New grant funds Joe Louis Greenway and Iron Belle connections
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A map of the Joe Louis Greenway, showing what areas are under construction, complete, funded but not yet built and not yet funded. Screenshot: Courtesy of the city of Detroit
A new federal grant will help the city link the Joe Louis Greenway to the state-traversing Iron Belle Trail.
Why it matters: The $20.7 million infrastructure grant will help bring the long-awaited 27.5-mile city greenway closer to completion.
- The funds will be used to construct two paths within a connected network of 2,000 miles from the Upper Peninsula to Belle Isle, serving both the city's greenway and the state's Iron Belle Trail.
State of play: Officials announced Monday that the federal funds will be allocated for road and pathway construction on Woodmere Street on the city's west side and Dequindre Street, just north of the Dequindre Cut.
- The Dequindre work includes shifting the curb, removing one of the road's lanes and installing safety measures at the intersection with Mack Avenue.
Catch up quick: The Joe Louis Greenway Partnership is a nonprofit formed to raise money for the citywide loop, operate it long term and engage with communities along it.
- The city is constructing the greenway, expected to be complete in five to 10 years, depending on funding.
- When the nonprofit was announced, its financing needs included a $100 million or more endowment.
Between the lines: Partnership executive director Leona Medley, whose role was announced just over a year ago, said her first year has focused on establishing the nonprofit's identity and goals.
- "We're figuring out, 'How do we want to work with community to program and activate the various different spaces?'" Medley said.
- The nonprofit raised $900,000 in 2023 and is determining its fundraising goal for 2024.
What they're saying: "When I saw the Joe Louis Greenway, the first installment happening [on the west side] … I thought it was a mistake, because I'd just never seen anything happening like that in our neighborhood," Lance Woods, co-founder of running group We Run 313, said during the event.
- "Ever since that first installment, I've been tracking the progress of this 27.5-mile loop," he said. "Our people really need to see us living an active and healthy lifestyle … Running through our neighborhoods is very important."