EXCITING TIMES: Ground broken for $9.5 million Cherry Hill Village project
Canton Township, Wayne County and Michigan dignitaries shovel the first piles of dirt for Canton’s Town Square at Cherry Hill.
Like most community-revitalizing endeavors, Canton’s $9.5 million Town Square at Cherry Hill Village Project started Thursday morning with the ceremonial scooping of dirt with shovels gripped by local decision-makers.
Once the project is complete — some enhancements are expected to be usable as early as spring of 2025 — the township’s Cherry Hill Village neighborhood and its surrounding attractions will become a regional destination and gathering space, township leaders predict.
“Today marks the beginning of the historic revitalization of this westside neighborhood with several significant improvements and investments designed to redevelop Cherry Hill Village into a vibrant community that will not only be a gathering place for area residents, but make it a dynamic regional attraction,” said Canton Township Supervisor Anne Marie Graham-Hudak during her welcoming speech in the shadow of the historic Cherry Hill Schoolhouse.
(To view video highlights from today’s ceremony, click here.)
The enhancements are being funded by Canton Township, Wayne County and appropriations from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Town Square: welcoming gathering space
Possibly the most eye-catching enhancement will be the Town Square at Cherry Hill Village at the southeast corner of the intersection of Cherry Hill and Ridge roads. Two water features will be added in addition to walking paths, benches, a designated outdoor event venue and public restrooms.
Another dynamic upgrade will be the restoration of The Factory at Ridge, the close-to-90-year-old structure built to serve as a factory in the 1930s by Henry Ford.
“This building is being renovated to be used as a multi-purpose community center for programs for individuals with disabilities, teens, arts, wellness, as well as a variety of community events,” explained Jeanette Aiello, the township’s projects and operations supervisor.
“It’s going to have a lot of open common areas, a commercial kitchen and two large rooms upstairs that can be used for lots of different programs. Our job is to maintain as much of the character of the building as possible — maintaining the floors and the beams in the building to preserve that history — and bring some modernization to it so it can be used for a lot of different functions.”
Factory at Ridge will be energizing space
Most of The Factory at Ridge programs are open to anyone, not just Canton residents, Aiello said.
“The goal is to be open seven days a week and have different program activations,” she said. “Especially with the arts warehouse (located just west of the structure) running a variety of wellness classes and art classes, we’ll be an overflow space for them as well.”
Additional enhancements funded by the $9.5 million include upgrades to Preservation Park, which is located just a short walk from the Town Square area; and amenities added to the Zibiwes Nature Area, including a tumbling hill, playground and an enhanced gravel parking lot with bumper blocks and lighting.
Joining members of the Canton Township Board of Trustees at the ceremony were U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, State Representative Ranjeev Puri and representatives from U.S. Senator Gary Peters’ and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow’s offices.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
