Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Westland to See Over $20 Million in New Business Investment

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 734.422.1230

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Westland to See Over $20 Million in New Business Investment

Westland, MI (September 5, 2018) - A slate of new businesses with breathe new life into currently vacant locations around the City of Westland.

On Tuesday, September 5, the Westland City Council voted to approve a special land use and renovation for a proposed UHaul Smart Mobility Center, located at 165 S. Wayne Rd. The property is located at the southeast corner of Wayne Road and Cherry Hill Road and has been vacant since Kmart closed its doors in March of 2017. The overall property comprises 11.548 acres with 435 feet of frontage on Wayne Road and 685 feet of frontage on Cherry Hill Road. Council approved the redevelopment of the site which includes 101,517 square feet of climate controlled storage in the former KMart building, a retail center in the former KMart Auto Center building, as well as truck-share, car-share, bike share services and electrical vehicle charging stations. The project represents a $10 million investment into the current site location.

Council also voted to approve a proposed 27,799 square foot addition to the existing 11,550 square foot building that formerly housed Fire Mountain Restaurant, located at 34615 Warren Rd. in the city's Shop and Dine District. The addition will allow the current building to be transformed into a state of the art banquet facility. The 39,308 square foot building will be constructed with a brick exterior with burnished block accents, representing a $10 million investment.

The vacant land located on the north side of Van Born Road, west of Inkster Road was approved to be re-zoned for general commercial use. The 1.45 acres will be developed with a 9,180 square foot commercial building for use as a Family Dollar store.

For more information, please call Aubrey Berman at (734)467-3200

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Westland Fire Department are licensed paramedics who responded to over 9,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more than 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.