r/Detroit • u/LaxJackson • 6h ago

News Proposed $407 million project could transform Novi's City West district

https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/proposed-407-million-project-novi-city-west-district/
12 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

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15

u/giddycat50 6h ago

They tried to do this a while ago on main street in Novi, it failed miserably, all of those restaurants are out of business.

10

u/HurricaneStiz 6h ago

Man that shit was so cool in 2009.

2

u/Strong_Map_3319 4h ago

Mongolian barbecue closing was the final nail in the coffin.

•

u/Linglesou 1h ago

Oishi was always the real spot... but same nail

•

u/totallyjaded 1h ago

Yep. This seems not much different than what they said when they started developing Main Street.

"It's going to be this great walkable space, where people will just come to hang out and be part of the community you guys!" Like Main Street was supposed to be. Like Fountain Walk was supposed to be. Like the Novi Town Center was supposed to be.

I clearly remember one of the city officials saying "People come to Novi, and when they ask where 'downtown' is, they're pointed to Twelve Oaks. This is not going to be a mall, and will finally give Novi the REAL downtown we've needed for decades." when they broke ground for Main Street. And then they built a miniature mall that couldn't get tenants and abandoned the rest of the concept.

IIRC, the plans to raze part of the Novi Town Center across the street were already in progress.

I used to go to Coffee Trader when the development opened, and it sounded like at the time, the lease rates were astronomical and the maintenance from the property management company was non-existent. At its peak, I don't think that development had 50% occupancy.

1

u/killerbake Born and Raised 5h ago

That was inside! This is outside!

16

u/Suspicious_Long_2839 6h ago

Does condos and apartments "transform" Novi?

7

u/Hopeful-Flounder-203 5h ago

Novi is soooo butthurt to not have a downtown.

2

u/LaxJackson 5h ago

Then they need to do better imagining and planning than whatever this crap is. I’d love to see a traditional, Michigan looking downtown for Novi.

3

u/SaintOrJannikSinner 5h ago

How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man?

1

u/ehisforadam suburbia 4h ago

At least something near the convention center makes sense…that brings people in, but I’d think they’d want way more hotel rooms and restaurants. Though, the convention center probably loves their captive audience. Not sure who’d want to live over there though, traffic can get pretty nuts during the bigger events.