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Council OKs RFQ report, creates mayor-appointed task force to explore Alfred Noble site
Summary
After heated public comment and months of debate, Livonia City Council voted 5–1 to ask the administration for a report and a draft request-for-qualifications (RFQ) to seek partners for the Alfred Noble building; the task force will be volunteer, mayor-appointed and advisory only.
The Livonia City Council on Tuesday voted to ask the administration for a report and a draft request-for-qualifications to seek development partners for the Alfred Noble building, advancing a community-led task force model that council members said would help explore fundraising, grant opportunities and potential adaptive reuse.
The motion, offered by Council Member Rob Donovic and supported by Council Member Carrie Budzinski, passed 5–1 after more than an hour of council debate and extended public comment from residents who urged the city to preserve the midcentury modern structure. Council members and staff described the RFQ as a nonbinding step to solicit proposals and identify interested vendors; the city’s finance director said an RFQ timeline would likely be 30–60 days once posted.
Budzinski, who led the committee discussion, said the 7‑member Noble Task Force would be appointed by the mayor, operate publicly under Michigan’s Open Meetings Act and be unpaid except for any staff support. She said the task force’s roles would include fundraising, grant applications, hosting community events to activate the site in its current condition, and making recommendations to the administration on potential future uses.
Opponents on the council warned the process could “kick the can down the road.” Council Member Scott Morgan said he worried the city had repeatedly discussed Noble for years with little action and urged the administration to make a firm decision to repair or demolish. Proponents replied that the task force is advisory only and designed to bring community resources and specialized volunteers to the table without obligating city capital.
Residents pressed for transparency and milestones. One speaker asked that an engineering study and $25,000 previously authorized be accounted for; others said community groups (including a local 501(c)(3) called the Noble Warriors) had already formed to raise funds and pursue grants. City staff said existing vendor portals (described as the Mitten system in the meeting) could be used to invite proposals at low direct cost to the city.
Council members clarified the RFQ would not commit the city to any contract or sale: it is an exploratory procurement to collect proposals. The motion directs the administration to return with a report and recommended RFQ language and leaves the final decisions about renovation, sale or demolition to future council action.
Next steps: the council asked the administration to form the task force quickly and to return with a recommended RFQ and timeline. The motion passed by roll call, 5 in favor and 1 opposed; councilmembers Budzinski, Scheele, Toye, Donovan and Vice President Tashnik voted yes; Morgan voted no.
