The City of Detroit has reached an agreement with the State of Michigan to sell 36 city-owned parcels of land, underground assets and about five miles of city-owned streets as part of a series of landmark agreements totaling $48 million.
Detroit will use the funds for neighborhood redevelopment, job training, and health monitoring for Detroit residents.
Mayor Mike Duggan credited the Community Advisory Group (CAG) for developing initiatives that will help the Delray community and neighborhoods across the city.
The initiatives outlined in these agreements will ensure that Detroiters will be in a position to leverage the job opportunities both during the construction and operations phases of the project and will provide for the implementation of a health and emissions monitoring program for residents of Southwest Detroit.
“This kind of collaborative approach is how we are going to approach every major project that comes into our city,” said Mayor Duggan in a news release. “We were able to come up with a package that addresses the needs and concerns of the community in the area of the bridge and positions Detroiters to take advantage of the jobs that this once in a lifetime infrastructure project will create for years to come.”
He says they will continue to work closely with members of the CAG to ensure their voices are heard.
The multi-billion dollar Gordie Howe International Bridge project is expected to create thousands of jobs and provide highway-to-highway connectivity between 1-75 in Detroit and Highway 401 in Windsor.
Officials say the bridge and associated state-of-the-art Ports of Entry, once in service, will meet future traffic demands, facilitating the potential to create an internationally competitive logistics hub in Detroit.
“Mayor Duggan’s announcement today is the result of several years of successful collaboration between the state, the city, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority and numerous stakeholders, including community leaders,” said Gov. Rick Snyder.
“Everyone listened to one another, worked hard to understand concerns, and forged a partnership based on solutions. “
The Gordie Howe Community Advisory Group, a group made up of 15 Southwest Detroit community representatives, has been working since 2015 to ensure that the Gordie Howe International Bridge has a positive impact on the people of Southwest Detroit and creates economic opportunities for Detroiters.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has worked closely with the State of Michigan and Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority to find ways to address the community’s key concerns.
Among the key provisions of the agreements are:
$33M to be invested in a neighborhood improvement fund.
$10M job training initiative to prepare Detroit residents to fill both construction and operations jobs.
$2.4M invested in air and health monitoring in SW Detroit over the next 10 years.
$3M to Detroit Water & Sewerage Department and Public Lighting Authority for the purchase of assets in the project footprint.
