The Elizabeth R. Dean Promenade on Main Street
from E. Huron Street to William Street
History
In 1964, Elizabeth R. Dean willed nearly $2,000,000 to the public trees of Ann Arbor, to be “held in a separate fund by the City of Ann Arbor, and the interest income thereof be used 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. 
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 1974, the Dean Fund Committee was formally established, to be comprised
of five (5) citizen member appointees, and one (1) representative from City Council. (Currently 7 citizen members.)
The Dean Fund Committee reviews, oversees and approves all 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 Field Operations- Forestry Division budget.
Each year it allocates the annual interest income towards tree planting and tree maintenance activities that cannot be provided by the city’s General Fund Forestry Budget. Planting 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 click here to download the Dean Fund Committee Proposal form (pdf).
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 Downtwon Kiwanis Club, and the city's Park Development Division via park millage funds.
Dean Fund Committee Meetings
The Dean Fund Committee generally meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Please check back regularly as meeting dates/times may change.
2010 Meeting Calendar- all meetings are at 9 a.m., in Conference Room B at the Wheeler Center, unless otherwise noted.
Wednesday, January 14, 2010 (please note change in day)
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 (CANCELLED)
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 (CANCELLED)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday, December, 14, 2010