WTH? Riverside Park to be closed off again?

[jon]

the contamination at the site probably goes back a long ways. here's a 1876 map showing the gassification plant right in the path of the yet to be built ambassador bridge. What is now riverside park starts at 24th street [[lower left corner) and jefferson [[then Woodbridge St)

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/micounty...image&size=400

The map would indicate that what is now riverside park was once the river and was probably filled in to make room for the gasworks when the bridge went up [[late 1920s) if not sooner.

It wouldn't be unreasonable to suspect that the fill used for the base of the park was drawn largely from the excavation of the old gas works as they dug the footing for the giant support pier of the bridge.

[Wesley Mouch]

Don't underestimate Matty.