On June 15, new ground was broken in Highland Township.
Four shovels of earth represented the first step in the construction of Highland Station's first major project, an 18,000-square-foot retail and residential complex.
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The project is headed by Larry Shew, owner of Shew Construction Company, Inc.
"This is not so much a groundbreaking for a project as it is a groundbreaking for Highland — the rebirth of Highland Township," Shew said.
"This is going to be a major renaissance for Highland Township," said George Hayden, Shew's business partner. "This is just the first of many, many great things."
Shew thanked everyone involved with the project, including the Downtown Development Authority, Main Street Oakland County, the Highland Board of Trustees, the township planning commission and the "Livingston 6," a group of local business owners who supported the project.
He also thanked former township supervisor John Stakoe, who was township supervisor when the project first began taking shape seven years ago.
Stakoe was one of several speakers who preceded the groundbreaking. The others were Supervisor Triscia Pilchowski, Planning Commission Chair Eugene Beach, DDA Chairman Keith Rhodes and Main Street Oakland County Program Manager Bob Donohue.
Each speaker praised Shew for his willingness to work closely with the township.
"He will do what he can for our community, and all we're going to do is make sure he does it the way he has to do it," Pilchowski said.
Pilchowski, Stakoe, Rhodes, Shew and Beach did the honors, turning the ground with shining new shovels. Pilchowski shared her shovel with Stakoe, whom she called up to join her just before the groundbreaking.
The building sites are 179 N. Milford Road, owned by Matthew Litzelman, and 141 N. Milford Road, owned by Roscoe Smith, who also owns a vacant lot that separates the two properties. The sites are located on N. Milford Road south of M-59 and north of Livingston Road.
Shew said he hopes to have the building completed by October. The next step, removing tree stumps and grading the topsoil, will begin sometime next week.
Alyson Iott is a reporter for the Milford Times. She can be reached at (248) 685-1507, ext. 21, or by e-mail at aiott@gannett.com.
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