Residents in three Detroit neighborhoods who have lived for decades adjacent to some of Detroit’s worst blight got a clear message today from Mayor Mike Duggan: You have not been forgotten.

Today, the Mayor joined with residents of the Gratiot/Findlay, Van Dyke/Lynch and State Fair communities to announce that they are the phase 1 selections to become Detroit’s “solar neighborhoods.” Combined, the three areas would create a total of 103.9 acres of solar arrays and bring the city halfway to its goal of creating approximately 200 acres of solar arrays to generate enough clean energy to offset the electricity used by all 127 city municipal buildings.

“Detroit can take real action to fight climate change and address some of the worst blight in the City,” Mayor Duggan said. “Detroit is now becoming the center of Michigan’s fight to address climate change.”