Detroit Riverwalk unveils 3.5-mile expansion, connecting downtown to Belle Isle
Aerial footage of the newly-expanded Detroit Riverwalk.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A day 20 years in the making unfolded this weekend along the Detroit River as city officials and residents took the inaugural walk along the newly unveiled Riverwalk.
Build along the former Uniroyal site, the newly-paved walking path stretches from Mt. Elliott Park to Belle Isle. It offers foot and bike access from downtown to several other attractions along the Detroit Riverwalk.
The 3.5-mile expansion took years to build and even longer to fundraise for.
"This is a good day to celebrate. A 3.5-mile testament to what we can do when we find common purpose and bring that together for civic good," said Wendy Jackson of the Kresge Foundation.
The Kresge Foundation was among several groups that donated millions of dollars to the Riverwalk. Their efforts led to the removal of blight from an old industrial tire manufacturing plant that were leftover after its closure in 1980.
It remained vacant and an eyesore for locals for decades. But over the weekend, city officials were on site for a ribbon cutting and to stroll the newly refurbished path.
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The Detroit Riverwalk will one day connect to a much larger network of walking and bike paths that stretch throughout Detroit, going through Hamtramck and Highland Park. Dubbed the Joe Louis Greenway, it will stretch 27 miles.
The Riverwalk spans all the way to Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park, then east through Hart Plaza, the Renaissance Center, the Riverwalk Garden, Milliken State Park, the Dequindre Cut, the Aretha Franklin Amphitheater, and Mt. Elliott Park. The latest inclusion now offers a path onto Belle Isle.