GROSSE POINTE PARK (WWJ) -- One Wayne County community is getting their downtown area back.
Charlevoix Street in Grosse Pointe Park is back open to cars and pedestrians after a months-long construction project to re-imagine the area.
There's now a curbless design, between Alter Road in Detroit and Beaconsfield Avenue, with new street lighting and water mains.
Emery, who works at Two Dudes Coffee, says the new design is great for the business.
"I think it looks really good," she told WWJ's Luke Sloan. "I only just kind of came into the area back in February; I lived in Detroit like a year ago. So, to see the quick change from as it was to as it is now, I mean, It looks really nice. It's definitely pedestrian-friendly, as they said. I'm a fan of making everything more walkable."
Here are the key highlights:
- A "festival street" layout: The biggest change is the removal of traditional high curbs. The roadway and sidewalks now flow seamlessly together, making it easy to shut down the block for street fairs, farmers markets, and outdoor dining.
- Safer, more inviting pedestrian spaces: Brick pavers clearly separate vehicle lanes from walking zones. The street also gained new decorative lighting, benches, bike racks, and trees that double as natural buffers and help with stormwater drainage.
- Crucial underground fixes: Before the aesthetic work began, crews replaced aging water mains and updated local storm sewers to prevent flooding and protect the new surface for decades to come.
