Some Southwest leaders contend second bridge is bad for the community

Is a second bridge to Canada necessary? Some Southwest Detroiters and organizations believe it will do more harm than good.

Excerpt:

While government officials have worked to promote and fast-track the DRIC bridge, misleading area residents along the way, they have ignored studies that show the project is not needed and disregarded our primary concern that this project, if built, will destroy the Southwest Detroit neighborhood of Delray.

Throughout the DRIC planning process, government officials deliberately failed to seriously consider alternative locations for landing the DRIC. Alternative locations upstream were quickly dismissed once wealthy, politically active residents organized against the development in their community. Lacking the same political clout, the largely minority, low-income community of Delray is now slated for demolition.

Specifically, the DRIC will force the destruction of over 250 homes, five churches and several community parks and historic properties. The area’s already-struggling economic base will shrink with the relocation of 43 businesses and hundreds of jobs. And the air quality will deteriorate, which is bad news for those in the shadow of the proposed DRIC bridge, including the students and staff at Southwest High School.

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