How do I find available office space in the City of Southfield?
The Business Development Team will gladly contact you to customize a search for office space to suit your business needs. Please visit our Site Selection page Back to top
Do I need a business license from the city?
The type of business that you operate dictates whether your company will need to obtain a business license. Please visit the Licensing Section in the City's Clerk's Office . If your business does not require a business license, we encourage you to register your business, please visit our Business Registration page . Back to top
Can I obtain statistics on the City of Southfield?
Yes, we have statistics and resources available in our Business Development Fast Facts . Back to top
How do I start a new business?
The City of Southfield has developed a Guide book on starting a new business other resources are available from the State of Michigan and Oakland County Business Development . Back to top
Does the City offer grants to help start a new business?
The City of Southfield does not offer any grant programs for businesses. Oakland County Business Development has numerous resources to help you identify low interest loans to for starting a new business. Back to top
How can I do business with the City of Southfield?
In order to conduct business with the City of Southfield please visit the Doing Business With Southfield page . Back to top
Does the City of Southfield offer employment assistance to businesses?
The City of Southfield offers a comprehensive employment services to our companies. The Career Center will work with you to tailor services to suit your individual business. Please visit Employment Services page Back to top
What is the zoning of a specific property?
You may check the zoning of a property two ways: by contacting the
Planning Department or by accessing the
City’s GIS website and overlaying the zoning map onto a map of your property.
- Click on the red star then follow the instructions to login.
- When the “Search Criteria” bar appears on the left side of the page, click either “address” or “Sidwell number” the enter the information.
- When the General Information page comes up, click on “Locate Map”.
- After map draws, you will see your parcel highlighted in blue. To overlay the zoning map, you will see a menu along the right hand side titled “Layers”. Click on the yellow file folder beside the word “Boundary” then check the square next to the word “Zoning”. The zoning map will overlay.
- To obtain the legend that depicts correspondence with the Zoning Map, on the tool bar along the top of the screen, there is a button that says “Toggle to Legend”. The Zoning Map classifications will appear along the right hand side of the map.
- If a property is showing as yellow, and you need to see what exact Single Family Residential Classification it falls under, you must zoom out until you can see the zoning annotation. On the toolbar along the top of the map, you will see a magnifying glass with a minus sign. Click the magnifying glass, then click the property. Keep clicking the property until you can see the zoning annotation that specifies R-A, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, or R-E Single Family Residential. Back to top
What is the process to occupy a building or tenant space within the city?
Here are the steps to follow:
- Contact the Planning Department. You will need to provide either the property address (or Sidwell number) of the building you wish to occupy as well as the square footage you are interested in (for a tenant space within a building). The Planning Department will verify that the existing zoning and parking can accommodate the proposed use and associated parking required.
- Obtain a Business License (pdf) if needed.
- Proceed to the Building Department . If you will be making improvements to the interior of the building which would require permits, you may proceed with the permit process. If you are not intending to alter the building, you will need to contact the Building Department to schedule special inspections. Your goal is to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy which will be issued when the building or tenant space has passed all required inspections. Back to top
How do I obtain a Certificate of Occupancy for Existing Spaces?
The City of Southfield requires that all occupants of any building must first obtain a certificate of occupancy, before occupancy takes place. Furthermore, building permits are required for alteration work done on a building.
For more information on obtaining a certificate of occupancy (pdf) Back to top