Northville OKs plans for former hospital site

Northville Township— Bike trails, a community center and an energy park are among the features of a master plan that officials approved this week for the former state psychiatric hospital site on Seven Mile.

The township board approved the plan as a vision for the 350-acre site, Supervisor Mark Abbo said, adding it doesn't mean the township will develop every component.

"This is nothing that will be done overnight," he said. "As the opportunities present themselves, as funding presents itself, we have a blueprint of opportunities."

The township's engineering and landscape architect consultant, Stantec, designed the site based on residents' feedback on four conceptual plans during the fall, officials said. Features of the plan include a skate park, amphitheater and a wetland boardwalk.

"I think it stands to be a really unique facility for the township," said Fred Shadko, a 15-year township resident. One idea he said caught his eye was the Energy Education and Monitoring Center, which could include a classroom connected to a wind turbine, solar field and an oil and gas facility on the site.

"That is a really cool idea," he said. "We'll be able to learn about it and understand how all of that works."

The bike trails will likely be the first projects to appear on the site, as they were the most requested and the most economical, Abbo said. The next step will be cleaning up the site, which still has the hospital buildings.

The central part of the site, which includes the buildings, will be the main area for redevelopment, said Jennifer Frey, director of community development. The township will form subcommittees to move forward on the plan, she said.

The land has been vacant since the hospital closed in 2003. The township bought a large portion of the property in 2009 after voters approved a 20-year, 1.04-mill tax.

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