The Project

Protecting and preserving the natural environment, creating inviting spaces for people to recreate and enjoy the health benefits of open green space, and fostering a sense of community stewardship to care for these assets are all important for the Upper Detroit Riverfront Habitat and Parks Restoration Plan. Learn about each below. 

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Project 1:  Restore Detroit Riverfront Habitat

The goal of the Upper Detroit Riverfront Project is to address the loss of fish and wildlife habitat in the Detroit River Area of Concern (AOC) by restoring upland habitat in Riverfront-Lakewood East Park, and aquatic and shoreline habitat in-and-along A.B. Ford Park, Mariners Park, and Riverfront-Lakewood East Park. 

The broad objective of this project is to work with community and other partners to evaluate and design for bid approximately 1 mile of Detroit River and canal/creek shoreline, and restore approximately 30 acres of upland and shoreline habitat.

The outcomes that will result from this project include:

Improve approximately 1,000 linear feet of existing shoreline along the Detroit River, and restore the shoreline with native wetland edge and fish spawning shelves.

Improve approximately 2000 linear feet of canal shoreline, and 800 linear feet of shoreline along the Fox Creek to create or enhance fish and herpetological habitat. 

Establish or enhance native vegetation within the 28 acres of Riverfront-Lakewood East Park for birds, mammals, and pollinator species.

If feasible, create approximately 7 acres of wetlands and shallow and deep water habitat.

Assess acquisition of 5.5 acre parcel adjoining Mariners Park.

Project 2: Improve Upper Detroit Riverfront Parks 

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The City of Detroit General Services and Detroit Recreation Departments' 2017 Parks and Recreation Improvement Plan will guide investment and improvement strategies for the next 10 years.

For almost a decade, Detroit Parks and Recreation’s budget has been reduced signifcantly which impacted their ability to improve our parks and recreation facilities for residents. 

With the resurgence of Detroit, departmental leadership and the City’s better financial health, the City Parks and Recreation Department is re-engaged to focus on improving small neighborhood parks. For that reason, in 2016 the City has committed an investment of almost $12 million in Detroit’s neighborhood parks. This comes after a nearly two-year planning process focused on prioritizing parks in every corner of the city where residents but especially youth and seniors live. The 2017 Parks and Recreation Improvement Plan is motivated by the goal of creating quality public space that is accessible to all Detroiters and can help to improve Detroit’s efforts to become a more sustainable, healthy, and economically robust city.

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The Upper Detroit Riverfront parks are just three of seventy-nine of Detroit’s parks that have not been improved in the past ten years or that need additional investment because of their size or specifc use. 

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Through this community engagement process, potential opportunities for park improvements will be determined, and the upgrades to facilities and amenities will be initiated as funding allows. 

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