Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander. She is a lawyer, an educator, former prosecutor, State Representative and Senator. She was the first woman to lead a Senate caucus. But the most important title she boasts is MOM. Inspired by her family, she’s devoted her life to building a stronger Michigan for everyone.
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March 21, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2024
Contact: MichiganInfrastructure@michigan.gov
City of Detroit Wins $2 Million Federal Investment to Reconnect Downtown to Surrounding Neighborhoods
Funding will allow Downtown Detroit Partnership to study feasibility of constructing a lid on the portion of I-75 bisecting downtown Detroit
LANSING, Mich.— The Michigan Infrastructure Office (MIO) today announced that Downtown Detroit Partnership has received a $2 million grant from the Biden Administration to conduct community engagement and mobility analysis to support the development of a lid on I-75 bisecting downtown Detroit. The funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program presents a generational opportunity to reconnect downtown to surrounding neighborhoods by removing barriers and reducing burdens.
"This investment could knit downtown Detroit and Midtown back together, providing a pedestrian-oriented connector traversing I-75,” said Zachary Kolodin, chief infrastructure officer and director of the MIO. “We appreciate President Biden and Michigan’s congressional delegation for their support for planning and engineering to make this project a reality.”
Constructing a lid over a freeway creates a concrete shelf constructed directly over the road that is capable of supporting parks, housing, office buildings and even local city streets. Lidded freeways have the potential to reconnect neighborhoods and offer much-needed open space.
“I want to congratulate the Downtown Detroit Partnership on their success in winning this vital federal grant,” said Michigan Department of Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich. “We are eager to support their efforts to explore this innovative idea to bring greater connectivity to District Detroit and the broader community.”
The project will also include a new Detroit Center for Innovation (DCI), anchored by a world-class estimated $350 million, 200,000-square-foot academic research and education center operated by the University of Michigan (U-M). The DCI will include a technology incubator, housing, and green space, while providing a critical skills pathway for students from the Detroit Public Schools Community District and beyond. The new U-M academic building is made possible through a $100 million investment by the State of Michigan, a matching gift of funds by Stephen Ross of The Related Companies, and a donation of land by the Ilitch Family.
“This funding through the RCN program will help the Downtown Detroit Partnership work collaboratively with the City of Detroit and MDOT to think holistically about the Downtown neighborhood and how best to support an even stronger Central Core,” said Downtown Detroit Partnership CEO Eric Larson. “There’s a unique opportunity for Detroit to transform its transportation system in a way that positions the city for a stronger, more connected community for decades to come through this project.”
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the RCP discretionary grant program with $1 billion in funding over five years from 2022-2026. The purpose of the RCP Program is to reconnect communities by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating transportation facilities, like highways or rail lines, that create barriers to community connectivity, mobility, access, or economic development. The program funds planning and capital construction to address infrastructure barriers, reconnect communities and improve quality of life.
Since Governor Whitmer took office, Michigan has fixed more than 20,000 lane miles of road and 1,400 bridges, supporting more than 100,000 jobs. The governor recently called on the Michigan Department of Transportation to authorize an additional $700 million to complete the final stages of the Rebuilding Michigan Program. To date, the program has managed 45 projects and supported more than 45,000 jobs.
For more information about MIO, please visit www.michigan.gov/whitmer/issues/michigan-infrastructure-office.
ABOUT THE MICHIGAN INFRASTRUCTURE OFFICE
The Michigan Infrastructure Office (MIO) is responsible for organizing and executing Governor Whitmer’s vision for infrastructure, coordinating across state government, marshaling resources, and partnering with local officials, federal partners, and outside stakeholders to ensure resources sent to Michigan through BIL, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), are used efficiently and effectively.
Author:
Michigan Infrastructure Office