Yesterday, someone on Twitter called me out for being silent on the subject of International Village, the $350+ million dollar retail and housing development being proposed for Ypsilanti’s 36-acre Water Street property. According to this person, who was posting under a pseudonym, my silence on the matter was “deafening.” It’s something I’ve heard several times […]
Tag Archives: brownfield
My thoughts on International Village
Why are we just now finding out the extent of the contamination on Water Street?
Over the past several weeks, it’s come to light that Water Street, the 38-acre parcel of downtown, riverfront property that the City of Ypsilanti has been trying to develop for the past 16 years, may be significantly more toxic than we’d previously been led to believe. What follows is the first of what I’m hoping […]
The Seed Bombing of Water Street will happen on May 1
On Thursday evening, the Ypsilanti Parks and Recreation Commission met, and considered our proposal to adopt an acre of Water Street right alongside Michigan Avenue, just west of South River Street. I don’t think it will be official until Monday, but the members present agreed unanimously with the project as I explained it. So, it […]
1,000 seed bombs for Water Street!
As I was walking my dog around Ypsilanti’s 38-acres of depressingly-barren downtown real estate known as Water Street yesterday morning, it occurred to me that it might be fun to pick a day sometime soon and encourage everyone in Ypsilanti to come out and plant sunflower seeds together. And, in a fit of inspiration, I […]