SOUTHFIELD:
AT RISK?
Southfield
already houses
6,400
businesses.
Planners and
economic
development
experts hope
the City Centre
project, outlined
in the
accompanying
map, will help
create a new
downtown for
the city.
into a hub for business,
dining and entertainment.
Last month, plans came a
step closer to completion as
city officials and the
Maryland-based landscape
consulting firm, LDR
International, unveiled
their game plan at a public
reception held at
REDICO's Allied Center.
Construction is under
way in the City Centre's
corridor near Civic Center
Drive, east of the Lodge,
which will receive a new
look in the next 15 to 20
years. Included is
David Hermelin and
REDICO principals
recently moved their
offices from Troy to
Southfield.
REDICO's 480,000-square-
foot residential structure
now being built. In addition,
plans are under review for
a 21-story, 200-unit luxury
apartment complex within
the Civic Center Drive
area, expected to break
ground in early 1992.
The city hired LDR to
draft an outline for an 850-
acre midtown expansion.
According to the firm's
study, today's City Centre
core represents a corporate'
campus and is in great
need of a pedestrian-
friendly environment. Pro-
posed are shuttle services,
a transportation station,
upscale retail shops, luxu-
FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES
HEADQUARTERED IN SOUTHFIELD
Allied Signal Automotive
Independent automobile suppliers; Southfield employees: 225; Total
employees: 40,000; Sales: S4.2 billion.
Federal Mogul Corporation
ry apartments, avenues
lined with trees, bistros
and cafes with outside din-
ing, sidewalks, parking
garages and a town square.
"We want to integrate
buildings physically," said
Donald Gross, Southfield's
director of community de-
velopment. Mr Gross' City
Hall office is walking
distance to a few restau-
rants across Evergreen.
"But we don't walk. Why
don't we walk? We need to
bring buildings closer to
the street so people feel
comfortable walking."
The city also is beefing
up code enforcement and is
changing its focus to
redevelopment and
upgrading of older,
blighted areas.
Southfield's conceptual
development plan for the
City Centre began in 1988,
after the Urban Land In-
stitute and the Interna-
tional Downtown Associ-
ation sponsored a national
forum.
"Participants agreed
Eli Robinson: "We are
looking for people
places."
that these growth centers
are important, but there
were few good models
available to guide their
future," the plan states.
"Southfield City Centre
provides an opportunity to
establish such a model."
LDR principal Jim Cloar
is optimistic Southfield
will prosper.
"Southfield is trying to
capture all the good
qualities of urban living,"
Mr. Cloar said. "So many
office centers that develop
in cities all over the coun-
try look alike. This won't.
For the competitive edge, it
must look different.
"Southfield needs to fill
in its blanks," said Mr.
Cloar, who unveiled LDR's
plans and a new city
brochure in November.
"You shouldn't drive from
City Hall to Friday's (res-
taurant, which is across
the street). It is not far. It
just seems far."
If approved by the City
Council, the project, one of
Southfield's most am-
bitious, would be
implemented over time.
Total costs are not known,
but the city has said it
hopes to look toward pri-
vate developers for the
bulk of the costs.
In the next decade,
REDICO hopes to build of-
fice towers and a shopping
area and possibly more
apartment units as well.
Furthermore, Lopatin de-
velopers are mapping out a
strategy for the parcel of
land at Nine Mile and
Evergreen which houses
the Duns Scotus campus.
If Southfield is successful
in creating a downtown
Continued on Page 31
Manufacturing and distributing vehicles and machinery components and
fastening systems; Southfield employees: 550; Total employees: 15,500; Sales
S1.1 billion.
Thorn Apple Valley
Meat processors; Southfield employees: 75; Total employees: 3,000;
Sales: $670 million.
•
Lear Siegler Seating
Manufacturer of automobile and truck seating systems, automotive patterns;
Southfield employees: 190; Total employees: 10,100; Sales: 51.07 billion.
FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES
WITH OFFICES IN SOUTHFIELD
Electronic Data Systems
Information technology solutions; Southfield employees: unknown (11,000
in metro Detroit); Total employees: 61,000; Revenue: S6.1 billion.
Chrysler Financial Corporation
Financial services, non-bank finance company for automotive and non-
automotive clients; Southfield employees: 614; Total employees: 6,500 in U.S.
and Canada; Revenue: 5313 million net earnings fdr Chrysler Corp.
Eaton Corporation
Manufacturer of highly engineered components for automotive and industrial
sectors; Southfield employees: 250; Total employees: 39,000; Sales: net $3.6
billion (engineering, development center of new and existing products).
International Business Machines
Information processing; Southfield employees: unknown; Total employees:
373,816 worldwide; Revenues: $69 billion (marketing and services center).
Dow Chemical
Manufacturer and supplier of chemicals, plastic resin; Southfield employees:
100; total employees: 62,000 worldwide; Sales: 519.8 billion (sales center).
NOTABLE BUSINESSES
LOCATED IN SOUTHFIELD
. Allstate Insurance, midwest regional office
Florist Transworld Delivery System (FTD), headquarters
W.B. Doner, advertising
Providence Hospital
Stone and Simons Advertising
Plante and Moran, accountants and consultants
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan
Michigan Bell Telephone
WXYZ-TV 7
WJBKIV 2
The Jewish News
Oakland County Health Department
Xerox Corporation
Dayton-Hudson Corporation
Nationwide Security, Inc.
- Michigan National Bank
Royal Maccabees Mutual Life Insurance Co.
Electronic Data Systems (EDS)
International Business Machines (IBM)
Ssources: City of Southfield community relations, Dun and Bradstreet,
Standard and Poors, Fortune Magazine, Crain's Detroit Business. Information
compiled in August 1991.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
27