Ralph C. Wilson Centennial Park: A Real Park for Real People

Anyone born and raised in Detroit knows that unless you’re heading to Belle Isle on a trip, the river isn’t exactly a huge part of day-to-day life.

Water is mostly just something most people drive right past, especially since the majority of the Detroit River is lined with warehouses, fences, and factories.

However, that’s changing fast.

The Ralph C. Wilson Centennial Park is the biggest thing to hit Detroit’s west riverfront in years. 

It will turn 22 acres of bare land into one of the most people-friendly parks the city has ever had by the time it’s completed, which developers say will likely be in the fall of 2025.

We’re talking gardens, a big lawn, a water play area for kids, basketball courts, walking paths, trees – plenty of open space right along the river that will be accessible to everybody, not hidden behind a paywall or tied to some new ritzy development intended only for the rich.

You won’t need a wristband or a reservation. 

Just show up with your kids, your dog, your lunch, your thoughts, and enjoy the great outdoors with a front-row view of the water.

As for its namesake, the park is named after Ralph Wilson, the Buffalo Bills owner raised in Detroit whose foundation returned a huge chunk of his money back to the city after his death.

That donation and Ralph’s legacy as a whole led to this park – a gift from a man who considered Detroit to be a huge part of his come-up story.

Construction has been going on since 2022, and you can see signs of the park’s progress anytime you’re down by the river. 

It isn’t just a bunch of drawings on a board – it’s a place that will bring Detroiters together in a way that concrete and buildings alone cannot.