ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ann Arbor is a place for a lot of outdoor recreation, but on the city’s north side, there are seven acres of land that have been just sitting there for decades.
While there are many ideas on what you can do with the land that is along the Huron River, the non-profit Lower Town Riverfront Conservancy has decided to rebrand and revamp the acreage as Broadway Park West.
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This public space is set to open in early 2024 and will be accessible all year round. Broadway Park West is part of a larger redevelopment plan and will be the first public space in the city to be developed and operated by a non-profit conservancy.
The seven acres have been turned over to the Lower Town Riverfront Conservancy, and the non-profit will clean up the area to residential standards. According to Stacy Fox of Lower Town Riverfront Conservancy, there will be three points of access to the Huron River. The park will also have trails, an ice rink and an indoor pavilion that can seat up to 300 people.
“This project is incredibly important for Ann Arbor,” said Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor. “Ensuring that this riverfront property is available for the public to enjoy in perpetuity was a major factor in why Council approved this project so overwhelmingly. We appreciate DTE for their foresight and openness throughout this process. The public-private partnership between the conservancy, the city and the developers meets so many of our objectives as we all work to determine the best future for this critical site.”
Below is a map of the 14-acre redevelopment project that this Ann Arbor public space is part of. After the seven acres of Broadway Park West are redeveloped, the next phase will begin. The next phase includes 100 for sale residences, a boutique hotel and approximately 20,000 square feet of neighborhood retail. The next phase is expected to break ground in early 2024.
“The Lower Town Riverfront Conservancy is extremely grateful for the strong support it has received both from the State of Michigan and our private donors toward the development of this long-awaited public space and trail project for the Ann Arbor community,” said Marie Klopf, president of the Lower Town Riverfront Conservancy. “When we finish construction of the public space next year, it will not only transform over seven acres of blighted and historically industrial land into a world-class public space but will serve as a model in our city for how public, private and philanthropic sectors can collaborate to achieve community goals.”