Help decide the new design for the West Riverfront

A few weeks ago, the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy announced a design competition to reimagine the West Riverfront. The public is invited to help the DRFC decide who moves forward in the competition.

The DRFC recently received a $345,000 grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to go toward this design competition, with the intent to reimagine the 22-acre site along the Riverfront between Rosa Parks Boulevard and Eighth Street.

Eight design teams have been selected to present at public meetings August 8 and 9. The meetings will be held at the Wayne County Community College Downtown campus on Fort Street. Those who are planning on attending are encouraged to register here.

The schedule and design teams are:

August 8

• Alday-Jover Architecture with Burohappold, Made Studio LLC, and Borderless (9:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m.)
• EDSA/Mia Lehrer + Associates with Langan, C74, and WSP (10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m)
• Gustafson Guthrie Nichol with Arup, Guy Nordenson Associates, Conversation Design Forum, Rossetti, Building Community Value, Saloniere, and Mannik Smith Group (1:15 p.m-2:30 p.m)
• Hood Design with DS+R, Richter, Arup, Fluidity, West 8, Ken Greenberg, Lotus Water, and Altus (3:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m)

August 9

• James Corner Field Operations with Structure nArchitects, Giffels Webster, Sherwood Design Engineers, Akt Peerless, HR&A, Park Advocacy Planning & Stewardship, ETM Associates, CMS Cost Management Services, Eaustell Associates, Detroit Collaborative Design Center, and Mickey Fearn (9:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m.)
• Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates with Utile, Limnotech, Mobility in Chain (MIC), PEA, and NTH Consultants (10:45 a.m.-12:00p.m)
• Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architects with Edwin Chan/EC3 Architecture, Lord Cultural Resources, Sherwood Design Engineers, Silman Engineers, ETM Associates, Craul Land Scientists, Irrigation Consulting, Lumens Lighting, and Faithful + Gould (1:15 p.m-2:30 p.m)
• W Architecture and Landscape Architecture with HR&A, Giffels Webster, Community Development Advocates of Detroit, Quinn Evans Architects, McEwen Studio, and Gardiner & Theobald (3:00 p.m-4:15 p.m)

So what comes next? The four semifinalists will receive a $30,000 stipend to develop and complete design concepts. A public exhibition of the completed plans will be held on November 14 and 15. The Conservancy will announce the winning concept in late November.