City staff brief council on $1.2M CAD community benefits agreement to connect Joe Louis Greenway to Gordie Howe bridge

Detroit City Council advanced a resolution to accept a community benefits agreement (CBA) valued at C$1.2 million (approximately US$841,000 as noted by staff) that would fund a shared-use bike and pedestrian pathway connecting the Joe Louis Greenway to the Gordie Howe International Bridge pathways and a trailhead at Clark Park.

Alex Weatherup, assistant director in the Department of General Services, told the committee the project would run along the northern service drive of I-75 between Junction and Clark and would create a shared bike-and-pedestrian route that links the bridge approach to existing nonmotorized routes. “Ultimately, connecting the new bridge to the Joe Louis Greenway,” Weatherup said. He said community engagement in September 2023 prompted a route change from Fort Street north of the interstate to better connect Clark Park with the neighborhood.

Council members asked for more specifics on length, streetscape elements and renderings. Weatherup said he did not have exact distances or full renderings in the meeting but agreed to provide site plans and renderings to council members before formal session. The CFO’s office memo referenced benches, trash receptacles and wayfinding as likely streetscape amenities; Weatherup said he would share those details prior to formal consideration.

The committee moved the item (listed in the record as an agreement with B and A Constructors Canada GP) to formal session with a recommendation to approve. Council members requested that the administration supply renderings, a site plan and additional detail on streetscape features before the formal vote so members could assess impacts on pedestrian connectivity and neighborhood access.