Southfield trying to become a mini-city like those on Woodward.

[D_Town]

"City Centre is becoming a vibrant and friendly place to live, work and play. Its evolution is designed around people and how they live their lives, with restaurants, shops, offices, apartments, public spaces, cultural institutions and recreational activities all within convenient and comfortable walking distance. The reinvention of the district into a walkable, pedestrian-friendly environment allows office workers, residents, students and visitors in the community to spend their days in an environment designed around their interests and lifestyles.

The first phase of implementation includes public infrastructure improvements and pedestrian amenities including new pathways, decorative crosswalks, bus shelters, benches, trash receptacles and bike racks.

The area’s market demand, employment base and adjacent civic center, combined with a 10-minute walk radius, creates a unique opportunity to develop a lifestyle center with a broad appeal to many leading retailers and restaurants."

http://www.southfieldcitycentre.com/mission/





I'm interested to see if this will actually happen within the next 10 years.

[gazhekwe]

The restaurant and carryout places help a lot, but where is the grocery store?

[southen]

reminds me of what troy tossed around a few years back making big beaver the downtown of southeast michigan. i think that pretty much fizzled. urbanism is at its best when it develops naturally, this just reminds me of those lifestyle centers or bloomfield park. its a nice concept but i think the downfall ultimately comes down to the lack of authenticity.

[Bham1982]

This will never happen.

And, yeah, if Troy and West Bloomfield can't get it together to build a fake downtown, Southfield has no chance. That 11 Mile-Lahser area is Vacancy City already.

[louis]

agreed. most downtown centers seem to develop along main avenues or road ways [[for example: Birmingham, Royal Oak, and even Pontiac). lahser seem to awkward and uncentered.

[D_Town]

Those roundabouts would be interesting on evergreen

[gazhekwe]

It is on Evergreen at Civic Center, not Lahser. The roundabouts are at the entrances to the Civic Center complex.

[D_Town]

The location for this is good but the real problem is that there's no real desire to have it. Honestly Southfield is not the most desired community as it was from the 70's through 90's to have this type of project.

[cmubryan]

This will never happen.

And, yeah, if Troy and West Bloomfield can't get it together to build a fake downtown, Southfield has no chance. That 11 Mile-Lahser area is Vacancy City already.

Bloomfield Township, not West Bloomfield.

A lot of the infrastructure and buildings shown in these diagrams already exist. Looks like the major modifications will be to roads and landscaping.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

The location for this is good but the real problem is that there's no real desire to have it. Honestly Southfield is not the most desired community as it was from the 70's through 90's to have this type of project.

Explain why it isn't desired anymore? Desired as in a place to live?

[Danny]

This will never happen.

And, yeah, if Troy and West Bloomfield can't get it together to build a fake downtown, Southfield has no chance. That 11 Mile-Lahser area is Vacancy City already.

I agreewith bham!

Southfield officially doesn't have a full white community anyone. The lastwhite middle class dominate communities in Southfield vanished after 2005. Itwas mostly around 12 to 13 Mile Rds. from Greenfield Rd. to NorthwesternHighway. Dominate Middle Class Black families now occupy those areas from 8Mile Rd. to over 13 Mile Rds from Inkster Rd. to Greenfield Rd. However thereare small pockets of ethnic Jews, Asians and Chaldeans living about in theirown enclaves if you can spot them. Southfield in 2010 census is over 65% black.

Building a new phony downtown in Southfield's financial district is going totake money and trust. Since investors are looking at population centers, crimestatistics and race cards. Downtown a huge phony downtown complex may just apipedream. Let Southfield stay Southfield, peace, quiet with middle class folkswant to have privacy and don't want to be bothered.

[Shollin]

The location for this is good but the real problem is that there's no real desire to have it. Honestly Southfield is not the most desired community as it was from the 70's through 90's to have this type of project.

Neither was Ferndale but you take away a lane of traffic on 9 mile, add a dollar store that is walkable, and you have the hip new place to be apparently.

[Danny]

reminds me of what troy tossed around a few years back making big beaver the downtown of southeast michigan. i think that pretty much fizzled. urbanism is at its best when it develops naturally, this just reminds me of those lifestyle centers or bloomfield park. its a nice concept but i think the downfall ultimately comes down to the lack of authenticity.

I agreewith bham!

Southfield officially doesn't have a full white community anyone. The lastwhite middle class dominate communities in Southfield vanished after 2005. Itwas mostly around 12 to 13 Mile Rds. from Greenfield Rd. to NorthwesternHighway. Dominate Middle Class Black families now occupy those areas from 8Mile Rd. to over 13 Mile Rds from Inkster Rd. to Greenfield Rd. However thereare small pockets of ethnic Jews, Asians and Chaldeans living about in theirown enclaves if you can spot them. Southfield in 2010 census is over 65% black.

Building a new phony downtown in Southfield's financial district is going totake money and trust. Since investors are looking at population centers, crimestatistics and race cards. Downtown a huge phony downtown complex may just apipedream. Let Southfield stay Southfield, peace, quiet with middle class folkswant to have privacy and don't want to be bothered.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

^^Double post?

[Bham1982]

Bloomfield Township, not West Bloomfield.

No, it was West Bloomfield that tried to build the fake downtown. Bloomfield is too snooty and exclusionary to ever endorse something like that.

Maybe five years ago they were aggressively promoting the Orchard Lake Road/Maple intersection as a "Downtown West Bloomfield", complete with real sidewalks, street trees, decorative streetlighting, etc.

Of course nothing happened, and my Belle Tire still sits there, awaiting the strolling masses along urbane Orchard Lake...

[gameguy56]

Neither was Ferndale but you take away a lane of traffic on 9 mile, add a dollar store that is walkable, and you have the hip new place to be apparently.

Southfield has the advantage that it is still a very large commercial center.

[D_Town]

Explain why it isn't desired anymore? Desired as in a place to live?

As in a Metro Detroit trend, as it has a population and construction boom then plateaus and a decline in interest. Southfield went through it, Troy is almost at the point of it, Novi/Clinton Township are popular places going because of the trend of growth.

[Bham1982]

Southfield has the advantage that it is still a very large commercial center.

Yeah, but it isn't walkable, and will never appeal to younger, hip folks.

I don't think Ferndale is that great or anything, but it's built very differently than Southfield. It has a natural appeal for singles and childless couples, especially considering that the region lacks for safe, urban neighborhoods.

[Novine]

"Neither was Ferndale but you take away a lane of traffic on 9 mile, add a dollar store that is walkable, and you have the hip new place to be apparently."

Can we call this stupid? Anyone who was to "downtown" Ferndale 10 years ago wouldn't have seen 1/10th of the activity and business that is going on there now. It's a lot more walkable and inviting and that's why there's been a ton of investment in that area that never would have been considered 15 or 20 years ago.

[Shollin]

Southfield isn't desired because it's an inner ring suburb that borders 8 mile.

[Shollin]

"Neither was Ferndale but you take away a lane of traffic on 9 mile, add a dollar store that is walkable, and you have the hip new place to be apparently."

Can we call this stupid? Anyone who was to "downtown" Ferndale 10 years ago wouldn't have seen 1/10th of the activity and business that is going on there now. It's a lot more walkable and inviting and that's why there's been a ton of investment in that area that never would have been considered 15 or 20 years ago.

A ton of investment? Ferndale is losing population at a faster rate than the more maligned Warren. Their walkable area includes a dollar store and a Buffalo Wild Wings. You're pretty much also supporting what I said. Put a little lipstick and illusion of walkability and it all of a sudden becomes a desirable place despite what the census shows.

[gameguy56]

A ton of investment? Ferndale is losing population at a faster rate than the more maligned Warren. Their walkable area includes a dollar store and a Buffalo Wild Wings. You're pretty much also supporting what I said. Put a little lipstick and illusion of walkability and it all of a sudden becomes a desirable place despite what the census shows.

raw population #s don't really matter as much these days. Chicago lost 200,000 people over the last decade but actually increased median income.

[Bham1982]

raw population #s don't really matter as much these days. Chicago lost 200,000 people over the last decade but actually increased median income.

Detroit has rising median income in most Census counts too. I don't think that's a very good gauge of relative health.

Ferndale is somewhat healthier than Warren, though both cities have issues. Certainly Ferndale has outperformed Warren over the last 10-15 years.

[Shollin]

Detroit has rising median income in most Census counts too. I don't think that's a very good gauge of relative health.

Ferndale is somewhat healthier than Warren, though both cities have issues. Certainly Ferndale has outperformed Warren over the last 10-15 years.

In what way has Ferndale out performed Warren? Any city that boasts a downtown that features a dollar store can't be taken seriously.

[Shollin]

raw population #s don't really matter as much these days. Chicago lost 200,000 people over the last decade but actually increased median income.

Income, poverty, housing value, and crime between Ferndale and Warren are almost indentical.