DETROIT (WXYZ) — A 120-acre former golf course in northwest Detroit is getting new life as a nature park with trails, while part of the property is slated for additional development.
The Rogell Golf Course along Berg Road and 7 Mile closed in 2013 and has sat vacant for years, becoming an overgrown eyesore in the community.
"That was the first time I ever golfed, and we used to golf there quite often. So it was always kind of the family golf course," said John George, co-founder of Detroit Blight Busters. "To see it go vacant, it was a little disturbing, to say the least."
After selling the property in the 2000s, the City of Detroit bought it back in 2018. Now, based on community feedback, 98 acres of the property are being transformed into a passive nature park with amenities like trails and boardwalks.
"Definitely will be a place where people can come outside and experience nature. What we know from studies is the benefits of being outside, the benefits of being in nature, green spaces," said Crystal Perkins, director of Detroit's General Services Department.
The plan has generated excitement among local groups who see it as part of a larger vision for the area.
"We see all the green space along the Rouge River, along the west side of Detroit as being an opportunity for an amazing greenway. So we've long supported Rogell being turned into a park with trails," said Todd Scott, executive director of Detroit Greenways Coalition.
While most of the property will become parkland, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation is working to develop the remaining 22 acres, mostly along 7 Mile.
George says Blight Busters has submitted a proposal for a $90 million investment at the site.
"We're proposing 300 units of affordable senior housing. We want to see some retail, possibly some single-family homes, really a new downtown if you will," George said.
The city hopes to have the park portion completed by this fall.
"They've been working since March, the teams working on this contract are very good. So we hope to have a completed project by the end of this year," Perkins said.
There's also a community space building on the property that will be weatherized, with full renovation planned if additional funding becomes available.
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