Famous people's places / Detroit – Downtown

Hart Plaza

Detroit's riverfront plaza, opened in 1975 on the site of Cadillac's 1701 landing, home to the city's biggest festivals including the Movement electronic music festival.

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01 / The story of this place

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Detroit's riverfront civic plaza had been envisioned since the 1920s, when architects Eliel and Eero Saarinen first sketched a grand public space along the Detroit River; the city finally built it, then called Civic Center Plaza, opening it in 1975 on land approximately where Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac's expedition came ashore in 1701 to found Detroit. Sculptor and landscape designer Isamu Noguchi shaped much of the 14-acre plaza, including its amphitheater and the Horace E. Dodge Fountain, and in 1977 the city renamed it for the late Michigan senator Philip A. Hart. Hart Plaza became the city's premier gathering ground for large public events, with a capacity of about 40,000 people. Techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson produced Fuse-In, the first ticketed festival on the plaza, over Memorial Day weekend 2005, growing what became the Movement electronic music festival; fellow Detroit techno originator Richie Hawtin performed there as Plastikman at its tenth-anniversary edition in 2010. The National Register of Historic Places added Hart Plaza in 2024.

Opened in 1975 as Civic Center Plaza, renamed for Senator Philip Hart in 1977
Designed largely by sculptor Isamu Noguchi
Sits near where Cadillac's expedition landed to found Detroit in 1701
Home to Movement, the Detroit electronic music festival, since the 2000s
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024

Famous Detroiters

Famous people tied to this place 12

Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.

Richie Hawtin born 1970 · DJ, electronic musician, label founder
Performed here
He appeared as Plastikman at the festival's 10th anniversary edition in 2010.
Carl Craig born 1969 · electronic music producer, DJ, label founder
Worked here
Riverfront plaza that hosts the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (today's Movement), which he co-created and directed artistically.
Derrick May born 1963 · DJ, electronic music producer
Worked here
Riverfront plaza that hosts Detroit's electronic music festival; he ran the event in 2003 and 2004 and gave it the name Movement.
Kevin Saunderson born 1964 · DJ, record producer, label owner
Related place
He produced the Fuse-In festival here over Memorial Day weekend 2005, the first ticketed event on the plaza.
Faruq Z. Bey 1942–2012 · jazz saxophonist, composer, poet
Performed here
Riverfront plaza of the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival, which Griot Galaxy played in 1983.
Jimmy Edgar born 1983 · electronic producer, sound designer, visual artist
Performed here
He appeared twice at the Movement festival (as of 2014).
Rodney Whitaker born 1968 · jazz double bassist, educator
Performed here
Riverfront plaza hosting the main stages of the free Detroit Jazz Festival, where Whitaker performs and teaches master classes.
Lyman Woodard 1942–2009 · jazz organist, bandleader
Performed here
Main site of the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival, where Woodard's 1996 live album was recorded.
DJ Minx · DJ, producer, label founder
Performed here
She played the first Detroit Electronic Music Festival here in 2000 and many Movement festivals since.
Jason Huvaere · event producer, founder and president of Paxahau
Founded
Riverfront plaza where Paxahau stages Movement every Memorial Day weekend.
Carol Marvin · festival producer
Founded
Site of the Detroit Electronic Music Festivals she produced.
Gretchen Valade 1925–2022 · businesswoman, jazz philanthropist, record label founder
Related place
The riverfront plaza that hosts the main stages of the free Detroit Jazz Festival, which her foundation has underwritten since 2006.