Detroit opens Uniroyal Promenade, completes 3.5-mile Riverwalk [kind of]

This is great that the Uniroyal section is now open. It is correct that the East Riverfront portion of the Riverside promenade is complete, but the western side is nowhere near complete, and the section of riverfront west of the under-construction Ralph C. Wilson Park is still being used for industry and piles of aggregate.

Quote:

---

Detroit's downtown now features a bridge-to-bridge Riverwalk following its latest expansion.Detroit's Riverwalk expanded an additional half mile east Saturday morning, passing through the former Uniroyal site. The new Uniroyal Promenade completes the 3.5 mile-long Riverwalk and provides access to Belle Isle.
The event opened at Mt. Elliott Park with speeches from officials and a ribbon cutting ceremony. Representatives of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and its partners, along with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, recognized the hard work put into this project over the years.

---

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...n/71270055007/

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by masterblaster

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...n/71270055007/



This is great that the Uniroyal section is now open. It is correct that the East Riverfront portion of the Riverside promenade is complete, but the western side is nowhere near complete, and the section of riverfront west of the under-construction Ralph C. Wilson Park is still being used for industry and piles of aggregate.

---

Funds are probably being rerouted to some other purpose being that it's not earmarked for tge development. It's amazing that the Riverwalk behind the Riverfront Towers is still fenced off after 3 years of being completed. Whomever owns that fence blocking it is probably making a living off the renting of the fence. Let's wait for the date of completion of Ralph Wilson Park to be pushed back. Ford renovated Roosevelt Park within a year. Riverfront Conservancy takes 3 years just to complete one section. Too many hands are in the cookie jar

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Funds are probably being rerouted to some other purpose being that it's not earmarked for tge development. It's amazing that the Riverwalk behind the Riverfront Towers is still fenced off after 3 years of being completed. Whomever owns that fence blocking it is probably making a living off the renting of the fence. Let's wait for the date of completion of Ralph Wilson Park to be pushed back. Ford renovated Roosevelt Park within a year. Riverfront Conservancy takes 3 years just to complete one section. Too many hands are in the cookie jar

---

Ooooooo another conspiracy theory.

It is fenced off because it doesn't lead to anywhere yet. You would have three hundred feet of walking then would have to turn right around because there is no outlet.

Ralph C. Wilson Park is a massive undertaking that involves a lot more than putting grass down. They are completely reworking the sea wall and are putting up buildings designed by a world class architect. Securing funding and construction of such an endeavor takes a lot of time.

Ford had nothing to do with Roosevelt Park. That was done by the city and only after receiving Covid funds. For years there was talk of redoing the park but until funding was made available and after progress made on the train station it was only then that they moved forward. The park is incredibly simple from a design and construction standpoint as well and offers none of the hurdles that parts of the Riverwalk present.

The Riverfront Conservancy has extended the Dequindre Cut, built several spots along it for concerts and concessions, done the Southwest Greenway and recently completed an overhaul of the hill at Milliken State Park. None of these things fit the narrative of wasteful spending and untoward behavior by those involved though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by southen

Ooooooo another conspiracy theory.

It is fenced off because it doesn't lead to anywhere yet. You would have three hundred feet of walking then would have to turn right around because there is no outlet.

Ralph C. Wilson Park is a massive undertaking that involves a lot more than putting grass down. They are completely reworking the sea wall and are putting up buildings designed by a world class architect. Securing funding and construction of such an endeavor takes a lot of time.

Ford had nothing to do with Roosevelt Park. That was done by the city and only after receiving Covid funds. For years there was talk of redoing the park but until funding was made available and after progress made on the train station it was only then that they moved forward. The park is incredibly simple from a design and construction standpoint as well and offers none of the hurdles that parts of the Riverwalk present.

The Riverfront Conservancy has extended the Dequindre Cut, built several spots along it for concerts and concessions, done the Southwest Greenway and recently completed an overhaul of the hill at Milliken State Park. None of these things fit the narrative of wasteful spending and untoward behavior by those involved though.

---

There you go again. Messing up a good story with facts.

The "Bridge to Bridge" claim is pretty disingenuous. The piles of aggregate need to go and that space opened up for development. Not a good for an industrial area to abut both of the gorgeous new west riverfront parks.

Even on the east side though, something needs to be done Ze Mound and Robert Valade Park, where the Riverwalk just becomes Atwater Street.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 401don

There you go again. Messing up a good story with facts.

---

There could be a temporary outlet that could lead to W Jefferson not too far from the towers. You do know that concrete that not walked on such as unused sidewalks have tendency to Crack with splendors of grass or weed growing through them. The announcement of the development of the Ralph C Wilson Park was in 2020 to be open in 2023 and later 2024. The only movement in that site it the construction of a structure with scaffolding surrounding it. Is it going to be enclosed instead of tge original open air design?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stasu1213

There could be a temporary outlet that could lead to W Jefferson not too far from the towers. You do know that concrete that not walked on such as unused sidewalks have tendency to Crack with splendors of grass or weed growing through them. The announcement of the development of the Ralph C Wilson Park was in 2020 to be open in 2023 and later 2024. The only movement in that site it the construction of a structure with scaffolding surrounding it. Is it going to be enclosed instead of tge original open air design?

---

You can go to that site and literally see that they’re moving earth for the cove, hill and paths. Why comment with certainty if you don’t actually have a clue?

The scaffolding is to pour a heavy and complex concrete roof. Nothing has changed with the design. Just like Hudson’s, understanding in progress construction isn’t a strength of yours.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by southen

You can go to that site and literally see that they’re moving earth for the cove, hill and paths. Why comment with certainty if you don’t actually have a clue?

The scaffolding is to pour a heavy and complex concrete roof. Nothing has changed with the design. Just like Hudson’s, understanding in progress construction isn’t a strength of yours.

---

It is. I think that tge Hudson's site is coming along great.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by K-slice

Even on the east side though, something needs to be done Ze Mound and Robert Valade Park, where the Riverwalk just becomes Atwater Street.

---

Hard agree here. I don't know how we can say the East Riverwalk is truly complete when 2k feet/4 blocks is just a regular street sidewalk, and you can't even see the river for a good chunk of that.

They need to actually link the paths so that they run alongside the river, same as everywhere else. I understand the detours around a marina or the Coast Guard center, but I don't see why a boardwalk can't go behind the amphitheater for instance. That whole stretch is still a pretty obvious gap to me.

A nice photo by digidave1 found on Reddit {click photo twice to enlarge}:

https://i.redd.it/20yqmtzfl8wb1.jpg

I like the perspective and the sunset.

Streetview from a year ago.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimaz

A nice photo by digidave1 found on Reddit {click photo twice to enlarge}:

I like the perspective and the sunset.

Streetview from a year ago.

---

Anyone know why they went with a crushed concrete/boulder seawall here? What are the advantages or disadvantages compared to the seawll farther down that is a steel barrier?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JonWylie

Anyone know why they went with a crushed concrete/boulder seawall here? What are the advantages or disadvantages compared to the seawll farther down that is a steel barrier?

---

The crushed stone is called riprap and it's better for marine life because it provides a spawning habitat.

It also absorbes wave action instead of just reflecting waves [[like a seawall).

Generally speaking it has no disadvantages except that you can't dock a boat up against it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gratiotfaced

Hard agree here. I don't know how we can say the East Riverwalk is truly complete when 2k feet/4 blocks is just a regular street sidewalk, and you can't even see the river for a good chunk of that.

They need to actually link the paths so that they run alongside the river, same as everywhere else. I understand the detours around a marina or the Coast Guard center, but I don't see why a boardwalk can't go behind the amphitheater for instance. That whole stretch is still a pretty obvious gap to me.

---

There's a boardwalk behind the River Towers. It will probably be more of a challenge building a boardwalk behind the Amphitheater at Chene Park being that it will have to protrude further into the water and construction will have to take place during Chene Park's off season when there's no venues occurring there

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by K-slice

The "Bridge to Bridge" claim is pretty disingenuous. The piles of aggregate need to go and that space opened up for development. Not a good for an industrial area to abut both of the gorgeous new west riverfront parks.

Even on the east side though, something needs to be done Ze Mound and Robert Valade Park, where the Riverwalk just becomes Atwater Street.

---

The Riverwalk is continuous around Robert Valade Park, see this Google Maps link. The Riverwalk goes down a continuation of Chene Street south of Atwater Street to the water's edge, turns 90 degrees, and follows the waterfront through the park to 'River Pl Dr'.

It was closed this morning

The Riverfront Conservancy had posted on their website and instragram page the the Uniroyal site of the Riverwalk will only be open from dawn to dusk until further notice. Interesting

Where do you see that on their website; I can't find it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stasu1213

The Riverfront Conservancy had posted on their website and instragram page the the Uniroyal site of the Riverwalk will only be open from dawn to dusk until further notice. Interesting

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jcole

Where do you see that on their website; I can't find it.

---

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy1mfkqg...RlODBiNWFlZA==