Latest news with #DowntownDetroitPartnership
CBS News
11-03-2025
- CBS News
Downtown Detroit Partnership seeks votes for Campus Martius Park in 10 Best Public Square poll
Campus Martius Park in Downtown Detroit has been nominated in USA Today's 10 Best Reader's Choice Award for the Best Public Square in the Country. The Downtown Detroit Partnership is encouraging Metro Detroiters to participate in the reader poll, citing the fact that Campus Martius won the number 1 spot for the past two years. Campus Martius Park hosts more than 4.5 million visitors annually with a schedule of events that includes the Detroit Tree Lighting, Movie Nights in the D, parties at The Beach and The Rink and its outdoor skating rink. Last year, the Downtown Detroit Partership opened Chalet 313, a two-story lounge and bar that provides views of the skating rink and Detroit's skyline. The site also was the main public venue for the 2024 NFL Draft. "Campus Martius Park is the heartbeat of the city, providing an incredible gathering place for residents and visitors year-round, and we encourage everyone to vote to help us keep this title in Detroit," David Cowan, chief public spaces officer for the Downtown Detroit Partnership, said in the announcement. The park was created in 2003 at the site considered to be Detroit's point of origin, where the vision for the city was originally laid out in 1805. Nominees for 10Best are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors come up with the final nominations and readers can vote online once per category, per day. For more information about Campus Martius Park, go to The video above previously aired on Dec. 14, 2024.
USA Today
29-01-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
Caps atop I-75 would be among 45 similar projects nationwide
Caps atop I-75 would be among 45 similar projects nationwide Show Caption Hide Caption The risks of road construction work Exploring the dangers faced by road construction workers, including traffic hazards and extreme weather conditions. A proposal to put a cap on Interstate 75 on the edge of downtown Detroit would be a dramatic remake for a key highway. Dozens of such projects dot the country, and metro Detroit has its own history with them, highlighted by three parks over I-696 in Oak Park and Southfield. A 2022 report to Congress on 'The Benefits of Highway Cap Parks' counted 45 existing highway cap parks in the United States, along with 15 proposed and in progress, providing amenities and better connecting key neighborhoods. The Downtown Detroit Partnership is leading the effort on what is currently proposed as three separate caps between Third Avenue and Brush Street, each spanning 600 to 800 feet, according to the group's latest posted feedback from the community. The I-75 project scored a $2 million planning grant in one of the final funding announcements from the U.S. Department of Transportation under the Biden administration, but the Trump administration's shift in priorities has added a dose of uncertainty to this project and others across the country. The I-75 project was among 81, including a similar cap proposed for I-496 in Lansing, that garnered $544 million in grant awards earlier this month, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. More: Officials strip affordable housing requirement for first District Detroit building More: Construction project to close parts of eastbound I-696 until 2027: What to know Trump injects uncertainty Despite questions about how the Trump administration will approach such projects, Eric Larson, CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, sounded optimistic that the money would find its way to the project. 'I fully expect the funding to remain in place and committed. We have no reason to believe otherwise,' Larson told the Free Press. President Trump's flurry of executive orders, however, has raised the prospect that funding for infrastructure projects nationwide might be at least paused. Politico reported last week that one of the orders 'could bring a wide range of infrastructure, transportation and energy projects to a halt.' The actual impact remains far from clear despite reporting by The Hill that the administration has narrowed its restrictions. This week, The Washington Post, citing an internal memo, also reported that the administration was 'ordering a pause to all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government,' adding another dose of uncertainty in Washington and elsewhere. The Free Press asked Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, who is a supporter of the I-75 proposal, if there's any danger that the project funding will not be disbursed and about the prospect for future federal funding for it and other projects. Peters, who announced his intent Tuesday not to run for another term in the Senate, said in an email that 'Detroit and communities across our state are counting on this funding to make desperately needed upgrades, whether it's to improve public safety or support local economic growth. I'm working to get more information about how this executive order will impact Michigan projects that are already underway and to make sure these funds continue to get distributed as intended.' The order also appears to jeopardize funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure slated for Detroit and the region, namely $15.2 million that the city and Southeast Michigan Council of Governments were awarded earlier this month. That followed a similar $23.4 million grant last year. Mayor Mike Duggan, at the Detroit Policy Conference last week, told reporters that the first round of funding came through, with contracts signed and fast chargers being built. 'The second round of funding was awarded, but we don't have a signed federal grant agreement, and so until we clarify it, but we're hearing from people all over the country, cities all over the country, that all kinds of awarded grants that don't have a signed agreement, mayors and governors are pausing on, until the administration sorts out exactly what they're doing,' Duggan said. Dallas' model freeway cap Federal funding is typically key to major infrastructure projects, and more of it would be expected to be in play should the Detroit caps move forward, but other efforts similar to what's proposed for Detroit have also relied on alternative sources to close what can be a substantial gap. Dallas' Klyde Warren Park is one of the examples that the proponents of capping I-75 have used for inspiration. The park of more than 5 acres, which is planning an expansion, sits atop the Woodall Rodgers Freeway and is described as the city's town square, connecting key neighborhoods and offering a range of programming and activities. 'The $112 million project was funded through a public-private partnership. Public support included $20 million in bond funds from the City of Dallas, $20 million in highway funds from the state and $16.7 million in federal stimulus funds. The balance of funding was provided by individual donors directly to the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation,' according to the park website, which noted that although the park itself is owned by the City of Dallas, it's operated and managed by the private Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation. The I-75 cap project had already been awarded almost $4 million in federal funding that's helped with the planning and outreach to date. The recently awarded grant would help advance the project through the planning stage so it could be 'shovel ready,' Larson said, noting the intent is to be strategic and leverage future funding cycles, which could mean not waiting for one big chunk of money to become available. 'We would expect that we would be ready to be applying for additional construction financing at the federal level with MDOT's support as we move into early 2026,' Larson said, referencing the Michigan Department of Transportation. The plan is to use this year to finalize design and engineering and think about potential uses for the space atop the caps, he said, pointing out that they could be completed in phases. Caps, notably, are not a new idea and have been under consideration for I-75 as far back as the initial planning for Little Caesars Arena, he said. This year's planning should get the project closer to a price tag. Larson said there's no specific amount at this point, but he acknowledged that the project would require significant funding. Looking ahead, Larson pointed to the level of interest and cooperation across government, the private sector and groups like the Kresge Foundation to support this kind of project, which he said isn't seen in a lot of communities. 'We continue to show up when we need to show up as a community,' he said. Dana Afana contributed to this report. Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@ Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at This story was updated to add a video.
