The Elizabeth R. Dean Promenade on Main Street from E. Huron Street to William Street
History
On April 7, 1964, Elizabeth R. Dean bequeathed nearly $2,000,000 to be held in trust with the annual interest income to "repair, maintain and replace trees on City property, perpetually.”
In 1965, the Elizabeth Dean Fund Trust supported its first project, the planting of trees in the promenade on Main Street from E. Huron Street to William Street. This section of Main Street where the specialty grocery store Ms. Dean’s father owned, Dean & Co., is now officially known as the Elizabeth Dean Promenade. The promenade was rededicated on April 7, 2000 and a plaque recognizing Ms. Dean's generous gift to the city was placed on the concrete planter on the northeast corner of Main and Liberty Streets.
Elizabeth R. Dean Day
The generous bequest of Elizabeth Dean has allowed for a dramatic improvement in the environmental, economic and aesthetic quality of life over the past 60+ years by providing not only specialized tree care funding, but the funding of countless larger tree planting projects in parks, neighborhoods and public housing sites.
On April 6, 1998, the Mayor and City Council approved the proclamation of "Elizabeth R. Dean Day" to be celebrated annually on April 7th.
The Dean Fund Committee
In 1969, the Ann Arbor City Council formed a Dean Fund Subcommittee to suggest uses for the fund, including the proposed formation of a special tree care crew. By 1975, the Dean Fund Committee was formally established.
The Dean Fund Committee is responsible for making recommendations to Ann Arbor City Council on spending the annual interest income earned by the Elizabeth Dean Trust Fund. The Committee reviews project proposals and oversees Dean Fund expenditures for each fiscal year. Administratively, the Dean Fund annual operating budget (based on annual interest income) appears as an independently managed fund within the City of Ann Arbor’s Public Works - Forestry Division budget.
Each year the Dean Fund Committee allocates the annual interest income towards tree planting and tree maintenance activities. Project proposals are submitted by citizens, staff, merchants, neighborhood associations and special interest groups, and are reviewed by the Dean Fund Committee. Criteria are used to evaluate these projects, based on the degree of benefit to the entire community. If you would like to submit a project idea to the Dean Fund Committee, please download the Dean Fund Committee Proposal form below.
The Dean Fund Committee encourages donations of matching funds for special projects, when possible, to allow its funding to have greater civic impact. Such cost-share projects have been undertaken with the Downtown Development Authority, the University of Michigan, the Downtown Kiwanis Club, and the city's Park Development Division via park millage funds.
To begin this process, please use the Dean Fund Proposal (PDF) form.
Join the Committee
Ann Arbor residents interested in serving on the Elizabeth Dean Fund Committee should complete an application by clicking the "apply" button at the top right of the Dean Fund Boards and Commissions page on Legistar.
Dean Fund Committee Meetings
The Dean Fund Committee meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Please check the City's Event's Calendar for the most up-to-date meeting information.
