Southfield is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit, MI. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 71,739. A part of Metro Detroit's upscale office market, the city's marque is a cluster of five golden skyscrapers â€" known as the "Golden Triangle" â€" that form the contemporary 2,200,000 square feet (204,400 m2) Southfield Town Center office complex with a Westin Hotel and a conference center. In addition, a 33-story luxury residential high-rise is separate from the complex. To the west, near the confluence of I-696/Reuther Freeway and M-10/Lodge Freeway, is the American Center.
History
Shooter Alert!! #23 Zaria Bridgewater (G) Henry Ford Academy -
Southfield was surveyed in 1817 according to the plan by Michigan territorial governor Lewis Cass. The first settlers came from nearby Birmingham and Royal Oak, Michigan, as well as the states of New York and Vermont. The area that would become Southfield was settled by John Daniels in 1823. Among the founders were the Heth, Stephens, Harmon, McClelland and Thompson families.
Town 1 north, 10 east was first organized as Ossewa Township on July 12, 1830, but the name was changed seventeen days later to Southfield Township. The township took its name from its location in the "south fields" of Bloomfield Township. A US post office was established in 1833 and the first town hall built in 1873.
The Southfield Fire Department was formed on April 6, 1942, and the Southfield Police Department in 1953. In the 1950s, cities and villages began to incorporate within the township, including Lathrup Village in 1950, and Beverly Hills in 1957. Most of what was left of the township was formally incorporated as a city on April 28, 1958 to protect it from annexation attempts by the city of Detroit. Whites who had migrated to the suburbs did not want to be dominated by the expanding African-American community of the city. (definition, origin of phrase required for better understanding)
The current city hall was built in 1964 as part of the new Civic Center complex, which also became home to Southfield's police headquarters. The Civic Center was expanded in 1971 to include a sports arena with swimming pool. Evergreen Hills Golf Course was added in 1972, and in 1978, a new public safety building, the Southfield Pavilion, and a new court building were added. In 2003, an expanded and redesigned Southfield Public Library opened to the public on the Civic Center grounds, featuring state-of-the-art facilities. Outside the Civic Center complex, Southfield has municipal parks and recreation facilities, which were largely developed in the 1970s, including Beech Woods Recreation Center and John Grace Community Center.
Duns Scotus College is now the home of Word of Faith Christian Center.
Economy
Southfield is a commercial and business center for the metropolitan Detroit area, with Southfield's 27,000,000 square feet (2,508,400 m2) of office space, second in the Detroit metro area to Detroit's central business district of 33,251,00 square feet (3,089,000 square metres). Several internationally recognized corporations have major offices and headquarters in Southfield, including the North American headquarters of Autoliv, Huf Hülsbeck and Fürst, Denso, Peterson Spring, Federal-Mogul, Lear, R.L. Polk & Co., International Automotive Components, Stefanini, Inc., Guardian Alarm, and Online Trading Academy. Today, more than 100 Fortune 500 companies have offices in Southfield.
Sumitomo Corporation operates the Detroit Office in Suite 1450 at 27777 Franklin Road. Industries supported by the office include automotive, rolled steel, and tubular products.
October 28, 2014, Fifth Third Bank announced plans to move its Michigan regional headquarters from Southfield to downtown Detroit in what will be named the Fifth Third Bank Building at One Woodward. The office had 150 employees.
Northland Center, one of the first shopping malls in the nation, opened in Southfield in 1954 and closed in 2015. Southfield is home to over 780 acres (3.2Â km2) of parkland and a nationally recognized public school district.
Diplomatic missions
The Consulate of Macedonia in Detroit is in the Southfield Town Center, and the Consulate of Iraq in Detroit is in Southfield.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.28 square miles (68.06Â km2), of which, 26.27 square miles (68.04Â km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03Â km2) is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road. Southfield's northern border does not follow a single road, but lies approximately around Thirteen Mile Road. The city is bordered by Detroit and Redford Township to the south, Farmington Hills to the west, Franklin, Bingham Farms, and Beverly Hills to the north and Royal Oak, Berkley and Oak Park to the east. The separate city of Lathrup Village sits as an enclave in the eastern part of the city, completely surrounded by Southfield.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 71,739 people, 31,778 households, and 18,178 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,730.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,054.4/km2). There were 35,986 housing units at an average density of 1,369.9 per square mile (528.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 70.3% African American, 24.9% White, 0.2% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.
There were 31,778 households of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.5% were married couples living together, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.8% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.96.
The median age in the city was 42 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 29.2% were from 45 to 64; and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.7% male and 55.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 78,296 people, 33,987 households, and 19,780 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,984.6 per square mile (1,152.5/km²). There were 35,698 housing units at an average density of 1,360.8 per square mile (525.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 54.22% African American, 38.83% White, 3.09% Asian, 0.20% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 2.99% from two or more races. 1.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the city's 33,987 households, 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 3.01.
The age distribution in the city's population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. In terms of gender distribution, for every 100 females there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $51,802, and the median income for a family was $64,543. Males had a median income of $48,341 versus $37,949 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,096. About 5.8% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
Socioeconomic status
The most prevalent occupations for people in Southfield are a mix of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Southfield is a city of sales and office workers, professionals and managers. A relatively large number of people living in Southfield work in office and administrative support (16.00%), sales jobs (10.93%), and management occupations (9.72%). The population of Southfield is very well-educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation. Whereas the average community has 21.84% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 38.73% of adults in Southfield have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree. The per capita income in Southfield in 2010 was $28,995. "
Ethnic groups
African Americans
In 2002 Southfield had 42,259 black people, giving it the second-largest black population in Metro Detroit and third-largest in the state of Michigan.
As of 2011 many African Americans from Detroit are moving into Southfield and other suburbs of Oakland and Macomb counties. Tensions have occurred between existing middle-class blacks in Southfield and newcomers from Wayne County.
Chaldeans
As of 2001 many Chaldeans live in Southfield; they are mostly Assyrian Christians. The Chaldean Federation of America, an umbrella organization for most regional Chaldean groups, is located in Southfield. As of that year, the largest Chaldean church, in terms of the number of congregants, was based here. The city also had the area's sole Chaldean retirement home.
Government
Southfield utilizes the Council-Manager form of government, and thus is governed by a City Council consisting of seven council members. The city council appoints a City Administrator, who manages the day-to-day operations of the city. The popularly elected mayor, who does not vote on council actions, does have the right to veto council actions and holds the power to appoint the city's planner, assessor, attorney, and members of various commissions. The city's Clerk and Treasurer are also popularly elected officials. All of these officials hold non-partisan positions.
- City officials
- Mayor Kenson Siver (term expires November 2021)
- City Council
- Council President Daniel Brightwell (term expires November 2019)
- Council President Pro Tem Michael "Ari" Mandelbaum (term expires November 2021)
- Council Member Lloyd C. Crews (term expires November 2021)
- Council Member Donald F. Fracassi (term expires November 2019)
- Council Member Myron Frasier (term expires November 2019)
- Council Member Tawnya Morris (term expires November 2019)
- Council Member Linnie Taylor (term expires November 2021)
- Other Elected Officials
- City Clerk Sherika L. Hawkins (term expires November 2021)
- City Treasurer Irv M. Lowenberg (term expires November 2021)
- State officials
- Governor Rick Snyder (R)
- State Senator Vincent Gregory (D) â€" 14th State Senate District
- State Representative Jeremy Moss (D) â€" 35th State House District
- Federal officials
- Senator Gary C. Peters (D)
- Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)
- Representative Brenda Lawrence (D) â€" 14th Congressional District
Education
Southfield Public Schools operates area public schools. Southfield High School in Southfield and Southfield-Lathrup High School in Lathrup Village serve Southfield. Students living in parts of Northern Southfield attend schools in the Birmingham City School District, while students living in the Southeast corner of Southfield attend schools in the Oak Park School District. Both Southfield and Southfield-Lathrup compete in the Oakland Activities Association (White Division) for high school sports as well as have membership in the MHSAA.
Southfield Public Library operates public libraries in the city. Providence Medical Center offers residency training in various fields of medicine.
Colleges and universities
Southfield is home to eight colleges including Lawrence Technological University, Abcott Institute, Everest Institute and Oakland Community College. The Specs Howard School of Media Arts is in Southfield.
Media
Southfield is the broadcast media center for the Detroit area, boasting studios and broadcast facilities for several television stations including WXYZ-TV, WJBK, WKBD-TV, WMYD-TV, WWJ-TV, and City Cable 15. Metro Detroit's regional sports network Fox Sports Detroit is located in Southfield on 11 Mile and Evergreen roads. A transmitter for WDIV-TV is in the city; however, they are the only television station based in downtown Detroit.
The city serves as the location of CBS Radio's Detroit studios. Southfield is also served by WSHJ 88.3 FM, which is a student-run radio station sponsored by Southfield Public Schools.
In 1970, radio pioneer and entertainer Specs Howard founded the Specs Howard School of Media Arts in Southfield.
In addition to The Detroit News and Free Press, Detroit's two metropolitan daily newspapers, Southfield is served by the Southfield Eccentric, a suburban paper that reports on local and community events, which is published twice a week, on Sunday and Thursday. The headquarters of The Detroit Jewish News are located in Southfield. The Chaldean News is also headquartered in Southfield.
Transportation
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) operates local and regional bus transit.
The major thoroughfares in the city include the John C. Lodge Freeway (M-10), which is among the first urban to suburban highways constructed in the United States. The city also contains I-696, Southfield Freeway (M-39), and USÂ 24 (Telegraph Road). The city contains several freeway interchanges connecting local roads to the freeways. Most prominently, "The Lodge" freeway connects downtown Detroit to "The Mixing Bowl," the sprawling interchange of I-696, USÂ 24, M-10, Lahser Road, and Franklin Road, all of which are located in Southfield.
Most major streets adhere to a north-south/east-west orientation, forming a grid of major streets spaced one mile (1.6Â km) apart from each other. The major east-west streets are 8 Mile Road (which forms the southern boundary of the city), 9 Mile Road (which is split by the Southfield Freeway), 10 Mile Road, 11 Mile Road (which is split by the Lodge), and 12 Mile Road. Major north-south streets are Telegraph Road, Lahser Road, Evergreen Road, Southfield Road (the northern extension of the Southfield Freeway) and Greenfield Road (which forms the eastern boundary of the city).
Parks and recreation
The Southfield Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for 775 acres of parks, nature preserves and open space and historic properties at 33 sites within the City. There are numerous ball fields, tennis and handball courts, picnic areas and shelters. Soccer fields, play lots and sand volleyball courts are located throughout the City for residents’ enjoyment.
Notable people
- Johnathon Banks, boxer
- Jeff Blashill, professional ice hockey head coach
- Selma Blair, actress
- Harry J. Brooks (1902-1927), test pilot
- Randin Brown, film director
- Jordan Carey, actor
- Jimmy Carson, professional hockey player
- Mike Chappell, professional basketball player
- DB Dickerson, actor
- Erin Dilly, actress raised in Southfield
- Geoffrey Fieger, attorney for Jack Kevorkian based in Southfield
- Pilar Ford, actor
- Chris Getz, professional baseball player
- Dan Gilbert, American businessman raised in Southfield
- Jon Glaser, actor raised in Southfield
- Yasmine Hanani, actress
- Ben Kelso, professional basketball player
- Keegan-Michael Key, actor
- Jamie Klenk, artist
- Byron Krieger (1920-2015), Olympic fencer
- Dennis Leech, animator
- Eric Lefkofsky, American businessman
- Jeremy Moss, politician
- Colette Nelson, body builder
- Melissa OBrien, actress
- Chukwuma Okorafor, professional football player
- Bill Prady, television writer raised in Southfield
- Emily Samuelson, Ice dancer
- Debbie Schlussel, Film critic
- Renee Simlak, actress
- Jennifer Laura Thompson, actress
- Malaya Watson, singer
- Rick Worthy, actor
- Brian Van Camp, Actor
- Warren Zide, American Pie film producer
See also
- Architecture of metropolitan Detroit
- Lawrence Technological University
- Metro Detroit
- Tourism in metropolitan Detroit
- History of the African-Americans in Metro Detroit
References
External links
- City of Southfield
- Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce
- Southfield, Michigan at Curlie (based on DMOZ)