This week the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy announced that a New York based firm will get the nod to redesign the West Riverfront Park. The 22 acre park will be redeveloped as part of a $55M project according to MLive. 

Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates was the firm chosen as part of an international contest to choose the best design. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan welcomed the news, and reminded us that just ten years ago the Riverfront was lined with “parking lots and cement silos.” In a statement released just after the announcement, Mayor Duggan said “As Detroit's revitalization continues, one of our guiding principles has been that the riverfront is for everyone, and this design delivers on that promise.”

The site was once home to a printing press, and was privately owned for over a century. In 2007 the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy purchased the property from the Detroit Free Press and turned it into a park in 2014. The site provides a unique view of both the Windsor and Detroit skylines and is nestled between downtown and the Ambassador Bridge.