Port Authority

The Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority (DWCPA), in conjunction with the City of Detroit and MDOT, and through the leadership of Senator Carl Levin, is developing a 21,000 square foot Public Dock & Terminal on the downtown Detroit riverfront. This facility, once complete, will be able to accommodate all types of vessels wishing to call on the City of Detroit including, but not limited to, cruise ships, ferries, water taxis, tall ships, dinner boats, and naval frigates.

The interior space and program will be spread over two floors and include processing areas for visitors, passengers and/or tourists, ticketing counters, public plaza space and the future home of the DWCPA. Long-term, about one-third of the building will be able to facilitate the presence of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for vessels that are required to re-enter our domestic port from Canada. The building is scheduled to be complete by late spring time in 2011.

Unique Uses
-Cruising the Great Lakes: There are cruise ships in the Great Lakes/ St. Lawrence Seaway System who take international tourists through the system during the Fall color season in late August through September.

-Water Taxi Service: The DWCPA has an interest in helping facilitate a water taxi service to facilitate cross-border ferry service. This could also be extended to domestic port communities up and down the Detroit River.

-Tall ships, dinner boats, and educational vessels could be hosted at the facility. The building offers spectacular views and meeting spaces for special events or educational opportunities.

-Eco-Tourism: As part of the 2008 U.S. EPA Brownfields Conference, of which the DWCPA resided on the Host Committee, eco-tours were conducted as part of a unique mobile workshop. Long-term, we would like to link our facility to the International Wildlife Refuge and Belle Isle, among other natural assets along the 32-mile Detroit River, via water-based tours.

-Hydrokinetic Energy Generation: The DWCPA, through a DTE Energy Foundation grant, has been studying the feasibility of generating hydrokinetic energy at its facility in partnership with a University of Michigan start-up company called Vortex Hydro Energy. Other partners include the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and NextEnergy.

For more information on the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, click here.