Water Square station

Water Square
Station platform in 2022 (as West Riverfront)
General information
Location	600 Civic Center Drive Detroit, Michigan 48226 United States
Coordinates	42°19′31″N83°03′09″W / 42.32524°N 83.05263°W / 42.32524; -83.05263
Owned by	Detroit Transportation Corporation
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Construction
Accessible	Yes
History
Opened	July 31, 1987
Previous names	Joe Louis Arena (1987–2022) West Riverfront (2022–2025)
Passengers
2014	177,618 [1]
Rank	4 out of 13
Services
Preceding station Detroit People Mover Following station Huntington Place One-way operation Detroit People Mover Financial District Next counter-clockwise
Location

Water Square station (formerly Joe Louis Arena and West Riverfront) is a Detroit People Mover station in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is located on Steve Yzerman Drive across from the former site of the Joe Louis Arena, near the intersection of 3rd Street and Jefferson Avenue, where M-10 terminates.

Water Square is the nearest People Mover station to the Downtown campus of the Wayne County Community College District, and also serves the Detroit Riverwalk via its street entrance.

History

The station previously served the Joe Louis Arena, the home of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, until the arena's closure in 2017. The station was built with a series of wide concrete ramps from street level to the platform, allowing it to handle the flow of large crowds from events at the arena, and a pedestrian bridge linking the station's concourse level directly to the arena's entrance. The arena bridge was demolished in 2019 alongside the arena itself, though two enclosed skybridges remain, connecting the station to the Riverfront Towers residential complex and the disused arena parking garage. ^[2]

The People Mover shut down temporarily on March 30, 2020, due to decreased ridership amid the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[3] Following the arena's demolition, the station was renamed West Riverfront when it reopened with the system's restart on May 20, 2022. ^{[4] [5]}

The station was renamed again to Water Square on July 23, 2025 to reflect the under-construction Water Square Development on the arena site, anchored by the Residences Water Square tower. ^[6] Exterior renovations are planned for the station in 2026, supported by a donation from the Sterling Group, developer of Water Square. ^[7]

Public art

The platform includes a Venetian glass mosaic, Voyage, created by Gerome Kamrowski. The iridescent mosaic reflects the orange hues used in the station's tile, with designs inspired by mythological and astrological figures. ^{[8] [9]}

References

1. Lawrence, Eric D (June 24, 2015). "People Mover's Grand Circus Station back in service". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
2. Nagl, Kurt (June 4, 2019). "Detroit to spend $2.76 million to reopen Joe Louis Arena parking garage". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
3. Rahal, Sarah (May 19, 2022). "Detroit People Mover resumes service with free rides for 90 days". The Detroit News. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
4. Witsil, Frank (May 20, 2022). "Detroit People Mover reopens with limited service, free rides after 2-year closure". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
5. "Service Update June 2: Restart Information". Detroit People Mover. June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
6. Nagl, Kurt (July 23, 2025). "Joe Louis Arena site development to update People Mover station, plans pedestrian-friendly corridor" . Crain's Detroit Business . Retrieved July 23, 2025.
7. Mahajan, Apurva (July 23, 2025). "Detroit officials, private partners announce West Riverfront People Mover station's new name". The Detroit News . Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
8. Walt, Irene (2004). Art in the Stations: The Detroit People Mover. Art in the Stations Committee. ISBN   0-9745392-0-1.
9. Art in the Stations. Detroit Transportation Corporation. 2006.

External links

• DPM station overview
• Steve Yzerman Drive entrance from Google Maps Street View