Right now, mountains of contaminated soil are piled high on the old Northland Mall site — 125 acres at the heart of our city. Independent testing referenced in published reporting has found the soil contaminated at levels described as too toxic for direct human contact, with excess mercury, lead, chromium, cadmium, arsenic, and PAH.

That dirt sits across the street from our homes. It blows over our neighborhoods. Our children breathe it. Our seniors live next to it. And the developer promising us a revitalized Northland — Contour — has told reporters he doesn't know where the dirt his trucks hauled off even ended up.

Meanwhile, we're being told to wait until 2050 for the housing, retail, and community spaces we were promised nearly a decade ago.

This is not redevelopment. This is a public health emergency and a broken promise. And we are done waiting.

 

What We Demand
We, the undersigned residents, homeowners, renters, workers, business owners, seniors, parents, and neighbors of Southfield, demand that the City of Southfield immediately:

•      Remove Contour-affiliated entities as the developer of Northland City Center.

•      Pause all further amendments, rezonings, incentives, and approvals tied to the current Northland redevelopment agreement.

•      Issue a transparent, competitive public Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify a qualified developer with a proven track record of delivering large-scale housing on realistic timelines.

•      Demand independent environmental testing of the entire Northland site and the surrounding neighborhoods — and publish the full results.

•      Publicly account for every dollar of the $20.1 million in public funds advanced under the 2023 Restated Brownfield Plan — and every dollar at risk going forward.

•      Recenter the redevelopment on what residents have asked for since 2016: housing, walkable mixed-use development, green space, and community-serving retail — not speculative uses and indefinite delay.

 

Why We Cannot Wait Any Longer
1. A public health crisis is sitting in our city — and no one is telling us the truth.

Investigative reporting by Charlie LeDuff in Michigan Enjoyer, followed by coverage in Detroit Metro Times and confirmation from the Detroit Office of Inspector General, has documented that soil from the Northland Mall demolition was diverted into Detroit neighborhoods, where random testing of 41 sites showed 33 of them (more than 80%) failed to meet state residential safety standards.

The Detroit Office of Inspector General has launched a formal investigation. The Detroit Police Department's Organized Crime Bureau has reportedly referred its findings to state and federal authorities.

And what did the Northland developer — David Dedvukaj of Contour — tell reporters?

"I pay truckers to move dirt. I’m not sure where they might have taken it."

That is not an acceptable answer. Not when the dirt tested carries mercury, lead, chromium, cadmium, arsenic, and PAH. Not when the mountains of it are still piled on a 125-acre site next to our homes, our schools, and our seniors. Not when the wind carries that dust into our lungs.

We deserve to know what is in the soil. We deserve to know what has been airborne. We deserve independent testing — not silence from City Hall.

 

2. A 2050 timeline is not a housing plan. It is housing denied.

The City has publicly acknowledged that full buildout of Northland City Center — including the housing Southfield desperately needs — may not be completed until 2050.

A nearly 35-year timeline for a site this critical is not industry standard. It does not respond to Southfield's housing crisis. It is not progress — it is land banking. Families, seniors, and young workers cannot wait a generation for a home while 125 acres sit underused.

Housing delayed is housing denied. Every year of delay is another year our children cannot afford to live in the city they grew up in.

 

3. Southfield taxpayers are exposed — with no guaranteed repayment.

Under the November 6, 2023 Restated Brownfield Plan (Amendment #2), up to $20.1 million in public funds have been advanced for eligible activities on this site.

•      Reimbursement depends entirely on future Tax Increment Revenues that may never materialize on a 2050 timeline.

•      There are no bonds securing the public investment.

•      There is no guaranteed repayment.

•      There is no enforceable obligation to deliver on schedule.

This is public money without public protection.

 

4. A $10 ownership shuffle changed who is really on the hook.

In August 2025, Northland City Center was quit-claimed to Northland City Center II for $10. That is not a rounding error. That is a material shift in ownership that raises serious questions about financial capacity, accountability, and who ultimately answers to Southfield residents if this project fails.

Before the City signs one more approval, we are owed renewed, independent due diligence on every entity now tied to this site.

 

5. Contour's track record does not justify our continued trust.

Publicly available information indicates that Contour-affiliated entities have faced pending litigation in multiple jurisdictions, troubled housing developments involving safety concerns or incomplete delivery, and difficulty completing large-scale residential projects on time.

Add the unanswered questions about where Northland's demolition soil ended up, and the case for a public reset is overwhelming. Southfield cannot stake its future on a partner this compromised.

 

6. The community's vision has been sidelined.

Since 2016, Southfield residents have been consistent about what we want on this site:

•      Housing we can actually afford.

•      Walkable, mixed-use development.

•      Retail, restaurants, green space, and community gathering places.

•      Vibrant, people-centered experiences — not drive-through uses.

Instead, we've been offered soccer domes, big-box concepts, and a 2050 finish line. That is not the Southfield we fought for. That is not the Northland we were promised.

 

Our Message to City Hall
2050 is not a housing plan.

Mountains of poisoned dirt are not a development strategy.

A $10 quit-claim is not accountability.

Public money requires public protection.

Southfield deserves a developer who answers to residents — not one who cannot tell reporters where the toxic soil went.

Sign This Petition
If you live in Southfield, work in Southfield, or care about the future of this city — sign this petition today.

We are for clean air. We are for safe soil. We are for housing our seniors can afford and our children can grow up in. We are for transparent government and responsible development.

We are for Southfield. And we are done waiting.

 

Sign. Share. Show up. Restoring Trust. Rebuilding Southfield.