Delray, Detroit

Delray
Looking north along W. Jefferson Avenue
Looking north along W. Jefferson Avenue
Location of Delray (red) within the city of Detroit (pink) in Wayne County
Location of Delray (red) within the city of Detroit (pink) in Wayne County
Delray is located in Michigan
Delray
Delray
Location within the state of Michigan
Delray is located in the United States
Delray
Delray
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 42°17′45″N 83°07′00″W / 42.29583°N 83.11667°W / 42.29583; -83.11667
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyWayne
CityDetroit
Platted1836
Incorporated1897 (village)
Annexed by Detroit1906
Area
 • Land2.938 sq mi (7.61 km2)
Elevation591 ft (180 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total2,783
 • Density947.2/sq mi (365.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)
48209 (Detroit)
Area code313
GNIS feature ID1617006[1]

Delray is a neighborhood in southwest Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan.[1] Its area extends south to the River Rouge, east to the Detroit River, west to Fort Street, and north to Clark Street.[2][3][4] The two census tracts that cover the neighborhood had a population of 2,783 at the 2010 census.

Delray was platted in 1836. Initially a rural area, heavy industry arrived in the 1890s, beginning a prosperous era leading to Delray incorporating as a village in 1897. Delray's population swelled, fueled largely by immigrants from Eastern Europe, and the village's 7 square miles (18 km2) were annexed into the city of Detroit in 1906.[5] By 1930, Delray peaked at approximately 24,000 residents, but the population has dropped precipitously since World War II due to increased industrialization, pollution, and urban decay. By the late 1960s, the city's master plan for Delray was to transition it to a purely industrial area.[6] In 2007, the Detroit Metro Times described Delray as "the closest thing to a ghost town within a city."[7]

In 2013, Delray was selected for the location of the upcoming Gordie Howe International Bridge. The enormous project will radically alter the neighborhood and result in the destruction of numerous structures and roadways, as well as the relocation of some residents.[8]

  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Delray
  2. ^ Arquero de Alarcón, María; Larsen, Larissa (2015). "Mapping Delray". In Thomas, June Manning; Bekkering, Henco (eds.). Mapping Detroit: Land, Community, and Shaping a City. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. pp. 117–130. ISBN 978-0-8143-4026-4.
  3. ^ City-Data.com (2010). "Delray neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan (MI), 48209 detailed profile". Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  4. ^ "Delray (Detroit, MI)" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  5. ^ Pepper, Jon (October 18, 1984). "Hungarians Leave Hometown of Delray". The Detroit Free Press. p. 4A.
  6. ^ Maidenberg, Mike (May 11, 1969). "Delray: The Determined Struggle of a Village Condemned to Die". The Detroit Free Press. p. 4B.
  7. ^ DetroitBlogger John (October 21, 2009). "Last Call?: A Beautiful Old Bar with a Storied Past Hangs in Limbo". Metro Times. Detroit. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Church was invoked but never defined (see the help page).