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Final
wall of
adjoining
warehouse
to
Riverside
Park is
taken
down to
expand
the
park's
footprint
along
the
Detroit
River.
(Video
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us
Detroit) |
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5 Acre
Riverside
Park
expansion
proceeding
2 years
ahead of
schedule
•Bridge
Company
demolishes
former
Detroit
News
warehouse
two
years
ahead of
schedule.
•5-acre
riverfront
site to
be
converted
to prime
park
area –
work
beginning
on new
riverwalk
and
other
park
amenities
in 2017.
Tell Us
Detroit
via City
of
Detroit
DETROIT
- Last
summer,
the
Detroit
City
Council
approved
a Land
Exchange
Agreement
with the
Detroit
International
Bridge
Company
(DIBC)
for
Riverside
Park.
From
Detroit’s
standpoint,
the
centerpiece
of that
agreement
was
DIBC’s
commitment
to
demolish
the
former
Detroit
News
Warehouse
by late
2018 and
to
transfer
that
5-acre
waterfront
parcel
to the
city to
expand
Riverside
Park.
Today,
Detroit
Mayor
Mike
Duggan
and DIBC
Vice
Chairman
Matthew
Moroun
announced
that
demolition
of the
warehouse
is
already
underway
and
title to
the 5
acres
will be
turned
over to
Detroit
2 years
ahead of
schedule.
“For too
many
years,
Riverside
Park has
been a
neglected,
underused
park,”
Duggan
said.
“With
today’s
announcement,
Detroit
will
move
full
speed
ahead in
building
Riverside
Park
into the
city’s
premier
waterfront
park in
Southwest
Detroit.”
Duggan
indicated
the City
would
begin
construction
on the 5
acres
next
spring,
adding a
riverwalk
and
other
park
amenities.
City
officials
have
worked
closely
with the
Riverside
Park
Community
Advisory
Council
in
designing
the park
enhancements,
funded
by an
initial
payment
from the
DIBC of
$3
million.
Work on
several
projects
on the
balance
of the
27-acre
park
already
have
begun,
including
a new
basketball
court,
softball
diamond
and
soccer
field,
comfort
station,
playground,
and
pavilion.
The
Advisory
Council
working
on the
park’s
design
is
composed
of
southwest
Detroiters,
some of
whom
live
just
steps
from
Riverside
Park.
“This
has been
a very
community
driven
process
from the
very
beginning.
We are
thrilled
with the
plans
for
Riverside
and
excited
that our
park
will
expand
even
earlier
than
expected,”
said
David
Sanchez
of the
Riverside
Advisory
Council.
“Completing
commitments
to the
City of
Detroit
feels
good,
delivering
them
early
feels
even
better,”
Matt
Moroun,
Vice
Chairman
of the
DIBC,
said.
“We’re
going to
see a
beautiful
park
developed
on a
former
warehouse
site.”
Riverside
Park
Timeline:
Fall
2016
•Basketball
Court
•Softball
Diamond/Soccer
Field
•Comfort
Station
•Playground
•Pavilion
•Expected
Completion:
Spring/Summer
2017
Spring
2017
•Bike
Paths
•Walking
Paths
•Riverwalk
•Skate
Park
Dog
Park•Expected
Completion:
Spring/Summer
2018
The
contract
between
Detroit
and DIBC
had a
unique
requirement:
DIBC was
required
to
fulfill
its key
commitments
prior to
the City
transferring
3 acres
of
unused
property
under
the
bridge.
The
DIBC’s
commitments,
which
have now
been
fulfilled,
include
the
following:
•Install
more
than
1,000
windows
in the
Michigan
Central
Station
by
12/31/15
•Transfer
$3
million
to the
city for
Riverside
Park
improvements
•Demolish
and
clear
the
former
Detroit
News
Warehouse
and
transfer
4.7
acres to
City of
Detroit
to
expand
Riverside
Park by
11/30/18
NEXT
STEPS
The
transfer
to DIBC
of a
three
acre
parcel
under
the
bridge
requires
approval
from the
Michigan
Department
of
Natural
Resources
(MDNR).
The City
has
already
submitted
a
request
for
preliminary
approval
of the
land
swap to
the MDNR
and will
host a
public
hearing
on its
request
in
anticipation
of
seeking
formal
support
of the
Detroit
City
Council
for the
partial
conversion.
Upon
MDNR
approval,
DIBC
will pay
an
additional
$2
million
to the
City for
more
Riverside
Park
improvements.
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