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Canton Township Supervisor frames 2026 agenda around partnerships, $9.5M Cherry Hill revitalization and infrastructure investments
Summary
In a wide-ranging address, the Canton Township Supervisor outlined recent and planned projects made possible through regional and private partnerships, including a $9.5 million Cherry Hill Village revitalization, multimillion-dollar road, sidewalk and pedestrian-bridge grants, public-safety funding and collaborative planning for a countywide transit millage in 2026.
The Canton Township Supervisor used a speech framed around the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence to emphasize that collaboration — among local, county, state and federal partners — is central to the township’s 2026 agenda.
The supervisor said a $9.5 million Cherry Hill Village revitalization, supported with Wayne County and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell using American Rescue Plan Act funds, has spurred private investment and public improvements. “One of the most visible examples of collaboration is a $9.5 million Cherry Hill Village Revitalization effort,” the supervisor said, noting preservation work and new amenities.
The speech highlighted several completed and planned infrastructure projects: Preservation Park’s reopening with a new farmers market pavilion and 37 new park spaces; restoration of the Henry Ford factory into a two-story community center; and multiple transportation grants. The township received a $908,626 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) award to fill sidewalk gaps within a quarter mile of five schools (Hondo Elementary, the high school campus, Plymouth Academy, Dodson Elementary and Gallimore Elementary). Canton also secured a $2.6 million grant for a roundabout at Sheldon and Palmer Road (planned for 2027) and a separate SEMCOG grant for a Denton and Ridge Road roundabout planned for 2029.
On road repairs, the supervisor said Wayne County granted Canton $1 million in 2025 to repair alkali-silica-reaction (ASR)–affected roads, supplementing a $5 million grant secured in 2024; the township’s engineering team expects to replace the remaining ASR roads in 2026. Canton also received $750,000 through a revived Township Match program for neighborhood and subdivision road work. The supervisor said the township will invest over $2 million to fill sidewalk gaps in 2026 and estimated about 4 miles of sidewalk gaps would be filled that year.
Public-safety partnerships and funding featured prominently. Canton's fire department led a western Wayne coalition awarded $4.8 million in federal funds and $1.2 million in county funds (a combined $6 million) to deploy an emergency-vehicle preemption system intended to reduce response times. The supervisor noted ongoing collaborations between the Canton Police Department and the Attorney General’s Organized Retail Crime Unit, and praised a partnership with Kids Talk Children’s Advocacy Center; Officer Jennifer Giannola received the 2025 Linda Baker Advocate of the Year Award.
Environmental protections were singled out as another area where interjurisdictional action paid off. The supervisor described Canton joining neighboring communities to oppose proposed radioactive waste disposal at Wayne Disposal Landfill; a court issued an injunction in 2024 and an expanded injunction in August 2025 that barred radioactive waste from Michigan landfills, after which the Army Corps rerouted the waste to Texas. Canton testified before the Michigan Senate Committee on Energy and Environment and the supervisor said the township continues to pursue legal and legislative reforms.
The address also noted state and federal grant support for a pedestrian bridge over I-275 (a $3,250,000 state grant and $1 million from Wayne County), and a $400,000 state grant to support the Michigan Avenue Innovation Network (MAIN), for which Canton engaged Plante Moran and Real Point to develop a portal to attract industry.
Looking ahead, the supervisor said a change in Michigan law that ended local opt-outs for transit millages will put a countywide transportation millage before Canton voters in 2026; Canton and seven western Wayne communities plan to gather resident and business input and develop a draft transportation plan for public review. The supervisor said a draft Army Corps flood-resilience study of local waterways, including Fellows Creek, would be shared with the community in the coming week.
The address closed by returning to the theme of shared purpose: “Our greatest achievements come from shared purpose, mutual trust, and strong partnership,” the supervisor said, and pledged continued collaboration among governments, nonprofits and residents in 2026.
The speech included a mix of completed projects, funded plans and items for further public engagement; no formal motions or votes were recorded during the address. The township said next procedural steps include community briefings on the Corps draft study and continuing public outreach on the county transportation plan ahead of the 2026 ballot.
