Project Overview

The new DWCPA Public Dock and Terminal is Detroit’s front door to the international maritime community that sails the Great Lakes. The adaptive re-use of an underutilized portion of the Detroit River shoreline in a critical location provides the final link in the East Riverwalk through downtown Detroit.

Project Scope

To effectively integrate this property into the overall vision of the East Riverwalk, several challenges needed to be addressed. The challenges included: shoreline stabilization, rehabilitation of a 90-year old wharf structure, continuation of the riverfront walkway, integration of this property with adjacent planned land uses, and maintaining two active CSO outfalls and a raw water pump station and transmission main; all while coordinating construction operations to mitigate negative impacts to adjacent property owners and facilities.

To achieve these results, NTH was responsible for:

  • Procuring and reviewing available historical site, geotechnical, and previous land use data
  • Investigating existing structural, environmental and geotechnical site conditions.
  • Preparing engineering studies in support of a MDNRE/USACE permit application for existing wharf rehabilitation and new wharf construction.
  • Preparing a Basis of Design report and Engineers opinion of probable construction cost.
  • Preparing civil-site and structural construction documents for shoreline structures.
  • Preparing environmental and geotechnical reports, providing coordination of shoreline structures, and foundation consultation in support of terminal building construction
Client Benefit

This project involved coordination of many stakeholders including the City of Detroit, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, Detroit-Windsor Tunnel Authority, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, General Motors Corporation, and State and Federal agencies. These stakeholders were informed and involved as data was collected and analyzed; alternatives were evaluated; and technical recommendations were made. The project team shared pertinent information with the stakeholders and developed approaches to integrate the DWCPA site into the overall plans for the entire East Riverfront Development.