As of Dec. 31, the East Riverfront's RiverWalk will be 78% complete, according to
Detroit Riverfront Conservancy president Faye Alexander Nelson and COO Leonard Marsalek.
By
Jan. 2008, the entire RiverWalk — stretching from Joe Louis Arena to
Gabriel Richard Park just east of Belle Isle’s MacArthur Bridge — will
be open.
Nelson says the $250 million project is “one of the
most successful public-private partnerships in the nation,” receiving
support from city, state and federal entities, as well as substantial
help from private companies and nonprofits.
The western-most
portion, the Civic Center stretch from Joe Louis Arena to Hart Plaza is
complete, as is the GM Promenade in front of the Renaissance Center and
the stretch of RiverWalk between Beaubien and Rivard. When a temporary
asphalt connection between Hart Plaza and the Ren Cen is completed by
year's-end, 1.2 continuous miles of riverfront will be open and
accessible. Future work will complete the permanent promenade at the
Bates Street Outfall, the site of Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority
Public Dock and Terminal.
At the foot of Rivard, the Rivard Plaza is near completion, save for the installation of a carousel,
donor bricks
and landscaping, which will occur in the spring. Each of the planned
plazas under development features a Chene Park-inspired pavilion for
concessions, rentals, and tables and chairs. All pavilions will provide
free WI-FI access.
Other plans include:
- Tricentennial Park,
Michigan’s first urban state park, will be expanded to a total of 31
acres. The park’s riverfront will be engineered using a soft-shore
approach that will be a stormwater demonstration project using “green
and sustainable principles,” says Marsalek. Until Tricentennial Park is
completed, and for the walk around Chene Park, pedestrians and bikers
will be routed along Atwater Street. Another plaza and pavilion is
planned for the Chene Park vacinity.
- In front of the
Talon/Omni complex, a boardwalk will extend over the river. Placing
rocks under the boardwalk will create a fish habitat, making this
portion of the riverwalk a premier fishing destination.
- The
existing riverwalk in front of the UAW-GM Riverfront Joint Training
Center will be enhanced and it will continue around the interior of the
Harbortown marina.
- A pavilion will be constructed at Mount Elliott Park, where activities will be oriented towards families and fishing.
- A
pavilion at Gabriel Richard Park is near
completion. The park features a labyrinth that was donated by the
Adcraft Club of Detroit and a butterfly garden that will be developed
in sping of 2007.
Plans
are not yet finalized for the public portion of the riverwalk at the
Uniroyal site. Nelson says that the conservancy is working closely with
the Bettis-Betters development team and asserts that, “The public and
private developments will be integrated—they won’t be disjointed.”
The conservancy also is working on the East Riverfront to:
- ensure the entire riverfront is accessible to individuals with disabilities and environmental best practices are being followed;
- plan for River Days, a three-day event in summer of 2008;
- develop security and parking strategies;
- explore
transportation alternatives, including bicycles taxis, Segway tours,
trolleys, bike and roller blade rentals and water taxis.
Source: Faye Alexander Nelson and Leonard Marsalek, DRFC
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