Troy, Michigan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Troy, Michigan |
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| Country | United States |
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| State | Michigan |
| County | Oakland |
| Mayor | Louise Schilling |
| Area | |
| - City | 87.1 km² |
| - Land | 86.9 km² |
| - Water | 0.3 km² |
| Population | |
| - City (2000) | 80,959 |
| - Density | 932.0/km² |
| - Metro | 5,456,428 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Website: http://www.ci.troy.mi.us | |
Troy is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit and is part of the Metro Detroit area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 80,959, the 19th largest city in Michigan by population. Troy has become a destination for its upscale Somerset Collection mall.
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[edit] History
The first land purchases in what became Troy Township were recorded in 1819 in section 19. The first settlement, known as Troy Corners, originated two years later when Johnson Niles purchased 160 acres at the SW corner of Square Lake & Livernois. Four years later, Ira Smith built the first house at Big Beaver Corners, and the first public school opened at Troy Corners. Troy Township was organized on May 28, 1827.
In 1966, I-75 was completed in Troy. This gave a major boost to Troy's economy, leading to the development of its civic center, school district, and recreation system.
[edit] Today
In 2003, Troy was named Michigan's Sportstown by Sports Illustrated magazine for having the top community sports programs in the state.
In the summer of 2005, to commemorate the city's 50th anniversary, ceramic beaver statues, each standing four feet (1.2 m) high, were displayed at various locations in the city. The beaver is the symbol of Troy, and the city's main commercial thoroughfare (Big Beaver Road) is named for it. In 2006, Troy was named the 5th safest city of 75,000 or more in the United States and the safest city in Michigan. Troy is also the second largest city in the state based on total property value.
[edit] The Big Beaver Corridor Study
In 2006, the Big Beaver Corridor Study was announced, with the goal of making Big Beaver into a world class boulevard.
The Big Beaver Corridor Study catalogues, analyzes, and defines issues that will begin a process of planning and directing development opportunities for years to come. Specifically, this document, in part one, provides an overview analysis of existing conditions and summarizes stakeholder and expert opinions as important input for part two efforts to redefine basic and overall corridor characteristics and experience.
Part two addresses the corridor as "world class boulevard" concept, advocated by the DDA as the strategy to re-ignite the development and redevelopment potential of the corridor. Part two outlines specific requirements needed to fulfill this goal. It assigns general land use concepts related to long-term economic viability, transportation management, the urban design aesthetic, and public experience of the corridor.
The study process has resulted in a plan that will fundamentally change the corridor from a traffic- dominant highway to a mixed use urban center, a very dramatic and forward-thinking idea. It also strongly advocates the need for a comprehensive master plan in addition to this study, which will address issues of public and private realm interactions, long-term values, and economic sustainability. This corridor study is an important chapter of that future master plan for the City of Troy.
For more information visit The Big Beaver Corridor Study Website.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 33.6 square miles (87.1 km²)—33.5 square miles (86.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.30%) is water. Troy, by area, is the 12th largest city in Michigan. Troy has the interesting distinction of having I-75's Exit 69 at Big Beaver.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 80,959 people, 30,018 households, and 21,883 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,413.9 people per square mile (932.0/km²). There were 30,872 housing units at an average density of 920.5 per square mile (355.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.30% White, 2.09% African American, 0.15% Native American, 13.25% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.82% from two or more races. 1.46% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race. Troy has the highest percentage of Asians of any city in Michigan.
There were 30,018 households out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $77,538, and the median income for a family was $92,058. Males had a median income of $66,475 versus $41,026 for females. The per capita income for the city was $35,936. About 1.7% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Economy
In the midst of one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, Troy is a thriving center of business, particularly in the automotive and financial sectors, and is home to a number of major companies. Based on property value, Troy is the second largest city in Michigan, second only to Detroit. The Top of Troy is the city's tallest building (now renamed the National City Center). Troy is home to the upscale Somerset Collection mall featuring an award winning skywalk with over 180 stores and the Oakland Mall.
[edit] Major companies headquartered in Troy
- Altair Engineering
- ArvinMeritor
- Behr America
- Budd Company
- Decoma International
- Delphi Corporation
- DuPont Automotive
- Flagstar Bancorp, Inc.
- Kelly Services
- National City Corp. (Operations Center)
- SAE International
- Quicken Loans
- Honey Baked Ham
Kmart was headquartered in Troy until it acquired Sears in 2005, establishing itself in the former Sears headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
[edit] Public Safety
In 2003, Alliance Mobile Health, an EMS provider, was contracted to handle the city's Emergency Calls.
[edit] Media
In addition to the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press, regional newspapers serving all of southeast Michigan, the city is served by the Daily Tribune, published daily, the Troy Eccentric, which is published twice a week, on Sunday and Thursday, the Troy Beacon, the Troy Times, and the Somerset Gazette.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Mayor and City Council
- Councilman Dave Lambert's Blog
- GIS Maps
- Troy School District
- Troy Public Library
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
