Detroit, Michigan – Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said earlier this week that all five of Detroit’s Solar Neighborhoods have now locked in their community-driven landscape plans, as residents in the last two districts—Greenfield Park/I-75/McNichols and Houston Whittier/Hayes—gave their stamp of approval. Earlier, in December, residents of the three Phase One zones—Gratiot/Findlay, Van Dyke/Lynch, and State Fair—had already agreed on plans to transform formerly damaged property into appealing solar fields.
Chosen in January, the two Phase Two districts would finish the final 61 acres required to run 127 municipal buildings on sustainable energy. The presentation illustrates how empty sites will become lively green areas encircling the new solar panels. Residents picked a mix of perennial flower beds, modest shrubs, and ornamental and evergreen trees outside each enclosed arrangement. Meadows of clover and native wildflowers will thrive under and between the rows of panels, hence providing habitat for pollinators and a soft, colorful ground cover.
Neighborhood volunteers in Houston Whittier/Hayes chose ornamental metal fencing highlighted by evergreen Arborvitae and Green Arrow Cyprus combined with blooming Ace of Heart Redbud and Serviceberry trees. A dense carpet of blooming clover will cover the solar fields itself, while six pocket gardens of lavender, purple coneflower, and Pineleaf Penstemon will dot the borders, giving the installation a rich, park-like appearance.
Residents of Greenfield Park/I-75/McNichols also selected decorative fencing, edging it with Crabapple ‘Coralburst’ and Dogwood for spring color with a backdrop of Blue Arrow Juniper, White Cedar and more Arborvitae for year-round greenery. Key intersections will be accompanied by eight corner gardens with lavender, purple coneflower, and Crimson Star Columbine; two distinct meadow areas within the array will mix clover with native wildflowers.
“I think the Solar Neighborhoods is a wonderful program and has been a great thing for the neighbors living here. Not only will all of the blighted land and houses be turned into something beautiful and beneficial, the residents who have lived here during the down times also will be receiving upgrades to our homes,” Greenfield Park Resident Victoria Hicks said.
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Mayor Duggan said local involvement at every level has affected the whole process from focus groups to final design decisions. The city will turn over the land to developers this summer once all Phase One properties are under site management and residents have migrated successfully. Work on those three 104-acre fields is scheduled to start in early fall this year.
Adding to the 61 acres they will oversee spanning Gratiot/Findlay and State Fair, the city has chosen Lightstar Renewables to construct 18.1 acres of panels in Houston Whittier/Hayes. Already running hundreds of solar sites around Michigan, DTE Electric Company will build 42.2 acres in Greenfield Park and the 43-acre field in Van Dyke/Lynch.
When finished, Detroit’s five Solar Neighborhoods will not only reduce energy costs and carbon emissions but also provide a permanent legacy of green space and community pride in every area of the city.