Northville's Former Psych Hospital Slowly Comes Down

Tuesday was the final day of grading and leveling the ground at Northville's former psychiatric hospital, said Tom Casari, Northville Township's director of Public Services.

Both the powerhouse building and maintenance facility were torn to the ground earlier this month.  

"Now we're looking for other options to get other buildings down," he said.

Northville Township contracted with National Environmental Group who contracted with Adamo Group, the same company that demolished the former prison on Five Mile Road, for the asbestos removal and demolition. 

"The actual demolition portion took about eight days for the maintenance building and about a month on the powerhouse," Casari said.

The project started last year but was delayed when workers found asbestos on the property. The work finally resumed in spring and the buildings were cleaned out by June, he said. 

Here are five facts to know about the township's plans for the former psychiatric hospital, also known as the Seven Mile Property. 

1. Demolition of the powerhouse and the maintenance facility plus the cost to remove all of the asbestos was $650,000, Casari said.

2. The high cost of the demolition was due to the abatement of the asbestos, which is in several other buildings on the property. 

3. The township received a $200,000 federal grant, of which the township had to contribute $40,000, from the Environmental Protection Agency for the asbestos and building removal, he said. 

4. The next step is for the township to find funding for further demolition on the property. 

"We’re looking for any grant opportunities to take the buildings down," Casari said.

5. Then, the township will analyze which buildings can be torn down with those funds.

"We'll be looking at that over the next few months to see what we can do next year," he said. 

Casari said any further demolitions won't happen until 2014.

What do you think about the progress on the Seven Mile Property? Tell us in the comments.