Transforming 35+ acres.

Today, much of the site is made up of parking lots and underused properties.

The plan will turn the 35+ development site acres into:

A destination for entertainment, dining, shopping and regional attractions.
A new gathering place for Detroit residents and visitors.
A series of welcoming public spaces that reconnect people to the riverfront.

The vision features over 3,400 parking spaces, with a highly walkable, mixed-use environment with family-friendly, accessible commercial and cultural destinations.

Visit the East Riverfront Community Hub at 521 Atwater Street, Detroit MI 48226 or take the survey and tell us what you'd like to see on the east riverfront.

Take the Survey

A rendering concept of the reimagined Detroit east riverfront development with no colored buildings.

Please click or tap on a color (above) or category to learn more.

From industry to everyday access.

The east riverfront has long been shaped by industry, rail yards and warehouses that limited everyday Detroiters’ access to one of the city’s greatest natural assets: the Detroit River. As the working waterfront quieted and large sites sat vacant or underused, this historic district emerged as a powerful opportunity to reconnect neighborhoods to the water and reclaim the shoreline as shared public space for the community.

Along the Detroit River, early French settlers laid out long, narrow “ribbon farms” stretching inland from the water, giving each landowner prized but private river access from the early 1700’s through the 1800’s. Photo credit: Detroit Historical Society

As Detroit industrialized, many of these riverfront parcels converted to factories, warehouses, rail lines and docks, locking up the shoreline for shipping and production instead of public recreation. Photo credit: Detroit Historical Society

By the mid-20th century, the downtown riverfront was a patchwork of aging industrial uses, parking lots and elevated roadways, reflecting decades of disinvestment and auto-oriented planning. Photo credit: Detroit Historical Society

In 1971, civic leaders led by Henry Ford II launched the Detroit Renaissance initiative, introducing plans for the Renaissance Center as a bold, privately funded anchor for downtown’s revival. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, Detroit’s riverfront remained dominated by industrial remnants, corporate campuses and vacant land, even as population loss and economic decline continued. Photo credit: Detroit Historical Society

General Motors’ 1996 acquisition of the Renaissance Center marked a defining chapter in Detroit’s ongoing evolution, positioning GM not just as an owner, but as a catalyst for the city’s resurgence. Photo credit: General Motors

In the 2000’s, city planners, nonprofits and private partners began to reimagine Detroit’s riverfront as a continuous public realm rather than a series of disconnected, underutilized parcels. Early efforts focused on stitching together key spaces like Cullen Plaza and the Renaissance Center’s riverfront plaza — introducing gathering areas, public programming and improved access that invited people back to the water’s edge. Photo credit: General Motors

Founded in 2003, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy set out to open 5.5 miles of shoreline from the Ambassador Bridge to just past the Belle Isle bridge, transforming an unwelcoming industrial wasteland into a continuous RiverWalk with parks and public spaces. Photo credit: Detroit Riverfront Conservancy

Working alongside the City of Detroit, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, foundations, private developers and community groups, the Conservancy has helped attract over a billion dollars in investment and millions of annual visitors, transforming the riverfront into an everyday gathering place for Detroiters while laying the groundwork for its next chapter of growth. Photo credit: Detroit Riverfront Conservancy

What great waterfronts can teach us.

Across the country, waterfront neighborhoods have been transformed into everyday places where people live, play and gather. Waterfront districts in cities nationwide show how once‑industrial shorelines can become vibrant community assets with parks, promenades and mixed‑use neighborhoods, where bold design, year‑round programming and human‑scale experiences create welcoming spaces for everyone. Together, these examples underscore the potential for Detroit’s east riverfront to evolve into a vibrant neighborhood and shared front yard for the city.