Gordie Howe International Bridge and the future of Delray

Talking Michigan Transportation

This week on the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, conversations about the rich history of the Delray neighborhood in southwest Detroit and why an author and archivist believes building the Gordie Howe International Bridge (GHIB) is helping to fuel a rebirth of the community. Karen Dybis, who has been researching the history and culture of Delray for several years, talks about what she’s learned researching history and recording oral histories with residents.

Later, Mohammed Alghurabi, the long-time Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) project manager on the GHIB, talks about the relationships he’s developed in the neighborhood over many years and his appreciation for the residents. Mohammed shared his background with other projects and his work on the GHIB on the podcast in 2019.

In an extensive Detroit News story (subscription) published Dec. 10, reporter Christine Ferretti wrote: "After more than a half-century of neglect, the industrialized southwest Detroit community in the footprint of the under-construction $4.4 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge is finally getting attention. The city is in the midst of what's believed to be the first planning effort of its kind to help define Delray's future with a mix of development to spur jobs and amenities for its long haulers."

Also discussed: the ongoing redevelopment of the Detroit Riverfront and MDOT’s collaboration with other partners on projects that will enhance opportunities for pedestrians and cyclists from east of downtown to the multi-modal components of the GHIB.

Dybis also explains how the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority’s Community Benefits Plan promises to ensure economic, environmental and social benefits for residents and business owners in neighborhoods on both sides of the bridge.

As she told the News, "You expect the bridge to be the enemy or the bad guys, and they are so not. That's the reason why things are getting better. They are actually trying to get money to people who haven't had money in decades."