Ambassador Bridge officials said the company has entered into a community agreement with the City of Detroit and the Hubbard Richard Residents Association that will expand the Ambassador Bridge Plaza and add properties to the neighborhood.
In the announcement that was sent out over the weekend, the Ambassador Bridge company said it will donate 10 properties it owns in and around the Hubbard Richard neighborhood and donate $20,000 per property to assist in redevelopment.
The company will also contribute property to the city so it can be incorporated into the Roberto Clemente Recreation Center, demolish the former Greyhound Building on Fort St. and donate a larger parcel to the neighborhood.
Finally, officials say they will construct a berm along 16th St. that buffers the neighborhood from industrial uses, and build a new 16th St. between West Lafayette and West Fort St.
As part of the agreement, the Hubbard Richard neighborhood associate agreed to the expansion of the Ambassador Bridge Plaza within agreed-upon areas and the design standards that will include aesthetics, buffering, lighting and relocation of utilities and sidewalks.
“The Ambassador Bridge’s commitment to restrict further property acquisition in our neighborhood is real progress toward repairing long-standing disputes between Hubbard Richard and the Ambassador Bridge," Sam Butler, the president of the Hubbard Richard Resident Association, said in a statement. "We hope this is the beginning of continued cooperation with the Ambassador Bridge to sustain our thriving residential neighborhood. With the City’s support, we are excited to work with partners to transform currently vacant land into affordable housing, greenspace, and other valuable assets for the neighborhood.”
"This most recent chapter of DIBC-Hubbard Richard relations can be a new beginning. For years, residents had an ask of DIBC and the City: come to the table, listen to our lived experiences, and negotiate with us – directly. After countless deliberations and late nights, what resulted was this community driven community benefits agreement with protections and assurances. It’s my hope that we build on this momentum and ensure that we put the voices and wellbeing of impacted residents front and center in all development moving forward," Council Member Santiago-Romero said in a statement.
