For Immediate Release | Official Press Release
PRESS RELEASE 
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
 
36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185
Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 724.721.2310

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM
American Public Works Association Awards Westland City Hall 2015 Project of the Year
The American Public Works Association (APWA) is a national association which has state and regional chapters. The APWA brings Public Works Officials together with leading industrial representatives to discuss innovations in equipment and infrastructure. 

Each year APWA requests nominations which demonstrate these innovations being implemented locally. This year the Westland City Hall won the APWA, Downriver Branch, Structural Project of the Year Award for projects between $5- $25 million dollars. The city hall nomination drew on the innovation of taking a blighted big box store in the middle of the City's "Shop and Dine" district and renovating it to create a modern, energy efficient City Hall. This retrofit saved a significant portion of the 64,000 square-foot commercial building from being  land-filled and solves a decades old problem of replacing the former undersized City Hall . 

This green mindedness along with features incorporated into the design by OHM Advisors which included installing  window walls along the length of the southern wall, along with sky lights and self-extinguishing lights gained high marks from the judging panel.  The new, larger City Hall replaced the former cramped 13,500 square foot building which served the City of Westland since 1966.  This allowed many of the city's departments to be joined at one location, providing the convenience to residents of a "one-stop shop".  The City evaluated several alternative locations, but none were as cost effective and able to take a defunct building and turn it into a leading green infrastructure functional facility.
 
The City Hall nomination will now proceed on to compete at the APWA State level and possibly the APWA National level.

"Westland's City Hall project has received acclaim and awards for multiple organizations," commented Mayor Wild.  "It has strengthened the city's profile as one of Southeast Michigan's leading innovative and environmentally  conscientious  cities."

"We are pleased to be able to recognize the City of Westland's green design initiatives through the Structural Project of the Year Award," commented John Thompson, President of LiquiForce, APWA Downriver Chapter.  "The revitalization of a vacant building into a vibrant fully functioning public facility to serve the residents sets a precedent for other communities," he concluded.
 

For more information, contact Aubrey Berman, Administrative Secretary,
at (734) 467-3200.
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Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City.  Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas.  The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

 
In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities.  Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Western Wayne Fire Association firefighters collaboratively serving the Cities of Wayne and Westland are licensed paramedics who responded to over 13,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based.  They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

 
Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

 
Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more that 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more.  One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

 
The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.  Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

 
Westland's philosophy is that government should embrace good business principles.  Providing oversight over the City's operating budget of $60 million dollars, Westland is the only community in Wayne County with a 3-year balanced budget and an approximately 10 percent budget surplus.

 
The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region.  Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.