A $15 million urban-agriculture project announced Monday is expected to transform 22 blocks of blighted land on Detroit’s lower east side into a massive swath of greenhouses and hoop houses.

The project’s 60-acre footprint — south of Interstate 94, along Chene Street to Forest Avenue — includes 35 acres of vacant land the city wants to lease to RecoveryPark, a nonprofit whose mission is to help ex-offenders and recovering addicts find employment.

Mayor Mike Duggan said the project will transform lives by putting vacant land to use and employing ex-offenders. It will employ up to 128 people within three years with 60 percent to be Detroit residents.

The project, to be operated by RecoveryPark Farms, a for-profit entity, must be approved by the Detroit City Council, which is expected to consider the issue next week.

“One of the questions that we are facing as a city is, what do we do with the vacant land that’s left behind,” Duggan said. “Today is an example of what I hope becomes the basis for the development of this land.”

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...pace/74631038/
Sounds like an excellent project. Urban ag has been going on in this city for something, but we haven't seen anything like this in terms a lot of being able to employ significant numbers of people.