Roads to Reopen to Pedestrian Traffic While Lawsuit Continues

June 10, 2024

Attention - Construction Work scheduled for week of June 17th

Starting at 7:00am on June 17, 2024 E. Cady Street between Church and Griswold will be closed for necessary underground utility work. This section of E. Cady will be closed for 4 to 5 days. The current closed streets of N. Center and E. Main will reopen to motorized vehicles during the E. Cady utility work. A new detour route will be posted. Once the utility work is complete, N. Center and E. Main will close to vehicular traffic.

*Update: Streets re-closed to vehicular traffic 6/21/24 at 3:00pm.  Streets will remain closed for the season until November 1, 2024.  Please note future detour routes may be necessary as construction continues, causing brief re-opening of Main and Center.  Those updates will be relayed by the City of Northville via Nixle.  Thank you.

May 31, 2024

The City of Northville is pleased to announce that on Friday, May 31, 2024, Judge Charlene Elder signed and entered the Order granting the City’s Emergency Motion for Reconsideration and Lifting the Preliminary Injunction previously entered on April 17, 2024 in the case filed by Let’s Open Northville. The city has made arrangements for the closure of E. Main and N. Center Streets beginning this afternoon at 3:00pm. These blocks will remain closed, as adopted by the city council, until November 1, 2024. Following the street closures at 3:00 pm, live music will be provided in Town Square each Friday and Saturday night from 7:00 – 9:00pm and outdoor dining will return to the streets.

May 21, 2024

Judge reconsiders injunction, paves way for Main and Center to open for pedestrians, close to vehicles

Judge Charlene Elder, of the Third Circuit Court of Michigan, on May 21, granted the city’s motion for reconsideration of the preliminary injunction that prevented sections of Main and Center streets from being closed to vehicles seasonally, except for special events. As soon as the court enters the order granting the motion for reconsideration and lifting the injunction, the city may take measures to close those streets to vehicles.

 

“We’re happy to receive this good news,” said City Manager George Lahanas. “Downtown Northville has become an incredibly popular destination when portions of Main and Center are closed to traffic and open for pedestrians. Creating a beautiful, safe pedestrian area allows people to move about freely and encourages them to visit shops, eat at restaurants and attend musical performances. We’re looking forward to seeing more people of all ages come here to enjoy our downtown amenities.”

 

Lananas added, “We will continue to vigorously oppose the lawsuit that prompted the initial injunction. Our legal counsel informed us that cities in Michigan have broad authority to manage streets based on the Michigan Constitution and Home Rule Cities Act.”

 

Judge Elder advised that when making the original ruling, she made conclusions on the element of irreparable harm. On reconsideration, she found that the affidavits by the plaintiff’s members (Engerer, Good, Corriveau, Demray) had not substantiated their claims of losses and especially that their businesses were in danger of closing due to the street closures. She further reasoned that, even if there is economic loss as a result of the street closures, those losses would be compensable as damages, so there is a remedy for the alleged harm and it does not constitute irreparable harm.