Helping one of Michigan’s oldest waterfront communities thrive meant investing in infrastructure that provides homes, businesses and the downtown district with safe and reliable energy – without increasing costs for the people who live there. That was the goal at the top of Wyandotte Mayor Robert DeSana’s mind when DTE Energy began work to modernize natural gas service to the region.
“Wyandotte was being served by aging natural gas infrastructure, and DTE’s work to update it showed a true commitment to our residents,” said Mayor DeSana. “DTE provided major gas infrastructure improvements in our residential neighborhoods – all without any additional costs to our residents.”
DTE replaced decades-old gas mains, service lines and meters, all while carefully coordinating with Wyandotte’s broader downtown infrastructure improvements. The City’s Downtown Infrastructure Project was a comprehensive effort to modernize critical underground infrastructure throughout the downtown district, including water mains, sewer improvements, road reconstruction and utility upgrades. The coordinated work allowed multiple infrastructure improvements to be completed at the same time, reducing future disruptions while preparing downtown Wyandotte for continued redevelopment and investment.
While the city operates its own electric utility, it relies on DTE for natural gas service. The upgrades were designed in partnership with city leaders to support long-term growth and aligned with the City’s efforts to improve underground infrastructure, roadways and pedestrian access throughout the downtown area.
“DTE updated us consistently throughout the process,” Mayor DeSana added. “They walked through the work with us, met with us weekly and adjusted quickly as conditions changed. It was short-term disruption for long-term gain, and today our downtown is better positioned for continued investment.”