DETROIT (WXYZ) — After more than a year of construction, part of Detroit's $20 million Greektown streetscape project is wrapping up, with streets reopening and a fresh look for the historic district just in time for summer.
The first stretch — running along Monroe Street from Beaubien to St. Antoine — is now open. Crews have been tearing down construction fences and clearing the way for pedestrians, with a focus on reducing vehicle traffic and widening the streets.
"This is so cute. Oh my God. I love it," said Brooke Mosley, a Detroit personal trainer who was out with a group of bikers when the streets opened. "We were like, oh my goodness. We can ride through now! I actually am loving it. It makes me feel like I'm out of town… in my town."
Edward Wolfe visits Greektown every year with a group of friends to catch the Tigers. He says last year's visit landed right in the middle of construction, which began in March 2025, and made getting around difficult.
PREVIOUS STORY:Greektown's Beaubien intersection reopens as Detroit's $20M renovation reaches milestone"Last year, when we came up, it was really sad," Wolfe said.
This year, the timing worked out differently.
"This year — we heard the streets were opening up on Friday — massive improvement right now," Wolfe said. "If you're in Detroit, come down because you're going to love it."
Detroit resident Justin Straub called the project a much-needed and modernizing renovation, comparing it to neighboring metro downtowns.
"It's going to be a great boon for the local businesses and open up a good deal of traffic," Straub said.
For Greektown business owner Spiro Vanvakas, the reopening is a long-awaited turning point. Vanvakas has owned two businesses on the strip for 13 years and says the roughly year-and-a-half of closures cut business by more than half.
"It's been a rough time. Construction impacted business significantly. And we're excited to see what the next year brings us," Vanvakas said. "We see the light at the end of the tunnel."
He describes the strip as vibrant and hopes business will return to — or surpass — where it was before construction began.
"The street looks great, and we're excited for everyone to come and try us out," Vanvakas said.
This is just one of three stretches set to open throughout the year. The final stretch is planned to open in November.
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