MACK AVENUE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT PLAN
(November 11, 2019; Detroit, MI) – In an unprecedented partnership, the cities of Detroit, Grosse Pointe, and Grosse Pointe Farms are set to kick-off the Mack Avenue Corridor Improvement Plan project. The project seeks to develop a commercial corridor plan for Mack Avenue, a County road, for the section between Cadieux Road and Moross Road.
The Mack Avenue Corridor Improvement Plan is a joint effort by the City of Detroit, Grosse Pointe, andGrosse Pointe Farms. It is the first known joint planning effort for a border street shared by Detroit and any of its suburban neighbors.
In the fall of 2019, the City of Grosse Pointe, on behalf of and with the support of all three cities, received a joint community planning grant from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) to prepare a corridor improvement plan for Mack Avenue between Cadieux and Moross Roads. In addition to the SEMCOG grant funding, the project from Cadiuex to Moross has secured a Smart Growth grant from the National Association of Realtors.
Municipal leaders are working with Wayne County and the Eastside Community Network, which had already completed a Mack Avenue corridor plan from Conner Street to Cadieux Road in conjunction with the City of Detroit and the City of Grosse Pointe Park. The previous phase of the Mack Avenue Corridor Improvement Plan was funded by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. The goal is to build upon and extend the results of the study to create a seamless redevelopment effort on Mack Avenue from Conner to Moross.
The sponsors of the plan are committed to engaging the local business community and residents in this planning initiative through a series of public workshops. The first workshop will be held at St. Philomena’s Catholic Parish at 4281 Marseilles St, Detroit, MI 48224 on Tuesday November 19, 2019 at 7:00pm. Doors will open at 6:30 pm for refreshments. Special guest, former Detroit Mayor and Michigan SupremeCourt Justice Dennis Archer, will kick off this landmark project with a keynote address. It is a public meeting for all interested parties, but particularly the businesses, organizations and residents on or near Mack Avenue.
Three additional public workshops will be scheduled over the course of the next six months. The sponsors of this study look forward to engaging the business community and residents to help prioritize the future actions for the Mack Avenue Corridor.
The Mack Avenue Corridor Improvement Plan is intended to create a shared vision for Mack Avenue between Cadieux and Moross Roads and lay out a prioritized list of actions. The strategies involve identifying appropriate land uses, design elements including signage, pedestrian improvements, greening the corridor, and marketing potential redevelopment sites -- all in an effort to strengthen business, governmental and non-profit connections for a more coordinated approach to business development along Mack Avenue.