Southfield capitalizes on property improvement grants

Façade and streetscape improvement grants are the type of tools normally associated with traditional downtowns, not a commuter-based suburb like Southfield. Think again.

The Cornerstone Development Authority (Southfield's Downtown Development Authority) has awarded a couple of $15,000 grants to the Greenfield Plaza and Northland Towers as part of its Property Improvement Grant program. The idea is to spruce up the aesthetics of the city's lower southeast corner near the Northland Shopping Center commonly known as the Cornerstone District.

"It will beautify the properties," says Mary Daley, interim director of the Cornerstone Development Authority. "Right now the shrubs and trees are young but as they grow they will add a lot of greenery to the property. It's better than looking at concrete."

The program picks winners from its pool of applicants twice a year. The winners work with the authority and a landscape architect to improve their exteriors at the ground level. In the case of both Greenfield Plaza and Northland Towers, new planting beds, shrubs, flowers, and trees were installed to freshen up their entrances.

Source: Mary Daley, interim director of the Cornerstone Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke

Related Tags

Downtown Living, Oakland County, Redevelopment

Southfield capitalizes on property improvement grants

Related Tags

Recommended Content

Across Our Network