Northville to Begin Walkway Project Construction in July

Beginning at the end of July, the city will move forward with its plan to create a two-story public walkway through the old Girly Daze property owned by Comerica Bank, after the City Council approved a series of easements at its Monday night meeting.

It is expected to be completed by April 2012.

According to a report from Downtown Development Authority director Lori Ward, "The Walkway Project was identified in the 2006 Downtown Strategic Plan as a way to improve pedestrian access to the heart of the Downtown. The project would provide an important public linkage, between the Marquis Parking Lot and Main Street."

Currently, drivers who park in the Marquis lot have to go around either side of the end of Main Street, between Hutton and Center streets, in order to get to the center of Main.

The council passed two different easements Monday night. The first is what is considered a perpetual easement between the city and Comerica Bank, which owns the property. The second, a walk through easement development agreement, lays out specific dates for the plan.

Highlights of the easements, according to language in the documents, are:

• The perpetual easement is subject to termination if either of the parties defaults on its responsibilities.
• City's ownership of air rights: "Comerica grants and conveys to the City, for the benefit of the City and the public, an exclusive easement for air rights..."
• "Initial construction" of the project will be done at the city's expense.
• The city also agrees to pay for maintenance, construction, improvements (of which Comerica must approve) and all other costs, except for an ATM. Comerica will pay for its own ATM.
• Alterations and modifications to the project cannot be made without Comerica's written consent.
• Comerica will retain naming rights. It will be called the "Comerica Community Connection." If Comerica is sold, the new owner retains the naming rights and may change it.
• For use of the property, the city will "hold harmless" Comerica Bank.
• The DDA will assume payment of taxes on the city's portion of the building. But, as City Manager Pat Sullivan explained, the city's portion would likely have no taxable value.

The project's price tag is $800,000, most of which will come from the DDA. It "is inclusive of all architectural and engineering fees," according to the document.

In February, the City Council first approved design plans OK'd by the DDA and Historical District Commission.