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GROSSE POINTE FARMS — The War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, but the nonprofit cultural institution is also looking to its future while acknowledging its past.
War Memorial President and CEO Maria Miller outlined her organization’s new strategic plan during a Nov. 11 Grosse Pointe Farms City Council meeting.
“This has been kind of a yearlong process,” Miller said of the plan, which lays out War Memorial goals for the next five to 10 years.
At the top of that list is increasing the visibility of veteran programs and support. Those programs include events organized by an internal veterans committee, as well as regular seminars about issues and resources relevant to veterans.
“We’ve been doing a lot more than we have in the past,” Miller said.
There are also long-standing events such as the annual Memorial Day service and Veterans Day breakfast.
In 2025, Miller said they’ll be commemorating the end of the Vietnam War. The war officially ended on April 30, 1975.
Another goal outlined in the strategic plan, Miller said, is for The War Memorial to be a regionally recognized center for the arts and humanities. Among The War Memorial’s more than 3,000 annual events are concerts by local, national and international performers, as well as art exhibitions and classes presented by the Grosse Pointe Artists Association, which has its galleries and office there.
Safeguarding the historic estate that houses The War Memorial is also on the to-do list. Construction of the Fred M. Alger Center at The War Memorial has taken a lot of pressure off the home, with its community room and other spaces. The War Memorial was built in 1910 as the home for Russell A. Alger and his family; the Italian Renaissance-style house and gardens were once known as The Moorings. After Alger’s death, the family donated the house and property to the community. It served as a branch of the Detroit Institute of Arts from 1936 to 1948 and became the Grosse Pointe War Memorial in 1949 with the founding of the Grosse Pointe War Memorial Association.
Miller said their first project “is to seal the envelope” of the historical home by redoing the roof. She said they’ll then work on the first floor and fix ornate ceilings in the building.
Bringing people to the campus is yet another goal. The War Memorial currently attracts an estimated 250,000 visitors annually for concerts, classes, lectures and more, as well as private events such as wedding receptions in the lakefront ballroom, which is in the Alger Center.
Miller said they’re considering issuing requests for proposals to reopen the Patriot Theatre, which was destroyed during catastrophic flooding and sewage backups in the summer of 2021. The theater, which had 215 fixed seats and six luxury boxes and opened circa 2018, replaced the Fries Auditorium, which had 442 seats.
“We might need a mold study,” Miller said of theater restoration. “It would be exciting to see what we could do.”
Miller said it would take an estimated $4 million to $5 million to restore the Patriot Theatre.
This year marked the return of SummerFest, a series of free concerts held on The War Memorial’s lakefront back lawn. It was one of the legacy events Miller said they decided to restore.
“We want to create that experiential space for (visitors),” Miller said.
A carriage house on the property, which has served as office space for other local nonprofits, could also be used for programs, Miller said.
Attracting and retaining an award-winning staff team is still another objective in the strategic plan.
“I think we have an amazing team already,” Miller said.
To achieve their goals, Miller said they hope to increase their annual revenue by at least 50% to meet their operational and capital needs. She said they have many big-ticket expenses, such as roof replacement.
That will mean raising more money, most likely through donations and sponsorships.
“We’re thrilled there’s so much support” in the community, Miller said.
Farms Mayor Louis Theros thanked Miller for her presentation.
“You guys do a great service in the Farms,” Theros told her. “It’s greatly appreciated.”
City Councilwoman Beth Konrad-Wilberding agreed.
“Good luck to you,” Konrad-Wilberding said. “And kudos to your staff.”
For more about The War Memorial — including making a donation — visit warmemorial.org.
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