The 7-acre site of an old coal-gasification facility, previously owned by Michigan Consolidated Gas Co., has new life as a community gathering space. Broadway Park West, north of downtown Ann Arbor along the Huron River, is a multiphase project launched with the dedication of a new park in September. The Michigan-based nonprofit Lower Town Riverfront Conservancy secured $20 million-plus in state funding and more than $10 million in private donations to create the park. It features a new pedestrian bridge that is now part of Washtenaw County’s 42-mile Border to Border Trail and serves as a connection point to the park’s walking and biking trails, other amenities, and a future year-round event pavilion.
The building of the pavilion represents the project’s second stage, says Stacy Fox. She’s chair of the conservancy board and principal of Detroit-based Roxbury Group, the developer on the project, known for restoring iconic properties around downtown Detroit and elsewhere in Michigan, including AC Hotel Detroit at the Bonstelle and the David Whitney Building, among others. The pavilion’s groundbreaking was held in the fall with plans for completion by late 2026 or early 2027.
“The pavilion itself is going to be about 8,500 square feet with a lovely architectural design, a midcentury timber-built structure,” Fox says. “It’s going to be a 365-day facility, so it will be available for public and private events. It will have a glass-wall system that will open from the indoors to the outdoors, so you can have an indoor/outdoor music experience with an event inside.” She also notes the pavilion will accommodate sit-down dinners for 300 attendees with a lawn that seats about 1,000. “It’s a phenomenal public space,” Fox says. “We hope it will serve as Ann Arbor’s central gathering spot with year-round activation.”
Visit the park’s website for more information.
