Potential Five Mile Business Project Creates Buzz Nationally, Locally

Details about the development of the area near Five Mile and Beck Roads were highlighted at a Northville Township Board meeting Thursday.

Recent buzz about the business development potential of the land near Five Mile and Beck Roads on the Northville/Plymouth border bubbled up at the Northville Township Board of Trustees meeting Thursday night.

According to trustees, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder will sign Senate Bill 425, which proposes the sale of the vacant Robert Scott Correctional Facility property, within a couple of weeks.

"I get calls from offices statewide inquiring about the sale of this parcel," said Lisa Nocevino, Vice President of Strategic Communications Solutions, a Novi-based public relations firm which provides tactical support and development strategies to government clients. Nocevino was a guest at Thursday's meeting.

"This is not a buzz just here, it's a buzz in Washington as well," Nocevino said. "It's a world class parcel because of its location. There is a lot of interest being generated about the collaboration that's happening here."

Northville Township Trustee Marjorie Banner said the township has been in talks with Plymouth Township to develop ideas on how to best utilize the property as an industrial area.

"We've been working on this undertaking for awhile. We are excited about what's to come of this area," Banner said.

According to Nocevino, legislators support the collaborative efforts between the two townships.

"Due to tough economic conditions, cities should come together and try to strengthen the economy when they can," she said. "This is collaboration at its best."

One Northville Township resident in attendence at the meeting, however, said he would rather see the township put its attention on another vacant property two miles to the north.

"It amazes me how the buzz about the workings of the Five Mile project made it all the way to Washington while residents have been asking Northville Township to do something about the abandoned hospital that's on Seven Mile and Haggerty road for quite some time now," said Steve Emsley.

Emsely explained his paranoia of someone being severely hurt inside the vacant former mental hospital.

"It is in bad shape, the windows are out, the property is not secure. There has to be something done about this or something bad is going to happen," he said.

According to the board of trustees, 80 arrests have been made this year in attempts to keep the area safe, over-time patrols have been hired and trespassing ticket fines has been set at $220.

The board said that based on the township's budget, no further efforts can be made this time.

As read on: http://plymouth-mi.patch.com/articles/bot-meeting-unveils-governor-s-plan