• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Development
  • Food+Drink
  • Things To Do
  • Doing Good
  • Lifestyle
  • Arts
  • History
  • Lists

Daily Detroit

What To Know And Where To Go In Southeast Michigan

Header Right

  • PODCAST
  • NEWSLETTER
  • SUPPORT
  • ARCHIVE
  • CONTACT
  • LISTEN ON:
  • APPLE PODCASTS
  • SPOTIFY
  • GOOGLE PODCASTS
  • STITCHER
  • Submit An Idea To Daily Detroit
  • Get Your Daily Detroit Newsletter
  • Listen To The Daily Detroit Podcast
  • Contact Us
  • LISTEN ON:
  • APPLE PODCASTS
  • SPOTIFY
  • GOOGLE PODCASTS
  • STITCHER

$50 Million Gift From The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Will Transform West Riverfront Park

You are here: Home / City Of Detroit / $50 Million Gift From The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Will Transform West Riverfront Park

Oct 17, 2018 by Jer Staes

Detroit’s riverfront just took another major step forward.

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation — in honor of what would be Ralph C. Wilson’s 100th birthday — is making a $50 million grant to redevelop West Riverfront Park.

Who gets what: $40 Million will go to the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy (a group that’s been on a roll as of late) and $10 million will go to the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan to seed an endowment to support the park.

A big step forward: We’re in the final phases of designing the park, according to press materials. The total park cost will be $55-60 million, so this doesn’t pay the whole freight but the Detroit RiverFront conservancy is adept at fundraising and has exceed their goals in the past. West Riverfront Park is now estimated to be completed in 2022.

West Riverfront Park will be renamed “Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park.”

A twin project in Buffalo: The overall gift is $200 million. $100 million to the Detroit area, and $100 million to Buffalo. Buffalo is getting a riverfront park, too. Additionally, there’s $50 million set aside to build and maintain a network of recreational trails in each city.

Just who was Ralph C. Wilson? He was the owner of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and a Metro Detroiter, living in St. Clair Shores. He died in 2014, and the $1.2 billion endowment in the Ralph C. Wilson foundation was made mostly from selling the Buffalo Bills after his death for $1.4 billion. He had a minority stake in the Detroit Lions at one point, too.

What will it look like? Here are some preliminary renderings.

Apple logoGoogle logoSpotify logoAmazon logoPocketcasts logoStitcher logoOvercast logoIheartradio logoRss logo
FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail

Filed Under: City Of Detroit, Development, Doing Good, Green, West Side Industrial

Be In The Know In About 20 Minutes A Day

“Thanks for your excellent coverage! Daily Detroit is part of my morning routine and as a lifelong metro area resident I appreciate your focus.”

– Jessica

Be like Jessica and keep up on the news, stories, and people that are pushing the Motor City forward on the Daily Detroit podcast. Free in your podcast app of choice:

Apple logoGoogle logoSpotify logoAmazon logoPocketcasts logoStitcher logoOvercast logoIheartradio logoRss logo
Previous Post: « Legendary Detroit Radio Host Mike Clark Has Died At Age 63
Next Post: Canadian-Based Bread Meats Bread Won’t Be Opening In Detroit Due To Visa Issues »

Primary Sidebar

Support the businesses & orgs that keep us on the air!

Fusion Marketing

Media funded by listeners serves our listeners. Become a member, get swag!

Support this podcast

PODCAST: Hate Has No Home Here; Pistons & Detroit City FC News w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: Previewing the new Portillo’s w/ Karen Dybis + Stories to know around town

PODCAST: Michigan’s Growing Cannabis Business; QLINE Leadership Change and More

PODCAST: Blake Griffin Benched; UM Hoops Success & More w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: Remembering Mary Wilson Of The Supremes

PODCAST: Jefferson East’s New Community HQ w/ Josh Elling

PODCAST: Michigan Central Restoration Update Plus 4 Things To Know In Metro Detroit

PODCAST: Restaurant Workers Can Get Vaccines In Detroit; Mama Shu Fights On; Lions, DCFC w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: How To Think About The Stonk Market w/ Professor X

PODCAST: Luminarias Brighten Southwest Detroit; How To Support Women Veterans

Get our newsletter covering what to know & where to go in Metro Detroit in your inbox!


Footer

Popular Topics

Belle Isle Brush Park Business Cars CBD City 5 City Of Detroit Corktown Crowdfunding Culture Development Doing Good Eastern Market East Riverfront Education Events Featured Ferndale Food + Drink Fun Green Hamtramck History Lifestyle Lists Macomb County Midtown New Center News Newsflash Oakland County Opinion Podcasts Policy Royal Oak Shopping Southwest Detroit Sports Staff Picks Tech Things To Do Transit University District Video Wayne County

On Social Media

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On InstagramVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On LinkedinCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Youtube
  • Submit An Idea To Daily Detroit
  • Get Your Daily Detroit Newsletter
  • Listen To The Daily Detroit Podcast
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 · Daily Detroit · 1420 Washington Blvd, Suite 301 · Detroit, MI 48226

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!