There were no plans in place with regard to sustainability, and there was an identity crisis amongst the city’s residents.

Unfortunately, four years ago, when this administration came in, the township infrastructure was crumbling after 185 years. We liked the city so much, we named our lake after it. We own Belleville Lake and there’s a small city about a mile and a half square in the center of the Township called the city of Belleville. McNamara: “Van Buren Township is a community of about 30,000 people situated almost dead center between Ann Arbor and the city of Detroit. The following is an edited transcript of that conversation.īVM: Geographically, the Township surrounds the city of Belleville, although the two are administered autonomously. Business View Magazine recently spoke with Township Supervisor, Kevin McNamara, and Matt Best, Director of Public Service, for updates and insights into this visionary community. is blessed with a fascinating past, a vibrant present, and ambitious plans for the future. Belleville Lake, now with hundreds of homes along its shoreline, continues to be a prime recreational site. Its convenient location near two airports and two major expressways has boosted interest in the Township, and as a result, several new residential and industrial developments are under construction. Today, Van Buren Township is a thriving community enhanced by its homes, schools, churches, shopping centers, and industrial parks. The community then became a popular resort destination as city dwellers from miles around came to swim, fish, and build summer cottages on the beautiful lakeshore. In 1926, Van Buren Township underwent its most notable transformation when the electrical dam built at French Landing by Detroit Edison transformed the narrow Huron River into a seven-mile long lake.

Over the years, the Township has grown at a remarkable rate, spurred on by the coming of the railroad to Denton in 1838 and to Belleville in 1881 the formation of Belleville Lake in 1926 and the occurrence of World War II, which created the Bomber Highway (now known as I-94), the Willow Run Bomber Plant, and Willow Run Airport. The first Township officials were elected almost immediately and on January 26, 1837, Michigan was admitted to the Union. The Township was named for Martin Van Buren, eighth president of the United States (1836-1840), and at the time of its formation, already had upwards of 500 residents.

Van Buren Township (Twp) is a charter township of Wayne County, Michigan with deep historic roots in the region. Van Buren Township, Michigan “The place to be right now”īusiness View Magazine interviews representatives of Van Buren Township, Michigan, for our focus on Sustainability in American Cities

Van buren township