Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan laid out a bold plan for a bright future in the city.
The mayor and gubernatorial candidate in the 2026 race held his final State of the City address at the Hudson Tower on March 25, 2025.
Previous coverage: Detroit’s past, present, future take center stage in Duggan’s final State of the City address
After reflecting on the progress of the city, the mayor was also looking ahead to the future of the Motor City.
AB Ford Park
Duggan said the neglected AB Ford Park is being rebuilt and is expected to reopen in the fall of 2025.
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Industrial land west of Renaissance Center
Duggan said the abandoned industrial land just west of the Renaissance Center is currently being transformed into Ralph Wilson Park. It’s expected to open in the fall of 2025.
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In progress
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Uniroyal site adjacent to Belle Isle
Duggan said the Uniroyal site was demolished and abandoned for 40 years. He said there was a plan by a company to build luxury condos, but the company never pulled though. The city canceled the contract with the company and is turning the land into a recreation site—an outdoor complex for flag football, soccer and lacrosse.
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Renaissance Center improvement plans
Duggan talked about how the city plans to use the Renaissance Center in the future.
Developer Dan Gilbert and Bedrock proposed that since the RenCen is sort of separated from the downtown area, there needs to be some sort of attraction to keep people there. Duggan said there are plans to include a new .25-mile park, creating a “Navy Pier” family and entertainment destination.
Duggan said that in order to make the plans at the Renaissance Center a reality, the city needs the Lansing legislation to raise the cap on Transformational Brownfields and offer the discounts the city will offer on the new taxes generated when the development occurs.
