Board Votes to Begin Negotiations For Possible Purchase of Robert Scott Prison

The fate of the Robert Scott Correctional Facility at Five Mile and Beck roads is still uncertain, but Northville Township's Board of Trustees voted Tuesday night to enter negotiations with the state of Michigan to possibly buy it.

The state officially extended the offer to the township to buy the property for $1 on May 30, said township supervisor Mark Abbo. The township gets first dibs on the purchase. From that date, the township has 60 days to enter into a purchasing agreement and 120 days to close the agreement.

"This board does not come to this responsibility lightly," he said. "We'll come to a decision that we believe benefits this community, our objectives and our ideals."

Abbo said that in negotiations with the state, the township would like to ask for more time to explore the possible uses of the property and whether or not it would be a worthwhile investment.

"Ten days have already lapsed, so that basically gives us 50 days to do due diligence. We just don't believe that's enough time," he said. They will also ask to reserve the right to walk away from an agreement "if we see anything we don't like."

Ideally, he said, the property's use would tie into the technology development already in existence throughout the Five Mile corridor.

There are several factors to be considered before the township enters into a purchasing agreement.

"The state would get 40 percent of the proceeds upon the sale of the property. So what we would have to do is determine what we could potentially sell it for, less the 40 percent that would go to the state of Michigan, less demolition costs and see what that number would be and whether it would be worth the risk," he said. Other costs would also be considered, including maintenance and insurance on the building.

There is no estimate yet of what such costs would look like for the township.

Following the closed session, Northville Township resident Bo Westerkamp asked a few questions about the property during public comment. He said a big worry for him is that the property be sold to the county instead and that it be used again as a county-run or privatized jail facility.

"That's a turnkey operation," the neighbor of the prison facility said. He added that a commercial area should be developed on that corner instead.

Currently, on the Plymouth side of Five Mile Road, there is a restaurant, and a gas station at the intersection. A small strip mall with restaurants and other businesses is just east down the road.