Nine acres of parks on top of I-75 downtown can be built, the study says. The money is the catch

Detroit could get nine acres of new parks on top of I-75 downtown, and the study that asked whether it can be done says yes.

The Downtown Detroit Partnership released the final reports of its I-75 Cap Feasibility Study on Oct. 22 and later posted the proposed concepts, the renderings here, on Instagram. The study, led by the Partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Detroit, found that three public space caps over the below-grade stretch of the freeway are technically feasible. Preliminary estimates put the total cost at about $300 million, or about $100 million for each cap.

Each cap has its own job. The West Cap is drawn as a playful space for recreation, education and community events. The Central Cap is a hub for performances, celebrations and everyday gathering. The East Cap is a place for reflection, memory and Detroit's Black cultural legacy, with gardens, walking paths, storytelling and public art.

The caps would sit between Third Avenue and Brush Street, reconnecting downtown with Brush Park and Lower Cass. Part of that ground was Paradise Valley, once a thriving center of Black business, culture and entertainment, and planners are looking for ways to bring that history into the new spaces. "The larger goal is to connect the communities that have been separated by our downtown freeway system," said James Fidler, an urban evolution strategist with the Partnership. The Partnership collected stories from longtime residents, including people who lived in Paradise Valley, that could shape public art and programming on the caps.

The plan grew out of the people who answered. Nearly a year of engagement drew more than 2,000 responses, survey answers and stories from residents, business owners and other stakeholders. "What makes this effort especially meaningful is that the vision has been shaped by the people who live and work in these communities," said Eric B. Larson, the Partnership's CEO.

There is a catch, and it is money. The study was paid for with a $2 million U.S. Department of Transportation Neighborhood Access and Equity planning grant. Another $5 million in state, local and private funding has been committed for engineering and planning. Construction funding has not been identified. The project next enters the National Environmental Policy Act review while the partners pursue public and private money. If the funding comes through, the project has set a five-year completion timeline, and planners do not expect to fully close I-75 to build it.

The caps would also take on the daily cost of living beside the freeway. Residents along I-75 deal with constant traffic noise and air pollution.

The final feasibility report, the public space program plan, the arts and culture plan and a community engagement summary are all public, along with an oral history video.