Imagine this: Your city has a chance to invest in real neighborhoods, real infrastructure, and real quality of life. But instead, leadership wants to bulldoze existing buildings; some still useful, others easily repurposed. The plan, pour millions into a “fake” downtown designed more for press releases than for people.

This isn’t a dystopian scenario. It’s what’s happening right now in Livonia, where a proposed millage would force taxpayers to foot the bill for demolishing functioning city buildings to make way for a manufactured downtown. A downtown that’s not organically walkable, not grounded in community need, and not driven by local small businesses or residents’ input.

What’s Wrong with a “Fake Downtown”?

At first glance, a new downtown might sound appealing. Who wouldn’t want a vibrant hub for local life, dining, and culture? But this plan misses the mark entirely.

Here’s why:

• It’s not for us, it’s for them. This project isn’t about creating a grassroots downtown where community can thrive. It’s about consolidating municipal buildings into a single centralized campus. Wrapped in the window dressing of “placemaking.” It’s a top-down civic complex, not a bottom-up economic engine.
• It bulldozes what still works. Existing structures, some recently renovated or still in functional condition, are on the chopping block. We’re being asked to pay more taxes not to improve services, but to destroy what we already have in favor of an aesthetic illusion.
• It fails the walkability test. Real downtowns grow around natural intersections of community, commerce, and culture. This proposed version is bordered by wide arterials, lacks transit accessibility, and ignores urban planning best practices. No amount of boutique signage will change that.
• The price tag is massive—and long-lasting. The proposed millage would lock residents into years, if not decades, of higher taxes to fund a project that’s more about image than impact. And once it’s done, we’ll be left maintaining a campus that still doesn’t serve the public in the way a true downtown could.

The City We Deserve

Livonia doesn’t need a contrived downtown to be great. We already have the ingredients for a thriving community; smart development, safe neighborhoods, green space, strong schools, and engaged citizens. What we need is leadership that listens and invests in the city we actually live in, not one they’ve sketched up behind closed doors.

Imagine if we took that same millage and used it to:

• Improve walkability and bike infrastructure in real neighborhoods
• Restore and upgrade parks and public spaces
• Support local business corridors like Plymouth Road
• Invest in community centers, libraries, and programs that connect people across generations

Electing Leaders Who Get It

That’s why it’s absolutely critical to support city council candidates who oppose this millage and the “fake downtown” plan it funds.

These candidates understand that civic pride isn’t something you build with bricks and fountains, it’s something you earn by investing in people. They know we don’t need an artificial core to be a strong city. What we need are policies that make our existing neighborhoods more connected, more livable, and more vibrant.

As voters, we have the power to choose a different direction; one rooted in common sense, fiscal responsibility, and community values. This election isn’t just about stopping a bad idea. It’s about saying yes to a better vision for Livonia.

Let’s build the future by preserving what matters.
Let’s vote for city council candidates who will protect our community from wasteful, performative development.
Let’s say no to the fake downtown, and yes to the Livonia we believe in.