Client
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
City of Detroit

Location:
Detroit, MI

Prime Consultants:
NTH / WTA Joint Venture

Total Project Budget:
$2 Million (Approximately)

NTH / WTA JV Project Budget:
$198,825

Start Date:
February 2002

Completion Date:
April 2006

Bates Street Outfall

Detroit River Shoreline, Section 14

The Bates Outfall site is a vital component to the City of Detroit Riverfront
Redevelopment Plan. The undeveloped site represents a gap between Hart Plaza downstream and the GM Renaissance Center upstream.

In February 2002, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District retained NTH (under the NTH/ Wade Trim Joint Venture) to provide design, engineering, and construction services to the site due to eroding, unsightly dilapidated concrete building foundation walls, rotted timber piles, and a storm sewer outfall structure. The project was in support of a Section 14 Emergency Shoreline Stabilization Project.

Project Approach
To effectively integrate this property into the overall vision of the Riverfront, several challenges needed to be addressed. Such challenges included: shoreline stabilization, continuation of the riverfront walkway, and integration of this property with adjacent planned land uses. 

To achieve these results, NTH was responsible for:
  • Reviewing existing site conditions and available geotechnical data
  • Recommending alternative shoreline protection options including options for dredging and options that would not impact adjacent property owners.
  • Preparing specifications, civil site and structural construction plan drawings
  • Preparing cost estimates and a Design Documentation Report (DDR)

This project involved coordination of many stakeholders including the City of Detroit, the Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority, Detroit-Windsor Tunnel Authority, General Motors Corporation, private investors, politicians 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 Bates site into the overall plans for the entire Riverfront Development.

NTH faced many challenges on this project due to changes in future usage and dredging requirements mid-way through the project, as well as a number of outside stakeholder changes. In order to facilitate project construction and expedite project completion, NTH was responsible for managing construction engineering services.

Construction was completed in April 2006, in preparation for the wave of riverfront redevelopment that is sweeping the City of Detroit waterfront from the Ambassador Bridge to the Belle Isle Bridge!