Page 5 - Wayne Dispatch Pages

In addition to locations in Dear-
HYPE, Continued from page 3
born Heights and Wayne, HYPE is on
in 2012. Sayed says that through Belle Isle, too.
much guidance, planning, and care- “We’ve been managing the fields
ful consideration, the building was now for about two years,” says
constructed with the assistance of Sayed. “And it’s doing very well.”
U.S. Department of Housing and HYPE’s Belle Isle Athletic Com-
Urban Development (HUD) and plex features facilities for softball,
Neighborhood Stabilization Program football, basketball, handball, rac-
(NSP) funds. The 25,000 square-foot quetball, and tennis. Cricket and
building, located on Warren Road, sand volleyball are forthcoming.
would become HYPE’s flagship loca- But, back to the Wayne location
tion. for a moment. Because as the old
HYPE’s arrival in the City of saying goes, changes are a comin’.
Wayne would come next. “We’re really excited to revamp
In 2014, Wayne County Commis- the entire property,” Sayed says.
sioner Mayor Al Haidous, who was “The parking lot will be resurfaced,
serving as Wayne’s mayor at the time, the pool will be repurposed, and
approached Sayed to inquire about we’re upgrading all of the work-out
consulting support regarding the Ali Sayed and friends celebrate with Rabih Darwiche on being clean for two years. equipment. We’re injecting a lot of
city’s recreational services. “[The money and resources into this cen-
city] was still losing a lot of money, what happens to the neighborhood— “It relieved them of all their liabil- ter, which will include the addition of
and they were on the verge of closing what happens to kids—when com- ities and responsibility, Sayed ex- senior services, which the City of
[the community center] down. They munity centers close. Detroit plains. “We cut the grass, shoveled Wayne had to suspend due to budg-
were just underwater.” experienced over 30 closures alone and plowed the snow, and managed etary reasons.”
Sayed and Haidous discussed since 2001. [HYPE] is committed to and staffed everything for a small fee Perhaps the most purposeful im-
program expectations and budgetary establishing a model that works for ($144,000 a year for five years).” provement patrons will recognize is
items, and Sayed explained to the community first. The methods That funding, which was ten percent that the fitness center, which is cur-
Haidous why keeping the center behind low-cost services are no se- of the city’s annual budget, in turn rently housed in the back of the
open was imperative to Wayne’s vital- cret: Reduce wasteful spending and helped support HYPE programs and building, will be relocated to the pool
ity as a city. “I warned them,” Sayed focus on the objective.” services. area.
remembers. “I shared the story Sayed then offered to manage the In mid-July of 2021, HYPE pur-
about what happened in Detroit, center—and Wayne agreed. chased the building outright. See Hype, page 13

The Wayne Dispatch · October 2021 · 5