DTE Energy broke ground on their new 1.5 acre public park that is scheduled to be completed in 2017. The purpose of the park is to energize the western edge of downtown Detroit. It will be a spot for residents, employees and visitors to eat, play and enjoy entertainment.
"We see this as an opportunity to create connectivity in an area of the city that has 'lived on an island' for decades. Our vision and promise is to transform this piece of land into a magnificent public green space that will benefit the city and its people for generations to come," said Gerry Anderson, DTE Energy chairman and CEO, in a news release. "This park will serve as a catalyst for future development, and builds upon our strong roots in the community. For more than a century, DTE has been an integral piece of Detroit's history and we see this as a continuation of our efforts to be a force for growth and prosperity in the city's revitalization."
The park will have a restaurant open year-round along with walking paths, areas to sit, roll-in stage for performances, space for outdoor programmed activities, places for food trucks, and parking for your bike.
The restaurant in the park will have three moveable walls and will offer:
- A free-flowing design for the bar and eating areas that can hold up to 75 guests
- A 735 square-foot roof deck for a panoramic view of the city, able to hold nearly 50 people
- A sustainable, green roof space that is designed to conserve and collect runoff water to re-purpose it for other trees, grass and plants
- A theatrical, upward cantilever roof that extends over the sidewalk for unique flair and to pay homage to Detroit's historic structures
"For all of the construction and redevelopment we are seeing in greater downtown, providing access to green space is just as important to our city's growth," said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. "Thank you to DTE for building this incredible new multi-use park that will help to link downtown with the arena district and bring us another step closer to having a world-class walk-able city."
