City Council OKs land swap with Ambassador Bridge owners

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit City Council has approved a land swap between the city and the owners of the Ambassador Bridge.

Councilmembers voted 7-2 Tuesday in favor of transferring nearly 5 acres to the city for an expansion of Riverside Park and pay $3 million for park improvements.

The Detroit International Bridge Co. would get a three-acre section of the park that could be used for a twin Ambassador Bridge span between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. It would compete with a planned $2.1 billion bridge project pushed by the state of Michigan and the Canadian government.

Ambassador Bridge Vice Chair Matthew Moroun says the company is "committed to a number of important things" involving the city.