Water Law Commons^™

The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy: A Public-Private Partnership Striving To Reclaim The Detroit River, Betsy Hemming

Golden Gate University Law Review

This paper will detail the vision for a transformed Detroit Riverfront, the efforts to realize the vision, and lessons learned to date. Specifically, the article will focus on the creation of the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy, Inc. (DRFC), a non-profit organization that is charged with facilitating the transformation through a strong public-private partnership. Section I will provide the background on the Detroit River, important demographics regarding the riverfront and early work on the vision. Section II and III will highlight the work of the DRFC and the project details. Finally, Section IV covers key success factors and challenges, focusing on important …