DETROIT (WWJ) -- It’s official. The Detroit Grand Prix is making a return to the city’s downtown streets in 2023, for the first time in three decades.
While the Grand Prix will have one more run on Belle Isle next summer, officials announced the race will return to the streets June 2-4, 2023, with a 1.7-mile, 10-turn street circuit that will give fans “unprecedented access.”
Detroit Grand Prix Chairman Bud Denker said more than half of the race’s footprint along Jefferson Avenue and the Detroit Riverfront will be open free of charge to the public.
“Nowhere else does that happen, but it’s gonna happen in Detroit in 2023, and that’s what I’m most excited about,” Denker said during a press conference at the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit Tuesday.
Detroit City Council members earlier this month approved a resolution calling for the city to enter into a contract with the organizers of the Grand Prix and to issue permits for the events next summer.
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Bringing a “dynamic street-festival atmosphere” to the city’s streets, the weekend will feature three days of activities, including live music, food, games and fan activation in areas like Hart Plaza, Spirit Plaza and the Riverwalk.
The race’s route will run along Jefferson, Bates, Atwater, St. Antoine, Franklin and Rivard. Officials say the unique design of the Grand Prix’s new downtown route will “have minimal impact on traffic flow” in downtown Detroit as the track will not extend north of Jefferson Avenue.
The transition to downtown is expected to boost the local economy to the tune of a $77 million economic impact -- an estimated 20% increase compared to Belle Isle -- with more visitors filling up local hotels, restaurants and bars throughout the race weekend.
There’s still one more celebration to be had on Belle Isle, though. The Detroit Grand Prix will be run one final time on the island in the Detroit River on June 3-5, 2022.
More information on the new plans for the Detroit Grand Prix can be found on detroitgp.com.