Visions for Vacancies: What Should Go Into the Vacant Pella Windows Building?
The property was recently rezoned to make it more attractive to potential tenants. What should go into this space on Haggerty and Walnut Lake?
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Developer Arie Leibovitz has some land to market. The home of the former Pella Windows location at 2000 Haggerty Rd. and Walnut Lake Road has been vacant for many years, and Leibovitz wants to find a tenant.
The Township planning commission granted Leibovitz's request to rezone the property, to make it more attractive to potential clients, at its Feb. 14 meeting. Pella Windows, which has been closed for many years after moving to Auburn Hills, was in a district zoned for an office park and now it will be zoned in the general business district.
That classification allows for many potential tenants which would not be there otherwise; including a standard restaurant, a theater and a house of worship.
Businesses which would still require a special land use permit to be granted would include a drive-thru restaurant, a motel and a car wash.
The area is bounded to the east by what used to be railroad tracks and will eventually be turned into a new portion of the West Bloomfield Trail.
What's your idea for these 7.99 acres at the corner of two arterial roads in the township? Would you cater to trail users, or perhaps try for a special land use permit? Is your idea close to something like Pella Windows, or completely different?
Tell us in the comments!
Carim Calkins
9:38 pm on Saturday, February 25, 2012
Use part of it for a restaurant that abuts the new walking trail and offers both traditional American fare and healthier choices. Could draw people to and from the trail as well as Haggerty and Walnut. I visualize a large outdoor seating area as part of the restaurant. Perhaps even have the township purchase the northernmost part of the property to use for parking for the trail, then install a crosswalk at the stoplight so that the trail can continue toward Walled Lake w/o endangering trail users.
Timothy Rath
8:38 am on Monday, February 27, 2012
Carim, I really like this idea. We've reported on this before, but it's worth noting here that as part of the West Bloomfield Trail extension, a small parking lot will be coming to the Haggerty Road trailhead. A crosswalk is indeed coming to the Walnut Lake/Haggerty intersection. Graphic illustrations are available on the Parks and Recreation website.
Laura "Honey" Solomon
10:48 pm on Sunday, February 26, 2012
Love Carim's idea!