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Westin Southfield Detroit is a Landmark with a Whole New Look
Westin Southfield Detroit is a Landmark with a Whole New Look Southfield City Centre

Checking in to a hotel used to feel like a combination of making a bank transaction and ordering cold cuts at a deli counter.

But no more.

At the Westin Southfield Detroit hotel in the Southfield City Centre, the traditional tall, imposing reception desk has been sent to pasture, and has been replaced by four clean, minimalist pods, greatly increasing the personal connection each reception associate can offer guests.

It’s kind of like a truly personal welcoming home for friends and family.

This reimagined space is just one highlight of the fresh new look at the Westin Southfield Detroit. On April 26, the 12-floor Southfield Town Center hotel opened its doors to city officials, community leaders, first responders, and top customers to celebrate the completion of its $14 million renovation.

“Because of its central location, the hotel is appealing to people at companies that do business around the area. The hotel continues to be a landmark here. This warranted the reinvestment into the hotel by ownership group Atrium Hospitality,” says Bryan Best, regional director of sales and marketing for the Westin Southfield.

Included in the renovation were guest corridors and rooms, plus public and meeting spaces. The hotel has 338 guest rooms and 47,000 square feet of meeting space, the largest of which is the Algonquin Ballroom, which seats 400 for dinner within its 4,628 square feet.

“Westin is a lifestyle company that likes to provide natural, uncluttered spaces, with nature brought right into the hotel,” says Best. His favorite update is the “living wall” in the lobby.

“It’s a very unique piece, like living art,” he says, adding that it’s a favored selfie spot for guests and wedding parties alike.

This art is a great complement to the various art installations strategically scattered around the walkable Southfield City Centre district, offering aesthetically-pleasing experiences from every perspective.

“With the Southfield City Centre making investments in public art, we feel what we offer here is a great contribution to the community, and our guests are within walking distance to those amenities as well,” says Best. “The development of the Evergreen Road corridor is something we are proud to show off to people who visit from all over the world.”

Regardless of season, hotel guests, visitors, and tenants of the Town Center buildings can walk through bright, open spaces, indoors and out, says Best. With plenty of amenities within walking distance, guests get the best of a walkable district with a welcoming feel.

“Those who live in the condominiums and townhomes near the hotel, and those who visit the restaurants close by, have a lot of very nice walking space which wasn’t there before.”

Guests are also welcome to take advantage of the Zagster bike share program to travel further afield within the City Centre district.

Part of the Town Center since 1987, the Westin Southfield Detroit was among the first phases of the then-Prudential Town Center Complex. It was originally a Radisson, and was purchased by Starwood in the late 1990s and unveiled as a Westin.

With the extensive renovation, the Westin Southfield Detroit is making a statement that it’s here to stay.

“Whether we are accommodating guests from across the country, or welcoming local residents to Easter brunch or Mother’s Day brunch, at the end of the day, we are part of the Southfield community,” says Best. “We’re proud to be here.”

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Northwestern Highway Project Means New Road, Lots of Other Extras
Northwestern Highway Project Means New Road, Lots of Other Extras Southfield City Centre

The optimistic among us see road construction as a temporary inconvenience that is soon forgotten when we experience the silky-smooth ride of a freshly repaved roadway.

In the case of the Northwestern Highway project that begins late May, Southfield City Centre residents, visitors, and workers are getting a lot more than filled potholes. Following a “complete streets” philosophy, city planners and engineers are making the roadways more accessible for all users. Cyclists, pedestrians, and vehicle users will benefit from the many improvements in this plan.

Here’s what to expect:

  • Quality resurfacing. “The most important thing people want to know is if the Northwestern service drive will be resurfaced. Yes. There will be no more potholes,” says Leigh Schultz, P.E., engineer with the City of Southfield. “The existing concrete will stay in place, with a slab replacement, and a double layer of new asphalt overlay. That means a longer life than just a thin overlay would provide.”
  • Repaved driveway approaches. “Because we are coming up four inches on the road, the driveway approaches will be repaved for the businesses,” Schultz says.
  • Road diet. The segment between Mt. Vernon and Civic Center Drive will be reduced from three lanes to two, and a bike lane will be added. “With the traffic volumes this segment gets, we do not need three lanes, so we are striping it as a bike lane to get some non-motorized benefit,” says Schultz. The curbs here will remain the same, since this is not a total reconstruction.
  • Sidewalk gaps filled. This is the final corridor in the Southfield City Centre to have a major road project, and the bonus benefit will be continuous sidewalks for cyclists and pedestrians throughout. In total, 1,000 feet of gap will be filled.
    All sidewalks will be wide. Narrower existing sidewalks on Northwestern to Lahser will be replaced with 10-foot wide shared-use sidewalks.
  • Pedestrian improvements on the Mt. Vernon bridge. “What we are doing is making this bridge ADA-compliant by putting in ramps and filling in gaps,” Schultz explains. During construction, the bridge will be closed, and there will be detours posted.
  • At last, the Lawrence Tech campus will be connected to the City Centre. “There will be 150 lineal feet of sidewalk added to the north side of the 10 Mile Road bridge over Northwestern Highway, including the associated sidewalk ramps, to provide an accessible crossing of the freeway.  This provides much need connectivity from the LTU campus to the south part of the City Centre district,” says Schultz.
  • Intersection improvements. At Evergreen Rd., steel mast arms will replace the older-style wire spans for the traffic lights. Where steel mast arms are not installed, the traffic lights will be configured as a box span, rather than a diagonal span.
  • Forward-planning for connected vehicle technology. New signals will have the capability to proceed with emerging connected technology, as monitored and maintained by the Road Commission for Oakland County.

Expect this construction to impact travel, even though the Northwestern service drive will not be completely closed, there will be one to two lanes open. “The first week or two are hectic, as people try it to see how congested it is,” says Schultz. “It’s always best to avoid construction areas, and there are many good alternatives in the Southfield area.”

Overall, the project’s price tag is about $6 million, with the City Centre’s expected contribution being $60,000 toward the pedestrian improvements. “Federal dollars are what make these projects move forward,” says Schultz. “$1.7 million of this total amount is from federal funds.”

Check back in November for an update, when the project is complete. Soon after that, the inconvenience will be a distant memory.

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LTU Football Returns September 1
LTU Football Returns September 1 Southfield City Centre

Lawrence Technological University will return to the gridiron for the first time in 72 years on Saturday, September 1, when LTU’s new football team takes on Oakland University’s club team.

LTU’s 2018 schedule features four home games that will be played on-campus in Southfield at the LTU Athletic Field, along 10 Mile Road west of Evergreen Road.

Following the Blue Devils’ opening rumble with the 2014 National Club Football Association Champions, the Golden Grizzlies, the Blue and White cross state lines for a trip to Milwaukee, Wis., to face off with Wisconsin Lutheran on Sept. 8.

Season tickets to all four home games, plus the spring Blue vs. White game on April 22, are available for only $40 on LTUAthletics.com.

In addition to access through the gate, season ticket holders will receive an exclusive gift from the Lawrence Tech football program.

Current LTU students will have free admission to home games. Students wishing to purchase the season pass, however, will receive full ticket holder benefits as well as the official 2018 Blue Devil Football student section shirt.

LTU will play a full schedule in the fall of 2019 as a member of the Mid- States Football Association of the NAIA.

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Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Walk Moves to City Centre!
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Walk Moves to City Centre! Southfield City Centre

Southfield City Centre is the new venue for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Take Steps Walk on June 9, 2018. The family-friendly walk will cover 2.6 miles across the City Centre’s walkable district, with an available one-mile shortcut.

The City Centre is perfectly suited for the event, says Sarah Arminiak, Take Steps manager for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. “Southfield City Centre is hands-down beautiful, like a park in the middle of an urban city. The walking route is gorgeous, and highlights benches, plants, flowers, art, and wide sidewalks,” Arminiak says. Up to 1,500 participants and 100 volunteers will enjoy the ample space and welcoming vibe of the City Centre district.

A pre-walk festival on the Civic Center lawn will provide entertainment and information, including booths from Henry Ford Health System’s IBD center and Medical Weight Loss Clinic, plus face painting, crafts, inflatables, and a photo booth.

Event info:
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Take Steps Walk, June 9
9:00 a.m. check in, 10:30 a.m. walk.
Southfield Civic Center Complex.
contact: 248-737-0900 ext.6

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Beaumont Health Welcomes Employees “Home” to New Service Center
Beaumont Health Welcomes Employees “Home” to New Service Center Southfield City Centre

It’s always cause for celebration when a new home is perfect in every way. This year, 3,000 Beaumont administrative employees from 16 buildings across Metro Detroit will move into the former First Center building, selected for its generous glass atrium, easy accessibility to major highways, and the vibrant work-life environment available here in the district. The new location has been named Beaumont Service Center.

Early this year, 550 members of Beaumont Health’s financial services team moved in, and so far, they’re thrilled, says Beaumont Health executive VP and COO Carolyn Wilson. Initial feedback is very positive.”Our teams have found Southfield easy to get to, and they love the common areas of the building,” Wilson says. A fitness center and sunshine-filled atrium provide places for employees to connect.

As a health organization, Beaumont values the Southfield City Centre’s pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, green spaces, and, of course, the Zagster bike share. As employees move in throughout the year, they will join their colleagues as active members of the Southfield City Centre community.

“We are really excited,” says Wilson. “We believe we have picked the right community for Beaumont Health and want to be a good neighbor. We feel really good about the decision we have made, and want to give back to the community as well.”

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Cybernoor Corporation moves in on Northwestern Highway
Cybernoor Corporation moves in on Northwestern Highway Southfield City Centre

When Ahmed Alomari decided to expand Cybernoor, the global software support and solutions corporation he leads, he knew that a Midwest location made the most sense for clients located across various time zones.

“With Detroit regenerating, and with business incentives, Michigan seemed to be a good location,” says Alomari, Cybernoor Corporation president and CEO. “We searched for office space and knew we wanted to acquire a building. Southfield seemed to be a good location for an up-and-coming business.”

In October 2017, Alomari and his colleagues selected a building on Northwestern Highway, between Southfield Road and Evergreen Road. They knew they wanted extensive renovation, a prospect that requires permits and approvals that, in most cities, can take months. But Alomari says the whole process was smooth and simple, thanks in large part to support from the City of Southfield.

“We were new to the permitting process, but once the City learned what we wanted to do, they expedited everything for us, and made things happen in days that normally take months,” he says. Cybernoor purchased their building on October 16, and the bulk of the renovations were completed before the end of December.

As a One Stop Ready community, the City of Southfield is focused on economic development by following a set of best practice guidelines to provide cohesive support to businesses that invest in the community. Cybernoor’s positive experience illustrates the depth of resources available through Oakland County’s One Stop Ready designation.

As a small- to mid-sized business, Cybernoor management made a conscious choice to join  Southfield, because it believes in the value of variety and diversity for a robust business climate. When other similar-sized companies have chosen to locate in other suburban Detroit areas, Cybernoor selected Southfield, and Alomari says this was a smart choice.

He was correct. The City of Southfield is an engaged Redevelopment Ready Community, as designated by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Because Southfield has invested time and effort into building a community-driven approach to development, prospective businesses can expect to benefit from effective, forward-thinking strategies designed to help the entire community prosper.

As Alomari continues to settle Cybernoor into its new home on Northwestern Highway, he will be looking to grow the Southfield location by hiring sales executives, a marketing manager, an office administrator, as well as technical staff. Alomari says he also plans to work with local schools and universities to seek out interns and offer training opportunities to help build a talent pipeline.

Overall, Cybernoor is looking to join an active and growing business community.

“We’re looking for good networking opportunities with other small- and medium-sized businesses, and to connect with other software and IT companies in Southfield,” says Alomari.

For companies that have yet to locate in Southfield, Alomari wants to share the message that the City of Southfield actively works to make new companies feel welcome and valued. A streamlined permit process, coupled with consistent and rigorous due diligence helped Cybernoor make the best choices when hiring contractors.

“In general, dealing with city permits can be a pain, but in this case Southfield was welcoming,” Alomari says. “This can really help other small businesses who are moving in and investing in the city.”

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It’s spring! Hop on a bike and cruise the Southfield City Centre
It’s spring! Hop on a bike and cruise the Southfield City Centre Southfield City Centre

No matter how beautiful and vibrant the Michigan winter, a Michigan spring feels pretty good, too.

This year, plan to spend time taking in the many sights of the Southfield City Centre…from the seat of your Zagster bike.

Zagster is the Southfield City Centre’s bike share program, an inexpensive, fun, healthy way to get around the district.

And right now, you can save $10 on an annual Zagster membership, riding all season long for a special membership price of just $15. (For members, first hour is free, $2 per additional hour, up to a maximum cost per ride of $20.)

A lunchtime ride perfectly shakes off the stagnant feeling of sitting at a desk or behind a computer. A weekend ride gets the heart pumping, and allows you to further explore the many pleasures of the Southfield City Centre.

Cruise down the Evergreen Road corridor and breathe in air that you are helping make fresher by pedaling instead of driving. Stop for a sandwich or a beverage at the south end. Fly up to the Southfield Public Library and the Mary Thompson Farm.

Meet up with friends for a game of volleyball or to walk a nature trail. Ride to the nearby Lawrence Tech campus. Don’t forget to stop and get a close-up view of the many art installations along the way, or just rest on a bench and take in the sights. Spring is a beautiful time to enjoy the Southfield City Centre.

Register now and get ready to ride the City Centre spring through fall. But hurry! This special offer expires May 1, 2018.

The Spring Bike Share promotion is a $10 discount on the annual membership. 

Annual memberships are $15 using promo code spring18. 

Special code expires May 1, 2018.

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The 2018 Southfield Corporate CommUNITY Cup Challenge – it’s almost time!
The 2018 Southfield Corporate CommUNITY Cup Challenge – it’s almost time! Southfield City Centre

There’s an important reason why the word “unity” is so prominent in the Southfield Corporate CommUNITY Cup Challenge branding. This is an event that brings people together.

This friendly competition between Southfield City Centre businesses and community partners fosters team spirit, forges connections, and creates friendships. It raises donations for a great cause, too.

This year, 19 teams are registered (with room for 20), and the competition kicks off on July 12 with a kickball tournament at Inglenook Park. The challenge will wrap up on August 9, and teams will be building up donations of school supplies for Southfield Public Schools, to help teachers who so often need plenty of extra supplies to use throughout the school year.

The 2017 CommUNITY Cup brought 16 teams—more than 500 participants and volunteers in all—together for weekly challenges from June to July. Throughout the challenge, teams collected canned and packaged foods to donate to Gleaners Community Food Bank.

By the end of the six-week event, Sandy Schmidt and Wendy Dyrda of MSX International felt more connected to their coworkers as they pulled together to earn bragging rights over fellow Southfield City Centre businesses. “The best benefit was team building within the company, and also getting to know other companies within Southfield,” they said.

From the corn hole tournament, to the quiz bowl competition, to the golf scramble, and the kickball game, participants built strategies, supported each other, and had a lot of fun. At the very end, all 16 participating teams built displays using the 9,600 pounds of canned and packaged food they collected. In the final event, dubbed “canstruction,” creativity ruled, as companies showed off their colors, logos, and corporate pride—all with packaged food.

Schmidt and Dyrda were especially proud of their company’s generosity in supporting Gleaners, and their collaboration during all of the weekly events.

What made the challenge fun was a community spirit that rewarded effort alongside victory. “There was a friendliness among everyone that participated in this event, even though we went head-to-head with each other,” said Schmidt. “It wasn’t cut-throat. It was actually fun.”

This year, Schmidt is looking forward to reconnecting with 2017 participants, and welcoming new companies and their employees to the competition.

“The CommUNITY Cup just makes you aware of what other companies are around you that sometimes you don’t even know about,” Schmidt said. “Just knowing what some of these companies do might help us in our business.”

Registered teams should be sure to watch for announcements about the 2018 CommUNITY Cup. It’s never too early to begin team training for trivia, sand volleyball, and “Race Around Southfield” events. Not part of a registered team? Get swept up in the fun by volunteering during any or all of the events this summer. There are so many ways to connect with your community right here in the Southfield City Centre.

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Renovations give Southfield Town Center new leases
Renovations give Southfield Town Center new leases Southfield City Centre
  • 601W Cos. began improvements at Southfield Town Center four years ago
  • $56 million in renovations are about to enter final phase
  • Competing with downtown Detroit for prime tenants

It’s not been an easy road for the New York City owners of the region’s second-largest office complex, the Southfield Town Center.

Four years ago this month, 601W Cos. said it would embark on a $50 million renovation of the 2.2 million-square-foot complex off the Lodge Freeway consisting of five sparkling office buildings the company purchased in 2014 for $177.5 million. Those renovations, now totaling about $56 million including tenant improvements, are about to enter their third and final phase with an upgrade to the sprawling atrium, expected to begin later this year…

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Bike Share at Southfield City Centre
Bike Share at Southfield City Centre Southfield City Centre

We are excited to announce the Southfield City Centre Bike Share program.

Feel like a kid again, ringing the bell with the wind blowing in your face down Evergreen Road. Our official launch will take place next week with a  ribbon cutting at 10:00 AM on 7/26/17.

In the meantime, learn more about the program at http://bike.zagster.com/southfield/

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