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The
Detroit
Riverfront
Conservancy
announced
the
grand
opening
dates
Thursday,
marking
the
culmination
of a
three-year
construction
project
that
began in
summer
2022.
The
22-acre
park
represents
one of
the most
significant
additions
to
Detroit's
riverfront
in
decades. |
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Detroit
Unveils
Transformational
Ralph C.
Wilson
Jr.
Centennial
Park on
Riverfront
$80
Million
Green
Space
Opens to
Public
After
Seven
Years of
Planning
Jean
Davis -
Local/State
Tell Us
Detroit
News
DETROIT
- The
Detroit
Riverfront
Conservancy
officially
opened
the
Ralph C.
Wilson
Jr.
Centennial
Park to
the
public
on
Saturday,
October
25,
following
three
years of
construction
and
seven
years of
planning.
The
grand
opening
celebration,
featuring
Detroit
Harvest
Fest,
offered
two days
of free
all-ages
entertainment
with
live
music,
food
trucks,
and fall
activities
across
the new
22-acre
public
space.
The $80
million
project,
designed
by New
York-based
Michael
Van
Valkenburgh
Associates,
spans 22
acres of
green
space
along
Detroit's
acclaimed
RiverWalk.
Van
Valkenburgh
Associates,
known
for
designing
Brooklyn
Bridge
Park and
other
signature
parks
nationwide,
created
four
distinct
zones to
inspire
play,
wellness,
and
connection
to the
Detroit
River.
The
Delta
Dental
Play
Garden
covers
five
acres
and
features
multiple
slides,
including
larger-than-life
sculptures
such as
a
26-foot-tall
otter, a
14-foot
beaver,
and a
20-foot
Berenstain
Bear
created
by
Denmark's
Monstrum
Design
Studio.
The
Huron-Clinton
Metroparks
Water
Garden
spans
2.5
acres
and
represents
the
first
Huron-Clinton
Metroparks
location
within
Detroit
city
limits.
A weir
system
pumps
freshwater
from the
Detroit
River
into the
Water
Garden,
providing
visitors
with
rare
direct
access
to touch
and
interact
with the
river
water.
The
William
Davidson
Sport
House,
an
open-air
pavilion,
features
two full
basketball
courts
bearing
the
Detroit
Pistons
logo,
offering
year-round
recreational
opportunities.
The park
also
includes
beautifully
landscaped,
tree-lined
paths
perfect
for
walking,
relaxing,
and
reflection,
with
nearly
100
yards of
dedicated
fishing
space
along
the
Detroit
River
shoreline.
The new
park
fills a
crucial
gap
along
the
waterfront,
allowing
visitors
to now
travel 5
miles
along
the
Detroit
River
from
Belle
Isle to
the Joe
Louis
Arena
site
thanks
to a new
boardwalk
connection.
The park
represents
a major
step
toward
the
conservancy's
goal of
developing
5.5
miles of
revitalized
waterfront
along
the
Detroit
riverfront.
The
park's
development
included
extensive
community
engagement.
A
21-member
Community
Advisory
Team,
selected
from
approximately
100
applicants,
visited
14 parks
across
Philadelphia,
Chicago,
and New
York
City to
identify
design
elements
they
wanted
incorporated.
The
Ralph C.
Wilson
Jr.
Foundation
committed
$40
million
for
construction
and $10
million
for
long-term
sustainability
support
as part
of a
$200
million
investment
in parks
and
trails
across
Southeastern
Michigan
and
Western
New
York.
The gift
honors
the
Foundation's
namesake,
Ralph C.
Wilson
Jr., on
the
100th
anniversary
of his
birth
and
celebrates
his
legacy
in the
communities
he
loved.
Mary
Wilson,
Ralph
Wilson's
widow,
toured
the
completed
park and
called
it a
special
gift to
the city
her
husband
called
home,
noting
the
dramatic
transformation
from
flat
dirt to
a
natural
oasis.
The site
was once
a
railyard
managed
by the
Michigan
Central
Railroad
and
later
served
as a
Detroit
Free
Press
printing
facility
before
being
purchased
by the
conservancy
in 2007.
Conservancy
chairman
Matt
Cullen
predicted
Wilson
Centennial
will
become
"the
most
iconic
park in
the
United
States,"
emphasizing
its
potential
to
change
how
residents
feel
about
their
city and
community.
The park
is open
daily
from 6
a.m. to
10 p.m.
and
welcomes
leashed
dogs. It
is
located
at 1801
W.
Jefferson
between
8th
Street
and Rosa
Parks
Boulevard.
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