It’s Change for the Good!
Published: Monday, August 29, 2011 7:00 am
By: Van W. Snider Jr., CAE
I remember driving through Detroit from out-of-state in the
early seventies with my Father-in-Law on our way to a boat show at Metro Beach
Metropark in Harrison Township, MI. I don’t
remember much about my impression of Detroit then. I do remember my reaction to Detroit and the
Detroit River when I moved to the Detroit suburbs in 1990. The Detroit River was not what I
expected..jpg)
On a positive note, I was
amazed at its size, color of the water (it wasn’t brown) and the amount of
recreational boats and commercial shipping activity. From a negative perspective, I was amazed
at what had been built along the river, which in my opinion, was not the best use
of a riverfront- parking lots, vacant industrial sights, and more.
During my time in Michigan, I’ve promoted the City of Detroit and continue to do so. While managing a marine trade association, our organization hosted visitors to Detroit from other marine associations throughout the country for a national conference. I fought to get approval for Detroit as the conference location, a year before the event, with strong opposition as a result of negative images and national media coverage of the downward slide Detroit experienced. Our association decided to host the conference downtown. We selected the Atheneum Hotel in Greektown. This was prior to casinos, new stadiums, and many of the improvements made in recent years. We were successful in changing opinions about the city. We received letters and phone calls indicating that the conference was the best conference most attendees had attended.
Since that conference, there have been incredible and positive improvements to the City of Detroit, resulting in improved recreational opportunities, more visitors to the city and changed attitudes about Detroit.
On June 18th, I attended the dedication of the newly built Public Dock and Terminal Building just south of the GM World Headquarters building. This building houses the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority. Detroit can now provide docking for small commercial cruise ships which are gaining in popularity on the Great Lakes. This facility opens Detroit as a Port ‘o Call. In 2011, Warren, RI-based Blunt Small Ship Adventures’ vessel The Grande Mariner, stopped twice in Detroit (http://blountsmallshipadventures.com/). Port Authority Deputy Director W. Steven Olinek indicates they hope to have The Grande Mariner return next year. If all goes well, Detroit will serve as the 2012 Great Lakes hub for Travel Dynamics International’s vessel Yorktown when they bring her into the Great lakes for a number of cruising itineraries. Details still need to be finalized, but without the new Public Dock and Terminal, none of these ships would be coming to Detroit and helping to stimulate the local economy. Attracting vessels to Detroit is an ongoing effort. Deputy Director Olinek is the Chairman of the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition (http://www.greatlakescruisingcoalition.com/) and I’m betting he, Port Authority President/CEO John Jamian, and their Port associates will succeed.
I must mention the fantastic efforts underway by the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) organization, which is revitalizing the Detroit Riverfront. Faye Alexander Nelson, President and CEO, with an impressive list of Board members, has had great success in creating access to the river, adding dynamic amenities and beautifying the riverfront. The Conservancy’s vision is having 5.5 miles of the river redeveloped - from the Ambassador Bridge to Gabriel Richard Park.
For recreational boaters and fishermen, the Detroit River has much to offer, from world-class fishing to marinas and boat clubs. There are a number of commercial marinas offering seasonal and/or transit dockage, the Detroit Yacht Club, Bayview Yacht Club and William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor. Whether its enjoying the river on your own boat or scheduling a trip on board a small Great Lakes cruise ship, don’t forget what the French missionaries found out in 1670; the river running from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie is one nice piece of water.
Written By :Van W. Snider, Jr., CAE
