where participants could point out special features, memories, or notable locations. A prioritization board presented participants with an opportunity to identify amenities and features that they felt were the highest priority or best fit.
We used strategic methods to invite Madison Heights residents to participate, both in the survey and to engage with us during the public open houses. A few examples of these methods were:
· Hosting public engagement events at existing community events where residents who were in attendance could engage with us.
· Partnering with the Association of Chinese Americans to reach more of the local community and translating all materials into Mandarin to make them more accessible to Madison Heights’ Chinese population.
Results
Based on the response from Madison Heights residents and park users from a wider area, there was support and appreciation for the partnership between the City of Madison Heights and Oakland County Parks. We are grateful to everyone for their generous responses and understand the importance of keeping the priorities identified through these efforts at the forefront of our planning:
1. Natural areas, native plants and pollinators, and healthy forests
2. Clean, working restrooms
3. Open spaces for play and relaxation
4. Universal accessibility
5. Paths and walking trails