Northville's eco-friendly Center Street Square to break ground by end of month

Green roofs and geothermal systems; these are two of the big selling points for the Center Street Square project in downtown Northville. The mixed-use development hopes to start construction by the end of the month or the beginning of December.

"Our plans are still on target to get started this year," says Tricha Kneiding, the real-estate agent for the development. "It's moving right along. There's a tremendous amount of interest in it."

Part of what's generating that interest is Washington, Mich.,-based Meridien Development's decision to make the building environmentally friendly. About one-quarter of the roof will be covered with plants, commonly known as a green roof. That will help keep the structure cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, saving significant amounts of energy.

The development will also include geothermal heating and cooling units. Those units are considered at the cutting edge of environmentally friendly building technology. Geothermal uses the constant temperature of the earth to help heat and cool the building, helping keep those costs low.

On top of that, the developers salvaged and recycled everything they could from the three old houses that will be razed to make room for the development, helping limit what goes into local landfills. Once completed, the development at the corner of Center and Rayson streets should wear like a badge of honor for Northville's green credentials.

The mixed-use development will feature 2,400 square feet of first floor retail underneath 13 luxury condos in the three-story building. Each unit will range in size between 1,200 and 1,800 square feet of space with luxury features like granite countertops and hardwood floors. Each unit will also have its own balcony and attached covered parking. They will be priced between $290,000 and $365,000.

Meridien Development is building homes in communities across Metro Detroit, such as Parkside of Plymouth and Cherrywood Parc. For information, call Kneiding at (734) 455-7000 or (313) 319-3319.

Source: Tricha Kneiding, the real-estate agent for Center Street Square
Writer: Jon Zemke

Enjoy this story? Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.