Harness: Northville Downs selling, to be developed

Northville Downs, the lone surviving racetrack of any breed in Michigan, is in the process of being sold for development.

The 40-acre property in Northville, Mich., on the northwest outskirts of Detroit, is under contract with Hunter Pasteur Homes of Farmington Hills, Mich., with plans to build 500-600 apartments, townhouses, and single-family homes, along with potential commercial space. Terms of the transaction and planned development costs were not disclosed, according to Crain’s Detroit Business.

A statement from Northville Downs management affirmed that live racing and simulcast would continue on the grounds through 2020, with plans to keep racing alive at a different venue afterward.

“We are in the process of exploring multiple other locations to develop a first-class, state of the art racing and gaming facility that Michigan can be proud of,” the statement read. “We will continue to work closely with state and local representatives to implement the necessary changes that other states around us have, so we can bring racing back to its finest day.”

The track is owned by the Carlo family and the investment group Northville Driving Club Corp., of which the Carlos are minority shareholders, per Crain’s.

Northville Downs is the second Michigan track to be announced sold for development this month, after Thoroughbred venue Hazel Park Raceway closed its doors less than a month before its scheduled opening day. Demolition of Hazel Park is expected to begin by the end of April.

Crain’s reported that Northville planned to hire 30 additional employees to accommodate the migration of bettors from Hazel Park, and the harness track would purchase over $50,000 worth of equipment and other materials from the shuttered track.

Northville Downs is currently in the midst of its spring meet, held Fridays and Saturdays from March 2 to June 9. The track is also scheduled to host Friday and Saturday racing this year from Sept. 7 to Dec. 15.

Northville Downs opened in September 1944, and it was one of the first tracks in the U.S. to host night harness racing. When it closes, it will become the sixth harness track to close or be repurposed in Michigan since 1997, following Muskegon Race Course (closed in 1997, converted to Thoroughbred track Great Lakes Downs); Saginaw Valley Harness Raceway (2005); Jackson Harness Raceway (2008); Sports Creek Raceway (2014); and Hazel Park (2014, repurposed to Thoroughbred track).