Former Northville psych hospital to become massive commercial/public use space
After years of sitting dark and quiet, wasting way, the former psychiatric hospital property in Northville Township is undergoing changes that are part of a lively economic redevelopment that turns the 400-acre site into a walkable, shoppable, eatable, hang-outable, job-creatable project. Part of the project at 7 Mile and Haggerty roads, known as Northville Park Place, covers about 82 acres, and is being developed by Livonia-based Schostak and its Team Schostak Family Restaurants. A large portion is a public park, walking trails and other amenities that will give visitors a variety of things to do and also connect some locals to their neighborhoods via a trail system. The main hospital and other buildings have yet to be demolished, but the development is proceeding. As the retail and commercial portion of the project enters phase 2, several restaurants and retailers have signed leases to open. They include Tom + Chee, a specialty grilled cheese restaurant; Mediterranean eatery, Red Olive, North Dakota-based Granite City, Seattle-based MOD Pizza, BurgerFi, Chipotle, Jimmy John's are signed leases previously. Several stores are also signed on. Phase 1 was the 100,000-square-foot University of Michigan Northville Health Center. The final phase will be the public space that will also feature water falls, a pond, bike trails and outdoor seating. The re-use of the land was a source of debate for years in the township as several plans and promises were made and broken and red tape for the former state-owned property dragged out a re-use of the prominent piece of land. Source: Jennifer Frey, director of community development, Northville Township Writer: Kim North Shine
