Construction of pedestrian walkway set for spring

The new Belleville Road pedestrian walkway over I-94 is expected to be bid out in February and constructed next spring.
This is the report Van Buren Township Downtown Development Executive Director Susan Ireland gave to DDA members at their July 25 meeting.
Ireland said she attended an earlier meeting that day at the Taylor Office of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).
She said the pathway will be 10-feet wide with a two-foot shoulder on each side. A 6’x6’ sign will be included in the total project.
Ireland said she is talking with Detroit Edison on the lighting for the pathway.
Actually, Ireland said, MDOT refers to the project as a “Bridge Widening for Pedestrian Walk.” There will be another planning meeting in October or November, she said.
Aerotropolis
Most of the time at the two-and-a-half-hour DDA meeting on July 25 was spent listening to a report on the Detroit Region Aerotropolis and discussing whether the VBT should pay the $25,000 annual dues to continue to participate in Aerotropolis.
The DDA finally unanimously agreed to pay the 2017 dues for the township with several conditions, including:
• Quarterly updates during the next year; and
• Assurance of a seat on the executive board under the proposed changes to the Inter-Local Agreement.
Ireland said VBT has been paying the $25,000 annual dues without a vote on the executive board. Now, it will get a vote. But, first the Inter-Local Agreement needs to be changed.
Robert Luce, executive director of the Detroit Region Aerotropolis since March, presented a three-year plan to the DDA on business attraction and development.
He said recent progress of Aerotropolis included a parcel / infrastructure identification project. He provided feedback on recent site-selector visits to the township and shared plans for improving the public-private partnerships within the district.
The Aerotropolis, he said, is made up of seven communities and two counties, developed around two airports. He said there are 6,000 acres of developable land.
He pointed out the American Center for Mobility is a $100 million, 300-acre federally designated site as a connected and autonomous vehicle test facility.
Luce said he is working to regain the trust of the communities within the Aerotropolis, as well as stabilize and grow the organization.
“Van Buren Township is located in a prime area,” Luce said.
He said Aerotropolis submitted 15 VBT sites for consideration on 14 projects. He added Romulus gets a lot of attention, as well.
Belleville Road Streetlights
Ireland reported she recently met with Detroit Edison’s community lighting division and discussed the conversion of the existing street lighting on Belleville Road and a new lighting along the pathways for the proposed pedestrian overpass.
Ireland said DTE indicated there would not be cost savings to doing both of the projects at the same time, so they will treat each of these as two separate projects.
The existing Belleville Road streetlight fixtures are 2001 models. DTE is checking to see if the current fixtures are capable of being retrofitted, she said.
Ireland said DTE suggested the DDA consider installation of a shorter lighting fixture that would be more of a pathway light for the paths to the pedestrian overpass. There are several styles and can be a direct bury, eliminating the need for a concrete foundation, she said.
Belleville Road Placemaking
Ireland reported that TEK Environmental and Consulting Services expect to begin the abatement project on Aug. 7. As soon as this is completed, the contractor will be able to begin demolition of the house, which will be rebuilt.
She said Wakely is working on drawings for the electrical, civil, mechanical, and structural. A meeting will be scheduled with the landscape architect to review the conceptual site layout to make suggested changes to items such as pathways, gazebo(s), picnic areas, and irrigation.
Belleville Road Rights-of-Way
Ireland reported she has met with Commonwealth and the DDA is winding down this phase of the right-of-way acquisition project. She said there are two parcels in probate and she has completed the land divisions for what the DDA has acquired.
Ireland said they have pushed this right-of-way acquisition as far as they can because the DDA can’t condemn property. She said the DDA went by the Federal Relocation Act.
In the future, if the owners of some rights of way are still unwilling to sell their property, it would be the township that would have to do the condemning.
Financial actions
The DDA accepted the 2016 year-end audit, amended the 2017 budget to add payment to Aerotropolis of $25,000, and approved the proposed 2018 budget.
Assistant Director’s Report
DDA Assistant Director Lisa Lothringer presented a report on her e-mail outreach, a press release on the summer youth employment project, advertisements, and other work in progress.