The Royal Oak Acorn 🌳
@RoyalOakAcorn
Tracking development news, urban planning, transit, local biz, news, and history in Royal Oak, MI. Not a journalist or govt. affiliated - opinions are my own.
🏗️ Royal Oak projects to watch in 2025: ➡️ 505 S. Lafayette mixed-use ➡️ Bianchi Flats residential ➡️ Residential at E. 3rd & Knowles ➡️ Finalized version of the Master Plan
Yeah, reducing Main Street to two lanes and a turn lane would be safer and better, but it’s still going to make Jordan Jeep driver and their 500 dashboard rubber duckies upset as they use a walkable downtown as a pass-through highway. It’s an incurable mindset, I fear.
People’s brains become absolutely broken when driving downtown Royal Oak. It’s 25 MPH, and you really need to go slower to react to anyone in the crosswalks, but of course you got Chet in his lifted F-250 tailgating and slamming on the accelerator to swerve around you.
Frentz & Sons is selling their building and property, according to their Facebook post:
Royal Oak Union School, opened in 1902. Royal Oak, Oakland County, Michigan. Postcard photograph from the David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography at the University of Michigan Clements Library.
This corner needs a restaurant with a small kid's play area attached. There are TONS of young families within walking distance and it would be an absolute smash.
This intersection was actually a focus area for the new Master Plan. You have this site, the abandoned Rite Aid, and now Frenz & Sons hardware for sale. Upzoning here would be great, and the condo/parking garage idea would alleviate our unquenchable thirst for parking.
The new parking system has been approved the City Commission.
🅿️ The Royal Oak City Commission will vote to approve a new parking meter system at tonight’s meeting. This includes approximately 150 Flowbird pay stations utilizing ParkMobile as the mobile payment option.
This was approved, and the city will next enter into negotiations with the developer over the final number of parking reservations.
At tonight’s meeting, the City Commission will review a request for parking pass reservation (a 15-year agreement for 81 monthly passes) at the South Lafayette Garage, for the 505 S. Lafayette project.
The City Commission moved to demolish the building. The owner of the property explained that the trust is struggling to sell it, apparently due to zoning limitations (currently Neighborhood Business).
There will be a hearing at the next City Commission meeting (7/14) to consider demolition of the former auto service building at Main and Gardenia due to neglect. There was a previous proposal for apartments there, but it was rejected by the Planning Commission in 2019.
At tonight’s meeting, the City Commission will review a request for parking pass reservation (a 15-year agreement for 81 monthly passes) at the South Lafayette Garage, for the 505 S. Lafayette project.
There will be a hearing at the next City Commission meeting (7/14) to consider demolition of the former auto service building at Main and Gardenia due to neglect. There was a previous proposal for apartments there, but it was rejected by the Planning Commission in 2019.
Kroger Update: Motion to postpone action to the next meeting passes. Lots of pushback from the commission on the plan, so the developer can come back with an updated version. The mayor noted a desire for a “flagship” development at this location that better fits the Master Plan.
NEW: a proposal on the 7/8 Planning Commission agenda for a 103K sq. ft. Kroger grocery store & gas station at 14 and Coolidge in Royal Oak. The petitioner is requesting a rezone from General Industrial to General Business. The building on site is vacant. Agenda 🔗 in bio
Royal Oak “taco” fest shouldn’t get to shut down a public park, multiple streets, half the Farmer’s Market area, and Grant Park for days. Use the perpetually empty lot at 6th & Main instead, or the city should find ways to promote local restaurants instead of food trucks…
