PEA Attends Fort Street Bridge Park Groundbreaking

2 min read

On October 9, 2019, the PEA team, Friends of the Rouge River (FOTR), and Fort Rouge Gateway Coalition (FRoG) celebrated the groundbreaking for the Fort Street Bridge Interpretive Park in Detroit.

The date of the groundbreaking was significant as it marked the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Rouge River fire. Additionally, the groundbreaking commemorated another milestone of the transformation of the Rouge River corridor over the last 50 years to the waterway that now supports wildlife habitat and provides recreational opportunities. The park itself will serve as a prominent node at the intersection of several regional trails, including the Rouge River Water Trail, Iron Belle Trail, and the Downriver Linked Greenways. The interpretive park also recognizes the historical significance of the recently replaced Fort Street Bridge over the Rouge River.

PEA, Inc. collaborated with Fort-Rouge Gateway (FRoG) and MotorCities National Heritage Area on the design of the new park, which will include sculptural elements created from steel recycled from the historic bridge, a water feature, gathering plaza, stormwater management demonstration areas, habitat enhancements, and interpretive signage related to the 1932 Hunger March on the historic bridge.

Through an extended fundraising campaign, a time and resource contribution by PEA, and the hard work and collaboration of numerous Detroit community and non-profit groups – we are happy to announce Fort Street Bridge Inceptive Park is officially being built!

For More Information

Jeff Smith, PLA
Vice President | Director of Landscape Architecture

About Friends of the Rouge

Friends of the Rouge (FOTR) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in 1986 to raise awareness about the need to clean up the Rouge River in southeast Michigan. To learn more, visit: www.therouge.org

About MotorCities National Heritage Area

MotorCities National Heritage Area Partnership inspires residents and visitors with an appreciation for how the automobile changed Michigan, the nation, and the world. This rich heritage will be a source of pride for our communities and a positive influence on our region’s future. The MotorCities National Heritage Area Partnership is a nonprofit corporation affiliated with the National Park Service. We preserve, interpret and promote the region’s rich automotive and labor heritage. To learn more visit, www.motorcities.org

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