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.

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.

Fort Wayne was built in 1843 on the Detroit River at the foot of what is now Livernois Avenue to protect against a potential British attack from Canada.

[17] The expo's main building, located on the riverfront west of Fort Wayne, was designed by architect Louis Kamper, and featured 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) of exhibition space.

The fair was a resounding success, drawing 300,000 attendees, which prompted officials to make the expo an annual affair, but declining attendance ended the event by 1894.

[18] In 1895, Delray's era of heavy industry began when the Solvay Process Company, drawn by the area's underground salt deposits, cleared the Detroit International Exposition site and opened a chemical plant to manufacture soda ash.

[19][20][21] Despite the economic uptick, Delray's 15,000 inhabitants still lacked serviceable water, sewage, fire, and lighting infrastructure, and sought civic improvements via either incorporation or annexation by Detroit.

[29] Directly east, the Detroit Union Produce Terminal opened in 1929, serving as a food distribution center which spread over 40 acres (0.16 km2) and had 10 miles (16 km) of railroad track.

[30] Two miles west of Delray, Ford completed its River Rouge Plant in 1928, which employed 85,000 workers at its peak.

[15] A wastewater plant opened in Delray in 1940, leading to the destruction of 600 housing units, the neighborhood's first large-scale residential demolition.

[6] In 1975, residents staged a mock funeral for Delray—reported then as "dilapidated and dying"—to draw the city's attention to the pollution and crime, but the neighborhood's downward spiral continued.

[8] The Great Recession further shuttered many of the few non-industrial businesses remaining in Delray, and forced U.S. Steel, a major employer operating on Zug Island, to impose crippling layoffs.

[7] Despite the population loss, journalist John Carlisle wrote in a 2009 that "a foul stench" was still present in Delray due to the wastewater plant and the industry still operating.

[7] In 2013, Delray was chosen as the site of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will provide a second Detroit River crossing for trade between the United States and Canada.

[9] In 2021, as demolition and construction continued, the U.S. and Canadian governments declared the completion of the bridge "a top infrastructure project" for both nations.

[34] In the early 20th Century the Delray-Springwells area served as the "Little Hungary" of Detroit and Michigan's Hungarian culture was centered in that community.

[41] After World War I a second wave of Hungarian refugees arrived, who emigrated due to religious and political reasons.

[42] The exception was an area on Barnes and Medina Streets called "Magyar Negyed" where the immigrants mainly originated from Sarud in Heves County.

Beynon wrote that "Practically every Hungarian of Detroit who has not broken away entirely from the people of his own nationality is connected in some way with one or more of these societies or clubs.

"[43] As of 1935 many Hungarians in Delray had been socially isolated to the community and persons who had lived 15 to 20 years in Detroit had never visited the city center.

It subsequently became heavily vandalized and polluted, suffering a number of fires and eventually a gas line explosion, until the building itself was torn down in 2009.