Grand Boulevard (Detroit)

Grand Boulevard is a thoroughfare in Detroit, Michigan, running east/west in some places and north/south in other places. It once constituted the city limits of Detroit. Grand Boulevard is dually named "General Motors Boulevard" in the area of Detroit's "New Center" where the Fisher Building and Cadillac Place (formerly the "General Motors Building") are located.

History

In 1891, Detroit mayor Hazen Pingree broke ground on the construction of Grand Boulevard, a ring road that wrapped around the city of Detroit.Richard Bak, "Detroit Across Three Centuries," Sleeping Bear Press, 2001, ISBN 1585360015, p. 60.] ] The Boulevard ran for 12 miles, curving from the Detroit River on the west to the very same river on the east and crossing Woodward Avenue at a point approximately 3 miles north of the downtown area. The Boulevard was originally thought to represent the absolute limit of the city's expansion, although tremendous growth at the beginning of the 20th century quickly pushed the city limits far beyond Grand Boulevard.

Many years ago, the streetcar route which traveled upon it was formally called the "Grand Belt" line because of Grand Boulevard's belt-like configuration around the most central part of Detroit.

Structures and locations along Grand Boulevard

Current description

Although heavily blighted, like much of present-day Detroit, Grand Boulevard still has numerous large old residences, many of which have been subsequently converted into commercial property or medical/nursing facilities.

References