Published August 26, 2016
HAZEL PARK — For decades, Doug’s Delight was a cherished fixture in the city of Hazel Park — a walk-up shop selling ice cream and comfort food at the corner of John R Road and West Annabelle Avenue, just north of Woodward Heights Boulevard. But then the owner died unexpectedly two years ago, and it’s been closed ever since.
This didn’t sit right with chef James Rigato, owner of nearby Mabel Gray. He began thinking about ways he could help restore Doug’s Delight to greatness.
Read MorePublished August 24, 2016
GROSSE POINTE PARK — City leaders are hoping to prevent certain types of businesses — such as gas stations that sell liquor — as well as more carefully control medical establishments in the largely residential city of Grosse Pointe Park.
Read MorePublished August 24, 2016
FARMINGTON/FARMINGTON HILLS — Nestled in downtown Farmington, near the corner of Farmington Road and Grand River Avenue, is 156 years of history.
The Heeney-Sundquist Funeral Home, 23720 Farmington Road, has made Farmington home since 1850 — when the city itself was just 26 years old.
Inside his grand, historic office on a balmy summer day Aug. 19, Mark Ziegler, funeral home president, discussed why he considers it a privilege for his family to serve the people of Farmington for the past seven generations.
Read MorePublished August 24, 2016
Changes to Troy’s zoning laws that would allow more homes to be built closer together on parcels in order to preserve green spaces and natural features will move forward after the Planning Commission discussed the new guidelines Aug. 9.
The Planning Commission, by consensus, directed city staff to schedule a public hearing on the zoning text amendment for the enhanced cluster option in coming weeks. A date had not been selected by press time.
Read MorePublished August 24, 2016
FARMINGTON HILLS/DETROIT — While no new transit lines will be added to the city of Farmington Hills under the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan master plan, residents — and people who work in the city — can expect to see a number of expansions that could impact their commute.
During an Aug. 8 Farmington Hills City Council meeting, Tiffany Gunter, chief operations officer and deputy CEO for the RTA, gave a slide presentation and reviewed a few updates within the master plan.
Read MorePublished August 24, 2016
FRASER — A building that has provided both housing and nervous contention seems to be in a good spot, according to a high-ranking public official.
During Fraser’s Aug. 11 council meeting, State Rep. Marilyn Lane, D-Fraser, delivered a presentation regarding the future of Fraser’s senior housing complex.
The three-story, 75-unit building is located across from the Fraser Activity Center, off 15 Mile Road and west of Utica Road.
Read MorePublished August 24, 2016
ROCHESTER HILLS — Developers plan to build a four-story hotel on Marketplace Circle, off Adams Road.
Woodspring Suites will be located just east of the Meijer store.
“We are excited about getting started,” said Woodspring Suites Senior Vice President of Development Scott Bixle at the Aug. 8 Rochester Hills City Council meeting. “We would like to get going on this as quickly as we can.”
Read MorePublished August 24, 2016
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — On Aug. 16, the Shelby Township Board of Trustees voted 4-3 to approve a project that will develop approximately 40 acres of vacant land, located on Schoenherr Road, between 21 Mile and 22 Mile roads, that Utica Community Schools previously owned.
The planned unit development, or PUD, includes 69 single-family homes on 34.5 acres and a 60-unit assisted living senior facility on 4.5 acres. The plan also includes 3.4 acres of open space.
Read MorePublished August 23, 2016
BERKLEY — The development of Oxford Park has picked up some steam in recent months, and at the City Council’s most recent meeting, a landscape architecture firm presented preliminary designs to detail what the land could look like in the future.
At the council’s meeting Aug. 16, Landon Landscape Architecture LLC displayed three plans formed with ideas gathered from Berkley residents in recent months through meetings and surveys.
Read MorePublished August 23, 2016
BERKLEY — The north and south sides of Robina Avenue connected to 12 Mile Road will be closed temporarily to perform a traffic study on the area for a possible plaza area.
The closure, which the City Council approved at its Aug. 15 meeting, will take place from Sept. 19 to Nov. 18 to allow for a traffic study to learn how the area would be affected if a plaza were installed in the area.
Read MorePublished August 23, 2016
BERKLEY — The north and south sides of Robina Avenue connected to 12 Mile Road will be closed temporarily to perform a traffic study on the area for a possible plaza area.
The closure, which the City Council approved at its Aug. 15 meeting, will take place from Sept. 19 to Nov. 18 to allow for a traffic study to learn how the area would be affected if a plaza were installed in the area.
Read MorePublished August 23, 2016
EASTPOINTE — Eastpointe recently purchased 27 tax reversion properties from Macomb County with hopes to sell the properties to a buyer who officials hope will encourage homeownership, according to a press release Aug. 17.
Eastpointe City Manager Steve Duchane explained that once approved, it’s preferred that new owners occupy the properties.
Read MorePublished August 17, 2016
FERNDALE — After months of searching, the city of Ferndale has hired a new community and economic development director.
Jordan Twardy’s first day on the job was Monday, Aug 8, and he was introduced as the new hire at the City Council meeting later that night.
He replaces Derek Delacourt, who left in March to become Ann Arbor’s community services administrator.
Twardy previously served as the executive director for the Eight Mile Boulevard Association, where he had worked since 2012 and as director since 2014.
Read MorePublished August 17, 2016
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Rehabilitation of Prince Drewry Park is set to commence after Clinton Township approved its tabulated bid offers.
On July 20, the Clerk’s Office received and processed three bids for the project, with the low bidder being James P. Contracting Inc. Bids were reviewed by Giffels Webster, the Clinton Township Public Services Department and the Clinton Township Planning Department.
Read MorePublished August 17, 2016
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The reconstruction of Clinton Township’s Civic Center parking lot is currently in full swing, and some additional changes will be added to the process.
The third phase of the current construction schedule is proceeding in timely fashion, according to Scott Chabot, senior project manager with Giffels Webster — the township’s engineering firm.
Read MorePublished August 17, 2016
The Troy Planning Commission sent a developer back to the drawing board again Aug. 9 after taking a second look at plans for a five-story, 140-unit apartment building on McClure Drive, just north of Big Beaver Road, east of Crooks Road.
The 2.5-acre, three-parcel site currently contains one single-family home.
Read MorePublished August 17, 2016
FARMINGTON HILLS/MARQUETTE — You may have heard of the former Holy Family Orphanage.
Some say it’s haunted, others see dilapidation, while some use the historic landmark as content for the blogosphere.
For Farmington Hills-based Home Renewal Systems, a redeveloper of historic properties, they see an opportunity to turn blight into beauty by creating the Grandview Marquette, a 56-rental-unit affordable housing space come 2017.
Shannon Morgan, of HRS Communities, said that the building has quite a bit of history.
Read MorePublished August 16, 2016
SOUTHFIELD — Following a public input session and a recent presentation in front of City Council, OHM Advisors — the firm selected to develop a conceptual, market-driven master redevelopment plan for Northland Center, 21500 Northwestern Highway — is again looking for Southfielders’ suggestions.
The city will host the public input session 6-8 p.m. Aug. 23 in the auditorium of the Southfield Public Library, 263000 Evergreen Road.
Read MorePublished August 16, 2016
ROCHESTER — Rochester’s oldest business, the Rochester Elevator Co., could soon bid farewell to its home at the corner of University and Water streets in downtown Rochester.
Read MorePublished August 12, 2016
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — “It was named after me: Executive Drive,” joked Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel.
Not really. Executive Drive was constructed four decades before Hackel was voted into his position as county leader, but that didn’t mean a celebration wasn’t necessary on Aug. 10 as local officials and business leaders flocked to the middle of the 1-mile stretch of road to mark its grand reopening following some major improvements.
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