Harper Woods

History

Harper Woods was incorporated as a city on February 19, 1951, from what was left of Gratiot Township. A charter commission was elected, a charter prepared and adopted, and a city council elected. The City of Harper Woods came into existence on October 29, 1951, when the charter took effect, and the first city council was sworn in. The fledgling suburb faced the usual problems confronting new cities: schools, streets, sidewalks, water systems, drains, etc. In 1956, Harper Woods was the subject of a community service study by the Bureau of Government, Institute of Public Administration, at the University of Michigan. The development of Harper Woods reflected the growth of metropolitan Detroit. In 1955, Interstate 94 (I-94) (which bisects the eastern part of the suburb) was approved, and construction on the Eastland Shopping Center began soon after. Eastland Center, one of the first outdoor malls in the Midwest, opened in 1957. Harper Woods continued to develop and grow over the decades. In 2001, Harper Woods celebrated its 50th anniversary. In September 2007, the City of Harper Woods Employees’ Retirement Scheme filed suit against British-based defense contractor BAE Systems. The suit alleges that BAE Systems executives funneled approximately $2 billion to Saudi ambassador Prince Bandar. The suit, which made news around the world, seeks governance changes to the BAE Systems board, and efforts to redress the losses due to this alleged corruption. On December 29, 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals rejected the Scheme's claim. Representatives for the Scheme later said that they would consider appealing to the Supreme Court. On June 14, 2021, the Harper Woods City Council voted 4–3 to not renew the contract of City Manager Joseph Rheker. The vote took place shortly after…

Geography

Harper Woods is located between the City of Detroit, Eastpointe, St. Clair Shores, and Grosse Pointe Woods. Harper Woods borders Macomb County along 8 Mile Road on its north side. It is located along I-94. Eastland Center was the community's shopping center until it closed in 2021. Harper Woods has no rail access. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Cass Technical High School
  High · DETROIT · 2,395 students · 24.2:1 ratio
• Grosse Pointe South High School
  High · GROSSE POINTE FARMS · 1,238 students · 18.2:1 ratio
• Grosse Pointe North High School
  High · GROSSE POINTE WOODS · 1,081 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Hamtramck High School
  High · HAMTRAMCK · 1,038 students · 20.8:1 ratio
• Harper Woods High School
  High · HARPER WOODS · 879 students · 22.5:1 ratio
• University Preparatory Art Design MiddleHigh
  High · Detroit · 843 students · 16.9:1 ratio
• Detroit Edison Public School Academy
  Elementary · DETROIT · 832 students · 29.7:1 ratio
• Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School
  High · DETROIT · 821 students · 21.1:1 ratio