Nonprofit outlines Highland Park trailhead plan, cites $1.3 million in secured funding

Leona, a representative of the Jodie Lewis Greenway Partnership, outlined plans to site a Highland Park trailhead and public space along the Woodward corridor, saying the partnership has secured about $1,300,000 from the Knight Foundation and is pursuing additional federal-directed and philanthropic funds.

The presentation, delivered at a Highland Park city workshop, described a consultant-led feasibility process that evaluated four candidate corners along Woodward and identified two preferred locations: a privately owned parcel at 20 Bartlett and a publicly owned parcel that contains the former high‑school site. "We felt that it would be a best use of our resources ... to go with a site that was publicly owned," Leona said, adding that the partnership wants the public space to remain in public ownership while the nonprofit would support fundraising and development.

The partnership told the workshop it conducted an RFP and hired a consulting team (OHM) to evaluate feasibility using criteria that included public ownership, contamination and remediation status, property value and sale price, and existing conditions. Leona said the team reviewed EGLE documents and that remediation documented for the front turnaround area of the former high‑school parcel "had already been done," meaning the project would likely not require additional remediation for that small front section.

Council members and attendees asked whether the Greenway would raise nearby property values; the clerk asked directly, "Will the property values go up because of the Greenway?" Leona replied that the partnership had not completed a property-value assessment and that the nonprofit focuses on programming and activation, but she said she would be "interested in exploring that with the city of Highland Park and surrounding property values." The presentation therefore does not include an appraisal of property‑value impacts.

Leona described preliminary design elements and scale: roughly 40 parking spaces, walking paths, greenery and the possibility of a pavilion if additional funds can be raised. She said the project team preferred a publicly owned site to avoid acquiring private property and to keep the space permanently public; the two candidate sites named were the 20 Bartlett parcel and the former high‑school site adjacent to the Joe Louis Greenway.

The partnership said it has applied for congressionally directed dollars and is pursuing other philanthropy in addition to the Knight Foundation funds already secured. Leona said the team will share renderings and additional documents at a future workshop and can provide remediation records and related due‑diligence documents upon request.

The workshop ended without a decision to select a site; Leona said the team will return with updated renderings and further information. The clerk adjourned the workshop at 6:36 p.m.