I-75 Cap Park in Downtown Detroit

[Airforceguy]

I found this nugget of info on the Senator Gary Peters website. An appropriations request for $1.8 million for a project called the I-75 Overbuild Project. If this is built, it certainly would help better connect Downtown and Midtown.

This funding will support the planning and community engagement phase of Detroit’s I-75 Overbuild Project which proposes placing a nearly 5 acre cover over I-75 near Cass Corridor that will connect the community to downtown

​https://www.peters.senate.gov/servic...lated-agencies

[southen]

I found this nugget of info on the Senator Gary Peters website. An appropriations request for $1.8 million for a project called the I-75 Overbuild Project. If this is built, it certainly would help better connect Downtown and Midtown.





​https://www.peters.senate.gov/servic...lated-agencies

Yay more taxpayer dollars for District Detroit!

[Lowell]

Yay more taxpayer dollars for District Detroit!

Yeah but think of all the new parking they could offer. /sarcasm

This idea has popped across the years and I am a fan it. What I don't like is, as you note, almost the entire benefit would go to the Ilitch Empire who owns most of the property on both sides.

[kuuma]

tbh the city/state should be looking at a lot of places for highway caps, since we're so intent on keeping most of the highways in place. This cap should be Grand River to Brush, not just the little strip immediately in Illitch's turf. Then we should fully cap the Lodge south of Michigan and between Grand & Holden, then cap 75 along Corktown. idec how much it costs, it'll come back in quality of life.

[Gistok]

I'm not against capping. Just you have to have certain routes available for trucks carrying flammable materials to get thru the city. But with I-94 open all the way, and I-96 as well... it could provide alternative routes for capping I-75 near the city center, as well as the Lodge Fwy.

Currently flammable payloads are not allowed on the canyon portion of the Lodge between Wyoming and 8 Mile. And I'm sure that there are other sections of freeway that don't allow trucks carrying flammables.

[401don]

While capping is certainly desirable, it makes a lot more economic sense when there is demand for the land that's capped because development has occurred everywhere around it and you will be increasing the tax base. Detroit still has tons of undeveloped land.

[hybridy]

While capping is certainly desirable, it makes a lot more economic sense when there is demand for the land that's capped because development has occurred everywhere around it and you will be increasing the tax base. Detroit still has tons of undeveloped land.

It's a taxpayer grab to create green space adjacent to freeway facing lots that ilitch and ross want to develop and lease while showing off this 'great amenity'.

[Gistok]

This link... my computer says "noooo".

[hybridy]

This link... my computer says "noooo".

link fixed PS - I see the Ponte Vecchio has been eliminato!

[K-slice]

Far too limited in scope.

[Lowell]

How about his deal for the obvious beneficiaries Ilitch / Ross? You build it and maintain it. You will own the land created and pay only a small tax on it. You and anyone you may sell it to must maintain an escrow fund to pay for its uncapping should it be abandoned [<- we've learned this lesson].

[hybridy]

How about his deal for the obvious beneficiaries Ilitch / Ross? You build it and maintain it. You will own the land created and pay only a small tax on it. You and anyone you may sell it to must maintain an escrow fund to pay for its uncapping should it be abandoned [<- we've learned this lesson].

PS- it cost $300k annual to knock down icicles forming on the underside come winter/spring FYI

[Gistok]

PS- it cost $300k annual to knock down icicles forming on the underside come winter/spring FYI

Like the 3 "Jewish Sabbath" overpasses on I-696 near Greenfield. I've seen some mighty ice stalagtites hanging from those bridges!

I see what you mean by the "Ponte Vecchio"... none of the capping overpass plans shows any small retailers along the bridged west side of Woodward.

You really can't plant any substantial trees on the capped portions of the overpass from Woodward to Cass.

[southen]

You really can't plant any substantial trees on the capped portions of the overpass from Woodward to Cass.

Ope I guess it will just have to be parking then.

[kuuma]

i could see the service drives each losing a lane or two and surrounding a meadow space with a perimeter of trees. honestly they could probably close one side of the SD all together.

but again, this plan needs to go way beyond just Woodward to Clifford if they hope to convince people this isn't just a cherry on top for Illitch real estate values.

[Atticus]

If this cap ever materializes, they need to get rid of the NB I-75 onramp between Woodward and Clifford. As long as that ramp exists, Park Street will always be cut off at the service drive, preventing the direct pedestrian flows to/from LCA from Park St south of I-75.

They are adding a new NB I-75 onramp from the service drive near Brush St [[with the 375 project). To me, that would be an even trade. Remove the Clifford onramp, replace with Brush onramp. And then FINALLY restore Park St to be continuous between LCA and Grand Circus Park.

[Al Publican]

Will this permit I-75 that runs north of downtown to remain open? Is there a map showing I-375 section that is planned to be closed.
[[I resided in the The Pavillion in Lafayette Park in the 1980s.)

[Al Publican]

Flammable liquid not permitted in tunnels. I cannot remember how much overhead on roads constitutes a tunnel prohibition.
[[former inspector with DFD fire marshal division.)

[Burnsie]

You really can't plant any substantial trees on the capped portions of the overpass from Woodward to Cass.

I have no idea what the depth of the cap would be on I-75, but the 696 parks have some good sized trees now. The easternmost one did have a bunch cut down sometime between 2012 and 2018, but the middle one [[Rothstein Park) still has a lot of bigger ones.

[Gistok]

I have no idea what the depth of the cap would be on I-75, but the 696 parks have some good sized trees now. The easternmost one did have a bunch cut down sometime between 2012 and 2018, but the middle one [[Rothstein Park) still has a lot of bigger ones.

Yeah, they can probably plant trees there that even when they get relatively large, still have shallow roots.

[expatriate]

I would like to see I-696 capped as it goes by the Zoo. The traffic noise is horrendous.

[dtowncitylover]

I would like to see I-696 capped as it goes by the Zoo. The traffic noise is horrendous.

The 696/Woodward Interchange could be really well urbanized and better connect Royal Oak and Ferndale if this region had any vision whatsoever. But it doesn't, so no.

[Gistok]

The 696/Woodward Interchange could be really well urbanized and better connect Royal Oak and Ferndale if this region had any vision whatsoever. But it doesn't, so no.

Yes... it reminds me of the Campus Martius area before [Judge Woodward's original] Campus Martius Park was re-inserted into the malfunction junction that used to be just "a random meeting of main thoroughfares" that pedestrians avoided with their lives.

[Burnsie]

The 696/Woodward Interchange could be really well urbanized and better connect Royal Oak and Ferndale if this region had any vision whatsoever. But it doesn't, so no.

MDOT would have to approve of, design and build any changes since it controls both roads. Would be interesting to know how much, if any local input MDOT solicited before redoing Woodward in that overblown express/local lane setup in the '80s.

[expatriate]

There are some good size trees above the underground parking at Grand Circus Park and the beautiful rooftop garden atop San Francisco's Transbay Terminal show that it can be done.