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Housing, public parks approved for redevelopment plan at former horse-racing park

Announcer calling a horse race
Steve Carmody, Michigan Public

Redevelopment plans for the former site of Northville Downs, the last horse-racing track in Michigan, have been approved by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Before development can begin, the brownfield site needs to be cleaned up.

The department said the "biggest hurdle" will be bringing a buried section of the River Rouge back to the service and disposing of contaminants in the materials used to build the culvert it now runs through.

Ari McKeever, a brownfield coordinator with EGLE, said the cleanup plans will cut a new riverbed and create a floodplain that can better accommodate stormwater.

The planned development after the environmental remediation includes housing, recreation, and retail. EGLE said it will connect the existing community to downtown Northville via biking and walking paths.

EGLE said there are 74 ongoing brownfield cleanup sites using grants and loans in Michigan. Seven are expected to be closed this year. The average brownfield cleanup project last 3 to 4 years.

The cleanup of the Northville Downs site should be completed in early 2025, the department said. Then development can begin.

Christopher Johnson is married with two daughters. Born and raised in Detroit, he is a floating fill-in host at Michigan Public.
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