New Veterans' Center Faces Opposition from Residents' Group

The Woodbridge Citizen Districts Council has come out against a new veterans' center in the neighborhood. In a letter to the city planning commission, the council expressed concerns about the proposed 41,200-square-foot structure, saying the development won't "appropriately complement our neighborhood." The group also opposes the building's single-story, pentagon-shaped design, calling it "too suburban." A particularly tone-deaf statement in the letter invokes dog-walking and skiing as concerns, too: "This development would further curtail what many Woodbridge residents use as a dog-walking path and ski trail."

The Michigan Veterans Foundation would run a soup kitchen and offer services for homeless vets in the center, in addition to myriad other programs. The move became necessary when the foundation sold its old facility to make way for the Detroit Red Wings' new arena. If constructed, the center would serve 1600 veterans. The site for the proposed center is a triangular vacant lot bounded by Rosa Parks, Grand River and Forest.

The architects behind the plans, Ann Arbor's Hobbs + Black, also designed Detroit's newly-opened Outdoor Adventure Center. Detroit City Council will hold a public hearing about the project Thursday (Nov 19) at 11:10am on the 13th floor of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center.

·Veterans Presentation [Michigan Veterans Foundation]
·Planned veterans center faces opposition in Woodbridge [Detroit News]
·Snuggle Up to New Red Wings Arena with $2.3 Million Lot [Curbed Detroit]
·After Years of Development, Outdoor Adventure Center Opens [Curbed Detroit]