Since 2012 HRWC has inspired and advocated for a clean-up and redevelopment of the MichCon DTE Broadway site in Ann Arbor. In partnership with the Riverup! Hunt team, HRWC has been leading efforts to get the site completely cleaned up, restored, and revitalized for public use. This week, DTE announced that it just took a big step towards this vision.
DTE’s initial clean-up, which was done four years ago, hauled away contaminated sediment and began restoration of the site. With the City’s new transit station in the works, the site was one of the options for the new station. Further clean-up and redevelopment was put on hold until this decision was made. The city’s recent decision to place the transit station on Fuller Road has given DTE the direction it needed for moving forward with restoring and revitalizing the site.
DTE just announced that it is working closely with the Roxbury Development group, which is expected to purchase the land and develop it . The development plan includes condominiums, a small hotel, shops, and a dining establishment. Additionally, there will be a large park, a connection to the B2B trail, and public use along the riverfront. DTE and Roxbury are in discussions with the MDEQ on a clean-up plan that was submitted this past spring.
HRWC has been anticipating this news since we started RiverUp!, the public + private partnership to revitalize the Huron River for its communities. This is one of our top properties for clean-up and redevelopment along Ann Arbor’s riverfront; we are excited and ready to help move this along! We will continue to advocate for a thorough clean-up of the site, restoration of the streambank, and revitalization, including a restaurant on the river.
This redevelopment has the potential to fundamentally change the way downtown Ann Arbor connects to the river by making them more accessible to each other. Combined with the City of Ann Arbor’s Depot Street stormwater relief and pedestrian underpass project, this project will activate the 14-acre site through improved walking and biking access, economic development, and a vibrant park supporting recreation and arts programming.