The City of Detroit today announced an agreement with the State of Michigan to sell 36 city-owned parcels of land, underground assets, and approximately five miles of city streets for a total of $48 million to make way for the planned Gordie Howe International Bridge. The city 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 communities and neighborhoods across the city. The initiatives outlined in the agreements will ensure that Detroiters will be able to leverage job opportunities both during the construction and operations phases of the multi-billion-dollar bridge project.
Under the agreements, $33 million will be invested in a neighborhood improvement fund, $10 million allocated to a job training initiative to prepare residents for construction and operations jobs, $2.4 million in air and health monitoring over the next 10 years, and $3 million to the Detroit Water and Sewage Department for the purchase of assets in the project footprint.
“This kind of collaborative approach is how we are going to approach every major project that comes into our city,” says Duggan. “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. We will continue to work closely with members of the CAG to ensure their voices are heard.”
The project will create thousands of jobs and provide highway-to-highway connectivity between I-75 in Detroit and Highway 401 in Windsor. Once in service, the bridge and associated Ports of Entry will meet future traffic demands and foster the potential for an internationally competitive logistics hub in Detroit.
The CAG consists of 15 southwest Detroit community representatives and has been working since 2015 to ensure the bridge has a positive impact and creates economic opportunities for residents. Construction on the bridge, which has been delayed, is now scheduled to begin in 2018.
