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Property at Ten Mile & Taft Roads -
Fuerst Property

Fact Sheet - Fuerst Property and Relocation of the Township Hall
July 1, 2008

Background

In 1997, the City of Novi purchased six acres, including a house and three barns, at the southeast corner of Ten Mile and Taft Roads (Fuerst property) from the Novi Community School District for $117,996 for public use. In 2000, a Task Force was convened to study the structures, costs associated with renovating the structures and recommendations for the use of the property. Study recommendations included creating a historical park, and fund raising strategies for the development and restoration of the house, grounds and barns. The Task Force determined $400,000 would have to be secured over a five-year period in order to upgrade the facilities and provide services and programs. Over the past several years, the property has been used for an annual family event and storage of high school homecoming floats and school equipment. To date, $533.85 has been raised for the Fuerst Property through the Fuerst Farm Family Days event.

In November 2007, citizens approved the bond issue for the construction of a new Novi Public Library. The new, 55,000 square-foot library will be located to the west of the existing library facility and requires the relocation of the Township Hall. The timing of this construction presented the opportunity for the City to undertake a process and retain expertise to study its public property adjacent to the Library. The review objectives were to provide quantifiable cost estimates for repair and reuse of the existing structures, gather citizen input, and determine the best overall community use of the property.

In January 2008, the City of Novi issued a Request for Proposal for a Master Plan study of the long term use of the property, including the relocation of the Township Hall. McKenna Associates was retained by the City to conduct a comprehensive study of the property and its structures. Citizens had the opportunity to participate in several ways, including:

• Community input meetings
• Online survey
• Survey at Civic Center
• Parks, Recreation & Forestry Commission Meetings
• Contacting Department staff

Study findings were presented to City Council on April 7, 2008.

On May 12, 2008, City Council approved in the FY 08-09 Budget components of Conceptual Plan B. This plan includes:

• Relocation of the Township Hall west to the City-owned property
• Creation of a gateway plaza at the northwest corner of the property
• Development of pathways
• Landscaping
• Development of a small performing arts stage
• Removal of the existing structures

The following questions have been asked by community members and were considered throughout the planning process:

Why are the existing buildings being removed?
The current structures are not habitable for public use and have not been open to the general public since acquisition. The property has been used for special events and the barns have been used for storage of school surplus equipment and parade floats. Study findings show the cost to restore and improve these structures to be $1.5 million. This cost does not include major site improvements. The cost to remove the structures is $21,478.

What has the City done since purchasing the property and structures in 1997?
In 2000, a citizen task force was convened to study the buildings and the best use of the property. A series of recommendations, including fund raising strategies to raise $400,000 over the next five years, were identified. Since that time, the property has been used for an annual family event and storage of high school homecoming floats and equipment.

How much has been fund raised or donated in the last decade?
In the past decade, other than contributions for special events, $533.85 has been raised from private sources toward improvements/enhancements to the property. Volunteer hours and donated services have assisted with maintenance of the structures.

What has the City done to maintain this property over the past several years?
The City has kept up minimal exterior maintenance of the structures and has not actively used the buildings.

Will there be any private development on the property like a store?
There will not be any private or commercial development on the property. The property will remain City-owned and serve as a community gathering place, hosting community events and programming from the City, the Novi Public Library and other community organizations.

How much money is going to be spent to improve the property?
City Council has allocated $347,250 for improvements to the property in FY 08-09. The City Council also asked to revisit the budget after the prior fiscal year is closed to determine if additional funds can be identified. The budget allocation includes the cost to relocate and make improvements to the Township Hall and removal of the house and barn structures. As part of the approved concept, Township Hall will be relocated and have restrooms attached that will be accessible both from within Township Hall and the property. The first elements identified to be built on the property are a park entry feature at the corner of Ten Mile and Taft Roads and pathways throughout the site. The Library site plan includes pathways extending from the new building to the Fuerst property.

Please see the conceptual property aerial map.

If you have any questions regarding this property and the enhancements, please contact the Community Relations Office at 248-735-5628 or via email.

Fuerst Property Master Plan Study - March 17, 2008

In January 2008, the City of Novi issued a Request for Proposal for a Master Plan study, which would determine the best long-term public use of City-owned property, at the southeast corner of Ten Mile and Taft Roads, comprising 6.5 acres. A recommendation for relocation of the Old Township Hall, which will most likely need to be moved due to the construction of the City’s new Library, was also required.

Potential uses initially identified by the City for the Fuerst Farmstead property included a historical park incorporating the Farmstead and the Old Township Hall, a use associated with the library, an active recreational use (e.g. soccer field), a community/cultural center, or other public use determined by the consultant to be the best long-term use of the site. If a use is recommended that would require relocating the facilities, suggestions for where the historic buildings should be relocated shall be made.  Input from the community was required. 

The first study conducted by McKenna Associates, Inc. for the Fuerst property will be presented to the City Council at the April 7, 2008 meeting.  You can download the study using the links below.

Part 1 (4.9 MB)	Introduction, Property History, Existing Conditions, Building Conditions, Fuerst Property Map, Building Conditions, Existing Land Use Map, Fuerst Property Site Structures
Part 2 (6.2 MB)	Public Participation, Master Land Use Plans, Concept A Map - Restoration, Concept B Map - Adaptive Reuse
Part 3 (3.7 MB)	Concept C - Alternatives, Operations and Maintenance, Recommendations, App. A - Architectural Renderings, Floor Plans and Detail Cost Estimates, App. B - Focus Group Meeting Results, App. C - Web Survey and Atrium Responses
Memo - Study of Potential Use of the Fuerst Property

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