Renderings of the future luxury hotel coming to the site of the old Joe Louis Arena
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A new station name, a new surge of funding, and a new voice to greet riders.
The Detroit People Mover's latest tune-up piggybacks on improvements already going up along the city's waterfront.
Big picture view:
The Detroit People Mover is renaming one of its stops as ridership booms and development along the transit route climbs higher.
The West Riverfront stop, located on Civic Center Drive near the old Joe Louis Arena will now be called the Water Square Station. The mayor dubbed it the "gateway to the new Detroit" during an announcement on Wednesday.
The name is an ode to the upcoming luxury hotel being built at the site of the former stadium, which will include hundreds of rooms and eventually a skybridge to Huntington Place next door.
The rebranding follows an acknowledged pattern of increased use of the People Mover tied to the city's growing residential and entertainment district downtown.
The future facade of the JW Marriott hotel from the Detroit River.
Dig deeper:
Duggan predicted by next year the station will be known as Ralph Wilson Park Station due to the stop's proximity to the future landmark along the Detroit riverfront.
The People Mover is averaging 100,000 riders a month. More than a million people used the service last year, Detroit's executive director of transit Robert Cramer said.
"We're transporting more riders now than we have in years," he said on Wednesday, attributing the growth to its free fare program, strong partnerships, and the development boom around the city.
"We have evolved from a place people pass through to one where people live, work, play, and stay," he added.
Proposed skybridge would connect Huntington Place to future luxury hotel in Detroit
The proposal would help boost the city's capacity to hold large-scale events at Huntington Place and elsewhere.
A surprise to go:
The People Mover replaced several sections of track as part of an improvement to the service.
But it's also getting some eye candy as well, with a new voice greeting and directing riders. The onboard recordings will be AM 760 Co-host Lloyd Jackson, a well-known voice on radio.
The Source: A press conference on Wednesday at the Detroit People Mover was used while reporting this story.