Rendering of the solar farm that will be located at the Van Dyke/Lynch site.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - On Thursday, residents from three Detroit neighborhoods got their first look at the solar array farms that will be coming to the city in the coming years, including renderings showing the vegetation that will be planted and fencing that will surround the sites.
Everything from the plant selection to the shape and style of the barriers was picked by members of the Van Dyke/Lynch, Gratiot/Findlay, and State Fair neighborhoods.
Community renewable energy has been met with protests of local control being stripped from townships and cities around Michigan. But in Detroit, the mayor framed their installation as a voluntary one that would not go forward without approval from every neighbor.
"We said to those neighborhoods, we are only going to build solar fields where every single homeowner in that area voluntarily agrees," said mayor Mike Duggan. "That we are not going to take any owner-occupied house through eminent domain."
The solar arrays will be built across 100 acres, of which 90% of the necessary parcels have been acquired by the city - however, more are expected to be built in the future.
Rendering of the State Fair solar array.
Any homeowners living within the selected boundaries were given money for 18 months of rent as they sought more permanent housing in Detroit. Most tenants have already moved, Duggan said.
Construction on the solar arrays is expected to begin in the first half of 2025.
Two of the solar arrays, in Gratiot Findlay and State Fair opted for vegetable gardens to be planted around the panels. Anyt food that's grown will be plugged back into the community.
On the Van Dyke/Lynch site, neighbors opted for a meadow.
Between the tree species and ground cover, neighbors hashed out what they wanted the arrays to look like over various meetings with city officials.
"It was our choice," said Donna Anthony, one of the community leaders.
A rendering of the Gratiot Findlay solar array site
What are Detroit's solar neighborhoods?
The city's goal of running all of its municipal buildings with renewable energy by 2034 requires building out power sources within Detroit's boundaries.
In order to do that, Detroit will use three solar arrays that can generate up to 33 megawatts of power. Once up and running, the arrays will power 127 city buildings.
The initiative has operated through the department of neighborhoods by engaging communities that had both enough space to build out the arrays, as well as willing residents capable of relocating.
For those that live in the neighborhoods, but not in the way of the arrays, they will be granted access to home improvement resources for house repairs. Those that do own in the area where the arrays are proposed were given money for rent as they find a new place to live.
The total cost of running the solar panels is about $5.5 million, of which $4.4 million will be offset by renewable energy savings.
Solar arrays come to 3 Detroit neighborhoods fighting blight and climate change
"The adjoining neighbors get $15,000 to $25,000 a house to upgrade their homes with new furnaces, new roofs, new windows," Duggan said.