$425 million Novi bond will fund new activity center, playgrounds, natatorium and phased school renovations

At a public presentation, district leaders and their design and construction partners outlined how a voter-approved bond will be used to renovate and expand Novi schools.

Ben (district presenter) said the community approved a $425,000,000 bond. He said a portion of that funding will support large-scale high-school revitalization, a middle-school STEM addition, athletic-field upgrades and playground replacements at every elementary school over the next two summers. "We will be getting rid of the wood chips" on playgrounds to create accessible, inclusive play spaces, the presenter said.

Stuart Reich, project manager/designer with King Scott, described the activity center as a roughly 200,000-square-foot east-campus addition that will include a natatorium with competition and therapy pools, an activity zone with auxiliary gyms and practice spaces, and a field house with spectator seating and concessions. Reich said the lower level will provide esports, yoga and dance studios, a weight room and remodeled locker rooms. He described a 300-meter indoor track and a 100-yard practice field and said site work will include additional practice fields and upgraded field-event facilities.

Representatives from Fielding (academic design lead) described a 50,000-square-foot Innovation Hub that will serve as swing space during phased renovations. The Fielding presenter outlined three phases: using the hub for temporary classroom relocation and to prioritize renovation of the middle-of-building spaces (to add daylighting and improve circulation); then returning students to renovated areas and repeating the sequence. He said each flexible learning zone is about 2,800 square feet, comparable to the district's mechatronics lab.

Johnny (performing-arts lead) detailed auditorium renovations: improved acoustics via reflectors, new seating and aisles to increase accessibility, stage "calipers" to allow level access for students and staff in wheelchairs, an expanded orchestra pit, updated theatrical lighting and a new permanent sound booth. He said the existing pool area will be repurposed as larger band and orchestra rooms once the new natatorium is built.

On timing, the district presenter said the full program is expected to span about six years, with the activity center estimated at roughly 1.5 to 2 years for its construction phase and recurring project completions every 1.5' years. The presenter said the district and city have completed a traffic study and are planning additional parking, multiple drive options and possible connections to the South Athletic Complex to ease congestion on 10 Mile Road during pick-up and drop-off. He emphasized that the activity center will be zoned separately to permit community use during daytime hours without opening the entire high school.

Project-team partners named in the presentation included King Scott (architecture), Fielding International (academic design), Chrisman Construction (construction manager), Plant Moran/RealPoint (owner's representative), and other named consultants and representatives. The presenters said stakeholder engagement included student advisory teams who participated in design recommendations.

Audience questions covered project timing (six-year overall horizon; near-term projects starting within 1'2 years), how band camp and athletics will operate during turf replacement, traffic and parking mitigation efforts, and security measures to zone the activity center from the school. The team said they would remain after the break to answer further questions.