$136M east Detroit River living, retail project underway

DETROIT (WJBK) - Soon Detroit will be home to a $136 million mixed-use project that will merge not just living but leisure into the plans. 

"People are excited about it and happy to have boutiques and to have hotels that people that people from out of town and other countries can come and enjoy but we have to offer and know that we have something to be proud of," said Carol Pierson.

Pierson drives alongside the now-vacant fenced in lot and sees a vibrant place that will grow out of a field of dreams.  

City Growth Partners is creating a development that won't just be housing.  It will include 30,000 square feet of retail, a 130-room boutique hotel and 360 apartments. Construction begins in 2020 and is expected to be available by 2022.

"Every neighborhood should have their own economy, every neighborhood should have a grocery store, every neighborhood should have a bank, etc. That's something that the East Riverfront hasn't had. So now for the first time you will be able to go home, put your stuff down, walk downstairs, go grocery shopping which should hopefully come on Jefferson with a Meijer. Now you can also go grab coffee, grab dinner, go to the bar, walk along the riverfront. To me, this entire area is going to be about health and wellness and you'll be able to have that right here," said Moddie Turay with City Growth Partners.

The idea is to have coffee shops, bars, and shopping close to the riverfront so people living in the East Riverfront area don't have to go anywhere else while attracting out of towners to think about staying here when they drop in. 

"You have a landing space for the entire riverfront, where you can walk from one end to the other and actually come here and sit down and enjoy the landscape -- something you haven't been able to do," Turay said.