Architect selected for new Novi public safety facilities

By Max Bryan, MediaNews Group

Novi officers have accepted a $4.74 million contract to rent a Royal Oak-based firm to advance the town’s imaginative and prescient for public security services.

The Novi Metropolis Council voted 6-1 this week to rent HED, a full-service structure, planning, engineering and design agency, for the town’s new public security middle and fireplace stations.

The contract shall be financed by a $120 million bond package deal accepted by voters in August. Mayor Justin Fischer mentioned throughout Monday’s Metropolis Council assembly that the contract is under the higher restrict budgeted for this work within the bond.

Fischer mentioned the contract strikes a steadiness between affordability and high quality of service.

“There are particular issues in my life, like having sidewalks poured at my home the place I am going for the bottom bidder, and there are issues like coronary heart surgical procedure for my children, the place I am going for probably the most certified surgeon I can, and I do not actually care what the associated fee is,” Fischer mentioned relating to the contract.

In August, voters accepted a $1 million property tax to boost $120 million in bonds over 25 years. It should fund the development of a brand new public security headquarters and two new fireplace stations, together with the renovation of an present fireplace station.

The council selected HED after the town’s actual property guide, Plante Moran Realpoint, negotiated proposals with the agency and structure group DLZ within the two weeks main as much as Monday’s assembly. They have been chosen from seven corporations and 4 finalists.

On the September 22 Council assembly, Fischer requested the 2 corporations to “sharpen their pencils” and make last displays to Plante Moran.

In a memo to the Metropolis Council, Plante Moran really helpful HED to steer the challenge as a result of the corporate “submitted the very best proposal for the general public security challenge given its important expertise in public security and municipalities, in addition to the crew of regulation enforcement specialists” on its design crew.

Metropolis Supervisor Victor Cardenas famous that HED additionally had a digital actuality part to its presentation, which gave them an edge.

Cardenas famous that HED’s contract is roughly $800,000 bigger than DLZ’s. Councilwoman Ericka Thomas was involved that HED was not giving the town the very best fee.

“I simply suppose it is an excessive amount of to miss, realizing that we particularly made positive we solely had certified companies,” mentioned Thomas, the lone “no” vote on the council.

Different council members disagreed.

“If we do not act on the advice of workers and Plante Moran, we’re simply saying that they don’t seem to be able to making choices that we make with a lot much less info,” mentioned Councilman David Staudt.

Residents in August accepted property taxes for the general public security services, which date to the late Seventies and early Nineteen Eighties and are growing older. The town’s inhabitants has greater than tripled since then, and officers say they’ve needed to improvise house of their services for storage and for feminine officers and firefighters.

The general public security headquarters is estimated to price $72 million and homes a police and fireplace station at Lee BeGole Drive and 11 Mile Highway. The 2 new fireplace stations will price $13 million every and shall be situated at 42000 W. 13 Mile Highway and within the 22000 block of Enterprise Drive. About $2 million will go towards a fireplace station at 42975 Grand River Ave.

Initially revealed: October 10, 2025 at 1:09 PM EDT