New $400,000 Esplanade In Downtown Detroit Opens To The Public Friday

Detroit’s getting a new walkway and green space thanks to a $400,000 investment from Quicken Loans.

It’s called an esplanade, defined basically as a walkway that either is in the median of a boulevard or near the seashore.

There will be public art installations, pedestrian walkways, food trucks, comfortable seating and furniture, play cubes, plantings, and live entertainment. The meadow-themed walkway design is anchored by a series of 12 foot tall lit archways that lead to the new QLINE station. It also will be in the line of sight for the mini-studio WXYZ TV-7 has in the Qube on Woodward.

The northbound turnaround on Woodward Avenue, nearest Campus Martius Park, will close to allow for increased walkability and space for additional attractions such as parking for food trucks.

The ongoing maintenance will be handled by the Downtown Detroit Partnership, and ongoing funding will be provided by the downtown Business Improvement District (BIZ). That’s an assessment paid by commercial properties in the core of downtown Detroit to pay for improvements, maintenance and other services over and above what the city of Detroit provides.

We stopped by today to see some of the last minute preparations.