The most ambitious neighborhood project in the city is taking place in the Fitzgerald neighborhood near the University of Detroit Mercy. Led by Century Partners and the Platform, the Fitzgerald Revitalization Project originally called for the renovation of over 100 homes when it was first announced in 2017, but only 13 were expected to be done by the end of summer 2019.

It hasn’t all been as slow as expected, as the greenway, park, meadows, and home boarding and demos have been hitting their target marks.

In other neighborhood news, nearby on the Avenue of Fashion, redevelopment of the old B. Siegel department store should be completed soon, adding more retail and residential space. Streetscaping projects on Livernois and McNichols have gotten underway (but also negatively affected some businesses). Marygrove College announced it would be closing, though the campus will still be used as a “cradle-to-career” educational facility.

In 2017, the city sold land in Delray to the state of Michigan for bridge development. More than 450 Detroit families have been impacted by the upcoming construction and many have chosen to leave. The Delray neighborhood is all but gone at this point, though residents there are still continued to push and eventually got a package of community benefits.

The bridge, named after Canadian-born, Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe, will be 1.6 miles long and cost an estimated $5.7 billion. The international crossing will also have bike and pedestrian lanes.

Construction on the American side officially broke ground in July 2018 and is expected to be completed by 2024.

The Motown Museum announced all the way back in 2016 that it would be embarking on a $50 million expansion, turning the Hitsville U.S.A. home where Motown began into a 50,000 square foot complex with interactive exhibits, a new theater, recording studios, and expanded meeting and retail space.

The museum has spent the last three years fundraising. It’s gotten support from a number of foundations, and most recently, Berry Gordy himself donated $4 million. In September, it broke ground on the first phase of construction—the renovation of three homes facing West Grand Boulevard is expected to be completed in summer 2020.

Announced in March 2019, The Mid will be the biggest development in Detroit north of Mack Avenue since the 1920s. Initial plans call for a 25-story, 228-room hotel with luxury condos making up the top nine floors; a 30-story mixed-use, multi-family development with 250 apartments and first-floor retail; and a 12-story building with “co-living” spaces.

The $377 million project is slated to be completed by the end of 2020. After receiving $58 million in tax incentives and negotiating a community benefits agreement, the project is expected to break ground soon.

For years, Brush Park was an afterthought. But today, historic mansions are being restored, property prices are rising, and hundreds of residences are being built. Bedrock has ramped up work on City Modern, which will add 400 new residential units—including apartments, condos, and townhouses—to vacant lots. The first residents have already moved in. Much of the work is expected to be completed in 2020.

One large development to look for in the next few years is the Brewster-Douglass site, which will bring over 900 new residences to the neighborhood. HUD recently approved sale of the site to Bedrock for $23 million.Smaller condo developments have also been popping up in the neighborhood as well.

Vacant for nearly two decades, the new Hudson’s will total approximately 1,000,000 square feet (not including underground parking for 700 cars), with 330 residential units and 240,000 square feet of office space at a cost of over $900 million.

Bedrock broke ground on the site in December 2017 and is still building the foundation. The latest update, however, was not terribly encouraging: The tower will no longer be the tallest in the state, there won’t be an observation deck, and the estimated completion date was pushed back to 2023.

In October 2019, a monumental partnership was announced between billionaire real estate moguls Dan Gilbert and Stephen Ross. They’ll be working with the University of Michigan to build a campus focusing on high-tech research and education. The center is expected to cost around $300 million with construction beginning in 2021.

Ross has also teased that this could be part of a much bigger campus project stretching downtown that includes a business incubator, residential units, hotel, conference center, and more.

The 32-mile non-motorized pathway through the city has been in the works for years. Named the Joe Louis Greenway, it will run from the East Riverfront, up through Hamtramck, over to Highland Park and the University District, down to Southwest Detroit. Designers SmithGroup are expected to finalize the framework plan in early 2020.

Bike culture has picked up in Detroit over the past few years, and this will give people more ways to safely get around the city.

The East Riverfront is already a popular destination in Detroit, but numerous projects will make it more accessible and attractive to visitors. Expect redevelopment of vacant warehouses and land, increased residential and retail, streetscaping along Jefferson Avenue, a new greenway, an urban beach, and the Riverwalk extending to Belle Isle.

A major redevelopment will take place at the West Riverfront Park as well. This plot of land in the west side industrial area will be transformed with trees, playscapes, sports courts, trails, and a beach in the coming years. In October last year, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation donated $50 million to construction and upkeep, which will be called the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park.

Eventually, Detroit’s Riverwalk will link Belle Isle all the way to the Ambassador Bridge.