Farmington Mayor Joseph LaRussa participated in the State of the Cities Event hosted by the Greater Farmington Chamber of Commerce on March 6, 2026, along with Farmington Hills Mayor Theresa Rich and Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kelly Coffin.
Mayor LaRussa shared many of the accomplishments that have been realized in the city of Farmington during 2025. Its newest housing project, Hillside Townes, has its first occupants enjoying their proximity to Downtown Farmington in one of 53 new townhomes. This transformational housing project brought with it a total reconstruction of Thomas and School Streets, adding updated water and sewer infrastructure, brand new local streets, and a new sidewalk where previously there was none.
The city announced it will be renovating the Governor Warner Mansion, one of the city’s signature historic properties. As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, Farmington is investing upwards of $1M to preserve one of its most important historic spaces for the next generation.
Farmington also received almost $1.5M in federal financial support through two grants from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments and Congresswoman Haley Stevens’ office for additional new sidewalk and upgrades to the city’s Nine Mile Pump station.
And finally, Mayor LaRussa announced that Farmington would continue to cultivate its sister city relationship with Vacri (CH), Italy, in the coming year, and host another event in collaboration with the Consulate of Italy in Detroit. On March 31, “The Magic of Murano Glass” was presented at Fired and Fused, a local fused glass studio in Farmington.
The event celebrating Italian Design Day 20026 featured a virtual reality immersive experience and a glass blowing demonstration by Master Gabriele Urban of La Fornasotta in Murano (VE), Italy and his assistant Francesco De Marchi. Master Urban has been glass blowing since 1966 when he was a young boy. His goal was to become a master glassmaker in his own furnace, which he achieved in 1995 with “La Fornasotta”. Today Master Urban has clients all over the world and his work is displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
To stay informed about the city’s ongoing activities and engagement with the Italian-American community, follow the City of Farmington and Mayor LaRussa on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joseph.larussa.9
