Port Authority leverages brownfield dollars for Detroit jobs, investment

With the receipt of a $800,000 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority has provided critical pre-development environmental assessment activities for numerous Detroit projects. Over the last four years, their work has helped to leverage of $384,412,500 in private investment and the creation of 395 jobs.

John Kerr, DWCPA's director of economic development and grants management, says the receipt of the EPA grant has enabled his agency to do more than "traditional" port projects by moving "off the waterfront."

The Port Authority is able to assist developers with phase one and two environmental assessments and brownfield environmental assessments. Projects they have aided include:

• @water Lofts, which will create 480 new residential units on the East Riverfront over two phases;
• for Southwest Solutions, the restoration of the Lithuanian Hall in Mexicantown (pictured) and a new building for homeless veterans on Piquette in New Center that will include 24 residential units and associated transitional services;
• Nailah Commons, 35 units of affordable housing in the Art Center; and
• the Corktown-Mexicantown Greenlink, a series of bike and pedestrian paths that will link the two neighborhoods to each other and to the West Riverfront.
  

DWCPA is able to coordinate their services with those from the city's Office of Environmental Affairs as well as with Wayne County. "It's one-stop shopping for brownfield services," Kerr says.

Although DWCPA is willing and able to work with for-profit developers, they have great interest in working with community development corporations, for which Kerr has the highest respect. "These non-profits are very sophisticated development agencies that often know much more about their community."

Source: John Kerr, DWCPA
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh