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Resident presses timetable for Northland redevelopment; planner says multi‑phase buildout could take years
Summary
A resident at the Planning Commission public-comment period pressed the commission for a timetable on the long-running Northland redevelopment; staff said the project is being built in phases, with some Greenfield buildings expected this year but full buildout likely to take many years.
During the public-comment portion of the Jan. 29 City of Southfield Planning Commission meeting, resident Garland McWilliams asked when the long-running Northland redevelopment would be completed and raised concerns about vacant theater properties in the area.
McWilliams said he relied on Northland for shopping in the past and wants to know when work will finish. “I drive out there...it's been going on for a few years now…when is that gonna be completed?” he asked.
City Planner Crowe responded that Northland is a multi-phase project and that full buildout “could be another decade or two.” Crowe said the first two buildings along Greenfield were under construction and were expected to be completed and begin occupancy in 2025, with two additional Greenfield buildings expected to begin construction afterward. The large central building on the former mall site and additional phases behind the Greenfield frontage will follow in later phases, and financing and market absorption will pace the schedule.
Crowe told the meeting the project stalled during the pandemic and supply-chain disruptions but is moving forward; the city expects the earliest Greenfield phases to be open and occupied in the coming year if financing and construction continue as planned. Crowley (staff) also explained that Costco, which opened on the Northland site, was constructed separately by Costco’s own contractor after the developer sold them that parcel.
On the subject of vacant theaters, Crowe told the commission that one theater on 12 Mile had been purchased by a church several years ago and that the city’s options are limited: “We can only force them to do property maintenance. That's all we can do.” The planner said the city enforces property maintenance and collects taxes where applicable but cannot force a private owner to redevelop or sell.
Ending
Planner Crowe encouraged residents to follow capital improvement and planning meetings for project updates and to attend a CIP presentation in February for more detail on infrastructure and capital projects related to redevelopment.
