Water Street is a brownfield in Ypsilanti, Michigan which used to be a site of various industries and businesses. In 1999, under the leadership of Cheryl Farmer, the City of Ypsilanti officially embarked on a project to redevelop the area to improve the general image of Ypsilanti and increase its tax revenue. Unsuccessful negotiations with developers and contamination have prevented the project from progressing. The city's goal to develop higher density tax generating property stemmed from the passing of the Headlee Amendment and Proposition A which resulted in limitations on property tax increases. Businesses and residents displaced by the proposed development attribute the blight and low taxable value of the area to the city's failure to provide and maintain municipal services and infrastructure. Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) includes parcels at Water street in the list of over 24,000 contaminated sites in Michigan, of which only 3,000 have been remediated in the last three decades. The contamination of the site is similar to other brownfield sites linked to the Automotive industry. Ypsilanti is among other municipalities in the state of Michigan with brownfield sites that remain undeveloped.

Water Street is a single 38-acre parcel near Ypsilanti's downtown area. The area is bordered by Michigan Avenue to the North, the Huron River to the West and South, and South and Park Streets to the East. Prior to being U.S. Route 12 in Michigan, the road on the North side used to be named Congress Street.

Prior to the 1800s, Native Americans primarily inhabited the land around Ypsilanti and the river. The Potawatomi and Sauk trails passed by what is currently the Water Street area. Native peoples were removed from the area starting in 1816 and continuing until 1830. The first settler occupants on the land of the Water Street Redevelopment area were in the 1800s. Harwood's flouring mill was constructed in 1829 and positioned along the river just south of Congress Street, now known as Michigan Avenue. In the second half of the 19th century, Alva Worden and his brothers John and Chauncey lived in mansions on this land and manufactured their invention, a new whip socket, in the same area.

In the 1900s the land began to be developed and over the next 100 years it was the site of industries and businesses such as parks, a railroad, a lumber mill, a plastics factory, a heating and cooling business, restaurants and car dealerships.

The stretch of land along U.S. Route 12 in Michigan became a hub for car dealerships starting in 1912 when the first car dealership opened. This area has been referred to as "The Amazing Quarter Mile" and was eventually added to the Ypsilanti historic district. Various businesses occupied the buildings on U.S. Route 12 in Michigan such as Ypsilanti Savings Bank, Markham's Restaurant, Moorman's Lumber Yard, Serbay Motors, Silkworth's Gas Station and Auto Repair, Sesi Lincoln Mercury. The last car dealership on the South side of this stretch closed in the 1990s.

Prior to the redevelopment project, the area has been home to businesses, residences and parks:

1980: Ypsilanti contractor, Walter E. Duke, purchases an old building on Water Street south of Michigan Ave for $5,000 as part of the city's anti-blight program. The city and the contractor agree that the site will be renovated to be an "oil recycling facility" and include "riverside recreational areas."

1983: City of Ypsilanti sues contractor, Walter E. Duke, for breach of contract. They cite failure to pay taxes and to complete agreed upon renovations of the property. The contractor states that he was unable to secure federal or local financing for the $350,000 required for the project.