Connecting the Dequindre Cut Greenway to the Detroit RiverWalk

The Economic Development Corporation (EDC) of the City of Detroit and the Michigan Department of Resources (MDNR) announced today that construction will begin this summer on two greenways that will connect the Dequindre Cut Greenway to the Detroit RiverWalk, just east of downtown Detroit.

The EDC approved a construction contract for what is known as the Dequindre Trail Extension, an 800-foot extension of the Dequindre Cut Greenway, to be located south from Woodbridge to Atwater Street. The Trail will have the same amenities as the EDC-constructed Dequindre Greenway – a paved path for bicycles and pedestrians, with landscaping, lighting and security features – but it will be at street level. Construction is expected to begin July 2009 and be completed by the end of 2009.

The MDNR expects to approve a contract in July 2009 for a link between the Dequindre greenways and the RiverWalk segment located on the Lowland Park Parcel – a part of Tricentennial State Park & Harbor.

The Lowland Bike Trail and RiverWalk extension through the park provides a paved path for pedestrians and bicycles from Atwater south to the recently completed Rivard Plaza on the Detroit River. The trails will be lighted and landscaped, and will feature the same amenities and character of the Lowland Park parcel. The Lowland Park parcel is substantially complete, but will not be open to the public until the landscape matures and the Bike Trail is completed, expected to be in October 2009. 

"Thousands of people are already enjoying the Dequindre Cut Greenway, and these two projects will make the area even more attractive, as they connect several miles of continuous public greenway in the heart of an urban center," said Will Tamminga, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation project manager. "It is a key part of the transformation of the East Riverfront District, and it could not have been done without the great cooperation between the EDC, the City of Detroit, the State of Michigan, the Community Foundation of SE Michigan, and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy."

"The new phase of the park will focus on education on wetlands and how they work to clean the environment, the plants and animals native to Detroit, as well as just getting out and enjoying the outdoors for all the beauty and recreation it provides," said Kristen Bennett, Michigan Department of Natural Resources project manager.

Detroit Economic Growth Corporation is a nonprofit organization that works with businesses, government and other organizations throughout Detroit to encourage and manage economic development projects. Its professionals act as staff for several public authorities, including the Economic Development Corporation, the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and the Downtown Development Authority.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resource's Parks and Recreation Division operates 100 State Parks, Recreation Areas, Scenic Sites and Linear Trails. Tricentennial State Park & Harbor is located in the City of Detroit in the East Riverfront District. It is the first urban state park the MDNR has developed, and it encompasses over 31 acres -- featuring a variety of Michigan's habitats and landscapes. The emphasis of the Park is on creating an introduction to Michigan's State Parks, interpreting natural resources, connecting Detroit's riverfront parks and neighborhoods, providing recreational opportunities for residents and visitors, and introducing the local community to opportunities in conservation careers in natural resources and parks management.