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Novi, Michigan

Encyclopedia : N : NO : NOV : Novi, Michigan

 

Novi is a home rule city in Oakland County, Michigan, in the Detroit metropolitan area, approximately 25 miles northwest from the center of Detroit. The population was 47,386 at the 2000 census. The city is located within the boundaries of the geographic Township of Novi.

Novi is one of the fastest growing cities in Michigan. The construction of Twelve Oaks Mall in the mid-1970s at the interchange of Novi Road and I-96 is often credited with ushering in the growth that the city has experienced. But even before Twelve Oaks, the city experienced consistent growth since the 1950s, leading to substantial increases in the city's population, as well as commercial and industrial developments in the city.

Novi is also home to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, which opened in 1989. Inductees receive the "Horsepower Award" on the Wednesday before the June NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway.

Contents

History

The City of Novi was incorporated in 1969 along the boundaries of the then-existing Village of Novi after the approval of a city charter. The approval of incorporation and the city charter followed several previous attempts at incorporation that were rejected by Novi voters. In the 1970s, the city annexed portions of Novi Township that had been detached from the Village of Novi after the village incorporated in 1958. A lengthy legal battle ensued between the city and the township which ultimately was decided by the Michigan Supreme Court in favor of the city. The legal disputes around the annexation battle were not fully resolved until 1984.

Historic Sites

The name Novi was taken from the township, which was organized in 1832 from Farmington Township. The name was offered by resident Dr. J.C. Emory, at the suggestion of his wife. Residents were reportedly looking for a shorter name than Farmington. Several popular but historically inaccurate explanations have been given for the origin of the name Novi. One version is that it was named after the 6th tollgate on the Grand River toll road (No. VI). However, the township was named in 1832 and the toll road was not constructed until the 1850s. A similar claim is made about the township being stop number 6 on the railroad. However, the railroad was not constructed through the township until 1870 - 1871, almost 40 years after it was named.

Parks and Natural Areas

Most of the farmland and open spaces present in the mid-20th Century have been lost to development. The exceptions include the Tollgate Farm located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Twelve Mile and Meadowbrook Roads. This farmstead is owned by the Americana Foundation and is currently leased and operated by Michigan State University as an agricultural extension. Another prominent natural area is the North Novi Park located between Walled Lake and Twelve Mile Road, west of Novi Road. While portions of the park were turned over to a developer to settle a lawsuit, it remains one of the largest municipal parks in southeast Michigan. In 2005, the City of Novi negotiated for the donation of several parcels on the west side of the city. These properties, along with several adjoining parcels owned by the city, will preserve 253 acres of environmentally sensitive areas in the Huron River watershed. Also in 2005, the City of Novi was awarded a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant to acquire 51 acres of environmentally sensitive property in southeast Novi within the Rouge River watershed.

Geography

Location of Novi, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 81.1 km² (31.3 mi²). 78.9 km² (30.5 mi²) of it is land and 2.2 km² (0.9 mi²) of it (2.74%) is water. Walled Lake is the largest lake in the city. It also serves as the headwaters of the Middle Branch of the Rouge River. Shawood Lake lies just southwest of Walled Lake. Most of the city lies within the Rouge River watershed. However, some areas on the north and west side of the City are part of the Huron River watershed.

Shopping & Event Centers

Twelve Oaks Mall: 180 stores including Lord & Taylor, Marshall Fields, JC Penney, GameStop, and Sears.

Novi Fountain Walk: 50 stores including Modern Skate Park, Emagine Theater, Lucky's Arcade and Bar, and The Great Indoors.

Novi Town Center: Borders Books and Music, Linens ‘n Things, Pier 1 Imports and restaurants.

Main Street Novi: Two story outdoor shopping/food.

Rock Financial Showplace Center: New exposition/conference center for large events. Named after large Michigan lending institution.

Novi Expo Center: Former exposition center with automotive museum.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 47,386 people, 18,726 households, and 12,321 families residing in the city. The population density was 600.5/km² (1,555.2/mi²). There were 19,649 housing units at an average density of 249.0/km² (644.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.26% White, 1.92% African American, 0.19% Native American, 8.67% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 1.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.80% of the population.

There were 18,726 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 35.7% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $71,918, and the median income for a family was $91,369. Males had a median income of $65,590 versus $38,432 for females. The per capita income for the city was $35,992. About 1.6% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Novi's government is a council-manager system with a weak mayor. The city council consists of the mayor, elected for a two-year term, and six council members, elected for four-year terms. The mayor has largely ceremonial duties in addition to the same voting powers as the other council members. The city council is responsible for hiring a city manager, who oversees the day-to-day business of running the city. The council also approves the city budget, sets city policies and ordinances. The first city charter was adopted by the voters in 1969. The last major charter revision was in 1977. The current council consists of Mayor David Landry, Mayor Pro-Tem Kim Capello and council members Bob Gatt, Terry Margolis, Andrew Mutch, Toni Nagy, and Lynne Paul.

Public School Districts

Novi includes all or part of 4 public school districts including Novi Community Schools, Northville Public Schools, South Lyon Community Schools and Walled Lake Consolidated Schools.

External links

 

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