Ferndalehaus Gets Approval for Phase Two of Development (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 19, 2017) Ferndale, MI – With shovels in the ground for the first phase of construction at the former Save-a-Lot property in Downtown Ferndale, developers of Ferndalehaus are ready to move forward with phase two after getting approval from the Planning Commission on…
Food Truck Restaurant “Detroit Fleat” Coming to Ferndale’s East Side (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 18, 2017) Ferndale, MI – A proposed development could turn the Wing Hing Inn at 1820 E. 9 Mile into a food-truck themed restaurant called “Detroit Fleat.” (Yes, that is the way it’s spelled) Aaron Tye, who owns the food truck…
Discussion Continues on Future of Taft and UHS Properties in Ferndale (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 18, 2017) Ferndale, MI – The planning process continues for two properties in Ferndale that were purchased by Robertson Homes from Ferndale Schools in 2016 after the district closed schools as part of restructuring. The properties are the sites of…
Ferndale to Consider St. James Senior Living Proposal (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 7, 2017) Ferndale, MI – Planning continues on a development that would turn the former St. James School and Convent into an assisted living facility. Ferndale City Council is having a public hearing on Monday at 7pm to consider a special land use…
Communities Share Ideas for Surviving Infrastructure Projects (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 17, 2016) Waterford, MI – Sometimes communities put a lot of planning into projects – like parking decks and road improvements – but forget that as these projects start, there are needs of the residents and businesses in the area that are impacted by…
Several Cities Showcase One Stop Ready Properties in Oakland County (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 21, 2016) Waterford, MI – “Developers know what cities are good to work with. You make someone wait on a permit or an inspection, and the developer may not come back. You get a bad reputation and that spreads to others…
Village of Holly Seeks Volunteers for Planning Commission (Village of Holly, Oct. 21, 2016) Holly, MI – The Village of Holly is currently seeking volunteers to serve on our Village Planning Commission. The Planning Commission meets once per month on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 7:00 pm in the Village Council Chambers located…
Flagstar Banks Commits $10 Million to Investing in Pontiac (City of Pontiac, Oct. 2, 2016) Pontaic, MI – Troy-based Flagstar Bank announced on Monday, September 19, 2016, a $10 million investment into the City of Pontiac. Speaking at the event was representatives from the city, county and state, which included, Mayor Deirdre Waterman; U.S. Senator…
–MML #6 – State Helps Communities Become Redevelopment Ready (Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 29, 2016) Mackinac Island, MI – Change in communities happens in one of two ways, either with thoughtful planning or by chaos. Across the state there are communities on the cusp of recovering from the recession of the past decade, and those…
Heritage Conference Shares Dixie Hwy History (Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 24, 2016) Holly, MI – With a theme of pairing development with history, the 19th annual Oakland County Heritage Conference focused on Dixie Hwy and the 23 miles of this historic road that travel through the Oakland County borders. The highway stretches from Sault St.…
MML #4 – How Crowdfunding Builds Community with Patronicity (Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 23, 2016) Mackinaw Island, MI – “When most people think of cities, they think of buildings, streets and cars. But when I think of cities I think of people… Where people go and where people meet is at the core of community,”…
Development Planned for E. 9 Mile and Bermuda in Downtown Ferndale (Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 22, 2016) Ferndale, MI – The development slated for the former St. Paul’s United Methodist Church site made it past the Planning Commission on Wednesday and needs to go to the Zoning Board before breaking ground. The property, located at…
Ferndale Chamber, FernCare to Move, 112 Unit Apt. Bldg. Proposed (Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 21, 2016) Ferndale, MI – The north side of E. 9 Mile from Leland to Paxton could be the site of a 112-unit apartment building called Ferndale Apartments if a proposed development goes through. The initial plans were presented to the…
Heritage Conference to Focus on Dixie Hwy Sept. 23 (EVENT page) The 2016 Heritage Conference is on the road again with its two-year exploration of the Saginaw Trail as it traversed Oakland County. This September, the conference moves north from Woodward Avenue onto the more rural Dixie Highway. Examine the potential of this heritage corridor…
Berkley City Manager Grapples with Public Discontent, Invites Sheriff to Investigate Claims (Crystal A. Proxmire, June 28, 2016) Berkley, MI – City leaders in Berkley are facing a culture of discontent as progressive elected officials try to manage municipal business in opposition to residents who are well-organized and ready stop decisions they think will change…
Communities Come Together to Celebrate Main Street Accreditations (Crystal A. Proxmire, June 15, 2016) Holly, MI – “This shows what we can do when we all pitch in and have a common goal,” said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson as he looked around at the thriving historic downtown of Holly. He sat at the…
Main Street Communities Honored with Awards (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 28, 2016) Royal Oak, MI – Twenty two communities through Oakland County take part in Main Street USA, a program focused on thriving downtowns and community centers. Thursday night people from those Main Street Programs came together for their annual awards program, this year held…
Pontiac Gets Expert Advice on Developing Downtown (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 18, 2016) Pontiac, MI – In advance of the upcoming Congress of the New Urbanism Conference in Detroit June 8-11, 2016, CNU hosted development charrettes in Pontiac and Hazel Park to build examples of how thoughtful planning can help revitalize communities. In Pontiac that…
Hazel Park Residents Come Together for John R. Design Charrette (Matt Bach, Michigan Municipal League, April 16, 2016) Hazel Park, MI – Hazel Park residents, city leaders and business owners got good news from an urban planner during a special design charrette kick-off meeting Tuesday. The news – Hazel Park has a tremendous market potential…
Southfield Mayor Shares Development Successes in State of the City Address (C. Proxmire, April 5, 2016) Southfield MI – Southfield Mayor Ken Siver had a lot of great Southfield news to share at his State of the City Address on March 21. He talked about Southfield’s strong commitment to public safety, stating that major crimes…