Photo: Andrew Mullin ~ WJR
DETROIT, May 24, 2023 ~ Cyclers and pedestrians in Detroit just received another option for getting around the Motor City.
The Southwest Greenway, a new bicycle and pedestrian path, had its grand opening Wednesday in Corktown. This new thoroughfare is intended as part of the city’s Joe Louis Greenway project, which aims to connect communities through a network of greenways while providing equitable spaces filled with art, activities, and community programming.
When complete, the Joe Louis Greenway will stretch 27.5 miles through 23 Detroit neighborhoods and the cities of Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Highland Park. The project will cost about $240,000 to complete.
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May 24, 2023 ~ Detroit‘s new Southwest Greenway opened Wednesday. This half-mile recreational pathway will serve to connect the Detroit Riverfront with the Michigan Central Station campus and surrounding neighborhoods. The pathway is intended as a section of the larger Joe Louis Greenway, which when complete, will provide a 27.5-mile walking and bike thoroughfare that connects five Detroit council districts plus the cities of Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Highland Park.
(CONTINUED) The Southwest Greenway portion of the Joe Louis Greenway stretches from the Detroit Riverfront to Michigan Central Station.
Many city leaders were in attendance for the ceremony, including Joe Louis Greenway Partnership Executive Director Leona Medley, President and CEO of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy Mark Wallace, and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. The mayor said that the Southwest Greenway will be one of the most popular spots in the Joe Louis Greenway.
“The future of this city is going to be shaped by what is here,” Duggan said at the ceremony.
READ RELATED: “New Partnership Brings Shared Vision for Riverwalk and Greenway Completion“
As part of the ceremony, $70 million in new funding for the Unified Greenway Campaign was announced. The additional funding – which was provided by the Gilbert Family Foundation, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the William Davidson Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation – brings the total raised for both the riverfront and greenways to $229 million.
The goal to to complete and maintain both projects is $350 million, with $200 million marked for the Joe Louis Greenway, $50 million marked for the Detroit Riverfront, and another $100 million to be endowed for maintenance.
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May 24, 2023 ~ Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and other dignitaries dedicate the Southwest Greenway, a half-mile recreational pathway that is intended as a section of the larger Joe Louis Greenway. When complete, the Joe Louis Greenway will provide a 27.5-mile walking and bike thoroughfare that connects five Detroit council districts plus the cities of Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Highland Park. Photo: Andrew Mullin ~ WJR
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