Southfield City Centre

To care for his own mental health during the coronavirus pandemic and Michigan stay-at-home order, Dennis Paryaski enjoys taking a walk near his home in the Southfield City Centre. He appreciates the wide shared-use pathways and the roundabouts on Evergreen Road, and he’s even grateful that traffic has become calmer during this time.

“I like to imagine that the whole City Centre complex exists just for me,” he says.

As a clinical therapist with Oakland Hills Counseling, Paryaski recognizes the value of caring for his mental health during a time of unparalleled uncertainty. Paryaski draws upon his 24-year career as a retired Southfield Police officer and detective, which he says provided a strong foundation for the work he does today as a psychologist.

Here, Paryaski shares some helpful tips for coping with the isolation, uncertainty and fear of living through the coronavirus pandemic.

You are a human being. Can you be a “human doing?”
Isolation and loneliness can lead to depression, says Paryaski. To combat this, he recommends getting up and doing something. “Every day is an opportunity, and there are opportunities within every day to be productive, so approach it with that mindset. Don’t be passive,” he says. Walk a dog, ride a bike, or do something that makes you feel productive, even if it is just sweeping your floor, vacuuming your carpet or organizing your kitchen cabinets.

Reach out to others.
“Social distancing limits this, but you can always make phone calls,” Paryaski says. “If you have elderly relatives, call them. This is the time to have frequent conversations. Drive by their house and talk to them from their porch or balcony.”

Get moving.
“Everyone identifies exercise as a holistic enterprise that oxygenates your blood and releases endorphins in your brain to enhance your mood,” says Paryaski. “Weather permitting and provided you can do it in a safe way, get some exercise. You can do this just by taking a walk on the sidewalk.”

Bring order to chaos.
Disrupted routines can feel chaotic. “This is not calm or peaceful,” says Paryaski. The need for order is one reason people are drawn to jigsaw puzzles right now. “What is a puzzle? It’s a box filled with the chaos of unconnected pieces. By connecting the pieces, we bring order to the chaos, which can be a very therapeutic enterprise,” he says. Other ways to create order include building with Legos, writing poems, playing music on a guitar or other instrument, and painting.

Create something to look forward to.
Paryaski remembers going for a drive with his parents when he was young. “There was no destination. Oftentimes, it was just about getting out of the house,” he says. Having something to look forward to can help when we are feeling angsty or shut in. Any activity that you can plan will help you recognize that you are controlling your own choices. Paryaski suggests trying a simple activity like flying a kite. “Find an open field, get some branches from your yard and put a garbage bag over the sticks. Maybe establish an online kite challenge and see how many will participate. Post videos or photos,” he suggests.

Find ways to celebrate accomplishments.
Loved ones may be experiencing a new type of grief that comes from the sudden end to all organized activities, says Paryaski. “I think about student-athletes in their senior year. Whether they play softball or baseball, participate in track or other NCAA sports or even high school basketball championships, these were their dreams and they were looking forward to this with anticipation or excitement, and all of it was pulled out from under them. This is a significant loss,” he says. The sudden end to these activities is a form of death or a “death of a dream,” Paryaski says, and can invoke feelings of grief that can go unacknowledged. “Who wouldn’t feel sad about not being able to do this significant event?”

While we can’t control these cancellations, we can recreate celebrations in our own way. “Look for opportunities to celebrate in any way you can. It might be multiple times in multiple ways, but celebrate now. Just because the school won’t conduct a graduation ceremony, still do what you can do to celebrate,” he says.

Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. 
Anxiety and depression tend to cause an inward spiral and downward focus. “You orbit yourself, and that can be unhealthy,” says Paryaski, adding that one hallmark is continued extreme negative self-appraisal. “The hope is at some point you realize you are becoming inward and downward so you can look up and out. That’s where getting help steps in.”

Connect with a mental health provider to build a relationship to help process your thoughts and feelings, Paryaski suggests. Or, find a trusted friend who can serve as a sounding board. “When individuals talk about an issue, they come to a different place by virtue of the fact that they have someone to help facilitate,” he says. Sometimes just airing your feelings brings resolution.

Practice gratitude.
“This virus brings our sense of mortality to the forefront and makes us aware of our vulnerabilities, so it’s a good time to take inventory of what we are grateful for,” he says. “In a way, the virus has turned off some chaos [of everyday life]. It has quieted us and stilled us in such a way as we can take inventory and express gratitude. My hope is that people can have a phoenix-type experience through this, on both an individual basis and a community basis.”

On March 9, 2020, a virtual ceremonial groundbreaking for the LTU shared-use pathway expansion marked the beginning of construction work on 0.6 linear miles. Through a plan nearly two years in the making, the Southfield City Centre Trail will be expanded in two phases this spring and summer.

The first is a more than half mile shared-use path construction along southbound Northwestern Highway between Civic Center Drive and W. 10 Mile Road, adjacent to the campus of Lawrence Technological University. The new path will connect the Southfield City Centre and LTU with a 10-foot wide shared-use path built to standards set forth by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities. Portions of the trail will include a 14-foot pathway with decorative fence adjacent to the Evans Drain.

The path will connect LTU to the existing Southfield City Centre Trail to provide safe non-motorized access for students, faculty and staff to the many amenities in the City Centre, including shops, restaurants and year-round events.

“We are delighted that this new pathway will enhance access between Lawrence Technological University and the many offices, restaurants, recreational and municipal facilities, and other amenities in the Southfield City Centre,” said Virinder K. Moudgil, Ph.D., president and CEO of

Lawrence Technological University. “The easier it is for all portions of our community to interact with each other, the more that all of our constituencies benefit. Creating that sense of place and interaction is a positive step for all concerned.”

The new path is being funded in part through a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant, allocated by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG). The balance of funding will be shared between the Southfield City Centre and LTU. The City of Southfield received notification of the TAP award on June 14, 2018. The estimated construction cost of the project is $847,687, to which the TAP grant will contribute up to $455,378. Additional costs for engineering, design, contract inspection, management and administration fees will be paid by LTU.

This first stage of the project will bring the Southfield City Centre trail closer to the 7.75-mile fully connected pathway system that will provide access to heart-healthy activity and social connection within the City Centre. Planned wayfinding signage, tree installation and other pedestrian enhancements will be added when the construction is complete, and LTU has committed to routine yearly maintenance of the pathway, boardwalk and bridge for the design life of the project.

“As a city that was principally developed in the mid-20th century, Southfield was designed around the automobile. Today, we are working to soften the impact of the automobile in numerous ways with zoning changes, reduction in parking lot requirements, placemaking and walkability,” said Southfield Mayor Kenson Siver. “We have made great strides in making Southfield a more pedestrian-friendly community. The new pathway is the latest addition to miles and miles of new and wider sidewalks that have been installed in recent years in Southfield.”

The project is scheduled to be completed by early May 2020, and an additional phase that will construct a pathway from Evergreen Road south to 9 Mile Road will be completed during the summer.

The consulting engineer on the project is OHM Advisors. DiPonio Contracting is the prime contractor and Al’s Asphalt is the subcontractor.

For further information, contact Terry Croad, Director of Planning, at 248-796-4150

Early in the morning on Saturday, Dec. 7, 120 students at Lawrence Technological University lined up to complete one final assignment of their college career: graduation. They dressed up, donned their gowns and mortarboards, and walked across the stage at the Don Ridler Field House on campus in the Southfield City Centre.

In 2019, for the first time ever, LTU held a winter commencement to honor the 250 students who graduated mid-academic year.

“We always wanted to have a winter commencement and give graduating students that sense of accomplishment,” says Lisa Kujawa, associate provost for enrollment and outreach at Lawrence Technological University.

Earlier in the year, LTU held its first on-campus graduation ceremony, awarding degrees and certificates to more than 600 students during three separate commencement events on May 11, 2019. Previous graduation ceremonies were held at facilities around metro Detroit, but the university brought commencement back to the Southfield City Centre camps as part of an overall vision to connect students to their alma mater.

Kujawa credits LTU President Virinder Moudgil for his approach to creating traditions that students will remember fondly long after leaving LTU.

“Dr. Moudgil is one of the best presidents we have had because he understands the importance of creating traditions that the students will remember,” she says. On-campus graduation with Blue Devil blue robes with the LTU logo on both sides helps students show and share their pride of being an LTU graduate, she says.

Students Join the Workforce Promptly

By adding a winter commencement ceremony, the university is able to better manage the numbers of students who graduate at different times of the academic year. It also allows graduating students the opportunity to celebrate, then proceed directly into the workforce.

“Of 250 [winter] graduates, 120 walked, and maybe the remainder will walk in May,” says Kujawa. “That shows that many of them don’t want to wait; they want to pursue their careers now.”

The number of LTU grads who have jobs within three months of graduating is 92%, and recently increased from 87%, says Kujawa. “The national average is 67%,” she says. “The type of school we are, as a private STEM-focused university that prepares students for careers in the marketplace that are needed.”

Perfect Time to Show Off the Southfield City Centre Campus

No matter the time of year, the commencement ceremonies give students and graduates the opportunity to show off their campus and the vibrant business climate in the Southfield City Centre.

“They bring their parents back, especially our international students, whose parents are coming to the university for the very first time,” Kujawa says. “It creates that important connection to the campus and to the Southfield City Centre and who we are. Everywhere in Southfield there were signs that congratulated the graduates.”

Commencement exercises are such a source of pride, says Kujawa, LTU is thrilled to add a second chance for graduates to participate when most appropriate for them.

“When you are in higher education, especially in my role in enrollment and outreach, you see every class come in as young freshman, and then see them walk across the stage and recognize they are men and women ready to pursue a career,” says Kujawa. “They are one of you, part of your family, an LTU graduate.”

Lawrence Tech is excited to share graduation season, winter or spring, with the wider area, and Kujawa says the “gowns and towns” connection between the Southfield City Center and Lawrence Tech is strong.

“It’s seamless now and we are one family, LTU and the City Centre, the businesses and residents,” she says. “This I believe is a golden gem and will always be a center of pride for all of us. It’s all about fostering relationships and being successful.”

SOUTHFIELD – A new national study of the value of a college education placed Lawrence Technological University fourth in Michigan and in the top 7 percent of 4,500 colleges surveyed by the U.S. Department Education for its 2019 College Scorecard.

The government data was analyzed by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. Using a complex calculation of net present value of a college degree, a Lawrence Tech graduate can expect a net-present-value return of $1,124,000 over 40 years on the investment in a college degree. That places the university fourth among Michigan colleges, just ahead of Michigan State University. It ranks first in the three-county Metro Detroit area.

The study ranked private universities ahead of public universities nationwide in the career-long value of a degree. Three of the top 10 colleges were specialty pharmacy schools in New York, Missouri, and Massachusetts. Two others were maritime academies in Maine and New York.

“The results of this study emphasize Lawrence Tech’s commitment to preparing its graduates for productive careers,” LTU President Virinder Moudgil said. “Our graduates are ready to hit the ground running in their first job and usually that will result in greater earning power in the years to come. A Lawrence Tech degree gives our graduates a head start on their peers at most other universities.”

Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, and Engineering. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 15 percent of universities for the salaries of its graduates, and U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best Midwestern universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.