Detroit preparing redevelopment plan for Brightmoor

[Airforceguy]

I hope this pans out, the city is focusing on urban agriculture for this area.
This area of Detroit is up next in the city's redevelopment plan

The framework plan typically incorporates six to 10 neighborhoods at a time. In Brightmoor's planning area, the city is focusing on developments for Eliza Howell, Castle Rouge, Schoolcraft Improvement Association, Westwood Park, Rosedale Park, Minock Park, Miller Grove, McNichols-Evergreen, Riverdale and South of Six. Combined the impact area has a population of 60,000. The areas are all connected to Rouge Park and are dealing with vacant land. There are around 1,000 total vacant structures and 832 non-parkland vacant acres in the planning study area. There are 519 properties slated for demolition under Proposal N, the city's $250 million bond-funded initiative to address 16,000 vacant homes. It's unknown how many have already been torn down, but officials say District 1 has not had the same amount of attention as other districts."There's an overall feeling that you're in one of the annexed areas of Detroit that's still in an urban area but within nature and I think that's the connecting piece for all of these neighborhoods," Walker said.
The goal is to work with the community and each city department to implement projects together. In the Livernois-McNichols area, residents advocated for a new park, streetscape, housing initiatives and demolitions during their framework plan.
In Brightmoor, the work starts from beneath the surface.
The Water and Sewerage Department has plans to implement green stormwater infrastructure to alleviate the burden on the city's combined sewage overflow system because the area is flood-prone.
After that, project manager Dominique Boyer said they want to focus on vacant land, how to make it beautiful and what to do with it in the future. From there, they'll pivot to issues surrounding housing, economic development and park connectivity.
The plan is still in the preliminary phases, and over the next 12 to 18 months, the city will hold a series of meetings with the entire community and small focus groups to determine what they're going to do over the next two to five years. The first meeting has not been scheduled yet but Boyer is aiming for mid-February.
"It will take that long in order to give love to Brightmoor and really elevate it to the place where the residents have already determined that their neighborhood deserves," said Boyer, who joined the city in March. "The first community meeting will really determine the trajectory of the planning study. The unique thing about this area is how involved the residents are and want it to be a hands-on process, and we are going to give them the opportunity to do that. We are really just here to help bring their vision to fruition."

For inspiration, Walker said, they are looking at New Orleans and Atlanta for greenway and stormwater initiatives, and Portland's 20-minute neighborhoods, which focus on walkable access to commercial services and amenities.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...n/69775230007/

[renf]

This impressive and important news. I never thought I would read
about major redevelopment efforts in Brightmoor.

[Danny]

Turn Brightmoor hood into Brightmoor Farms, great ideal. Old McDonald will be proud.

EIEI--O

[ABetterDetroit]

This is announcement is fascinating on so many different levels. Establishing a master plan to directly address one of the largest urban prairies in America with the resources that Detroit has at its disposal is challenging to say the least. There are no low hanging fruit in Brightmoor.

[softailrider]

From what i have heard it was always a tough neighborhood. Even in the 50's right after it was built.

[royce]

I lived in Rosedale Park for 21 years and Brightmoor was in bad shape in 1997. I don't know how you would attract people to the area because it is so far from residential development that people are desiring in downtown and Midtown. At one time I thought that the city should buy as much land as it could in Brightmoor and sell it to developers who would build housing that would appeal to residents of Rosedale Park who wanted a more modern home and still wanted to live in the area, instead of moving to the suburbs.

Another idea I had, although drastic, involved the city buying up land in Brightmoor and putting in a man-made lake that would be bordered by Burt Road to the East, Outer Drive to the North and West and Lyndon to the South. Developers would sell it as lakefront property.

One final suggestion to improve Brighmoor, and not necessarily to bring in new residents, involves the city creating more access points to Eliza Howell Park. Currently you can only enter the park from the North at Fenkell. Because the majority of residents who still reside in Brightmoor live just east of the park, it would be a good idea to create an access road for pedestrians and cars from the East at either Eaton Street or Lyndon Street. Also, an access street from Schoolcraft/I-96 would encourage people who live in the apartment complex at Schoolcraft and Virgil/Telegraph to visit the park more often. Well, that's my two cents.

[ABetterDetroit]

Just thinking about this redevelopment in Brightmoor and then a little driving around and I came to the simple conclusion that there has to be considerable commercial new construction of the necessary businesses that make a 20 minute neighborhood actually become a 20 minute neighborhood. Big contract. It would have to give a Ilitch, Gilbert type deal of abating all property taxes to entice a private developer in on it. Same with the residences. Hard to see it done any other way. If there are other ways… Lets hear them.
https://www.portlandonline.com/portl...288098&c=52256

[Zacha341]

Thank you for that link list of the 519 properties slated to be demolished.

I hope this pans out, the city is focusing on urban agriculture for this area. This area of Detroit is up next in the city's redevelopment plan...

[K-slice]

It's strange to lump so many neighborhoods into this project when they run the gamut of Rosedale Park's densely occupied blocks of homes that can sell for $200K+, to Brightmoor proper which is an urban prarie, to Castle Rouge, Eliza Howell, and Miller Park which are dense areas of inexpensive housing.

Each of these neighborhoods needs something different to attain their next step of success making a unified vision difficult.

Brightmoore needs the most attention but also has the most opportunity as it has the only viable commercial corridor in the area on Fenkell, and the most vacant land on which to make improvements. Focus on that.