FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum, a historic and popular attraction in Farmington Hills, could be demolished under a proposal that will be in front of the Farmington Hills Planning Commission on Thursday night.
RPT Realty, which owns Hunter's Square where Marvin's is located, has proposed a plan that would "reconfigure the site, including demolition of part of the shopping center and adding outlot buildings," according to commission documents.
From modern games to old time classics, wall to wall and floor to ceiling, it’s a sight to see for yourself. The museum displays mechanical games and other quirky, yet interesting, devices such as coin-operated animatronic dummies.
Andrew Rosenfeld has been the general manager at Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum for 16 years. It's a place he knew well as a kid growing up down the road.
“If we had a half day from middle school, my mom would give me a roll of quarters and my buddies and I would come here,” Rosenfeld said.
The business started in the 1980s with owner Marvin Yagoda. If you couldn't tell by the decor, Yagoda was known to be quite the character.
"It is basically wall to wall. If there was an empty space, it would drive him nuts,” Rosenfeld said. "Sometimes, it seemed he’d be adding things every day. Sometimes, it was too fast. I'd say, 'Marvin, we don't have room,' and he’d say, 'Don't worry about it. Don't worry about.'"
Yagoda died in 2017, leaving the museum as a lasting legacy. It's a legacy that could now be in jeopardy.
“Honestly, I don't know what I'll do with myself," Rosenfeld said if the place were to close.
Right now, plans have been submitted to the city to tear down the building that houses Marvin's and build a new Meijer. As a tenant, there’s nothing they can do.
“Could we move somewhere else? Technically, yes. There's other places to move into. We could pack everything up, we could probably move everything, we could make it work. But would it be the same? I don't think it would be,” Rosenfeld said.
Many of the customers packing into Marvin's Wednesday feel the same. Brooke Leiberman was there watching her kids enjoy the same place she enjoyed as a kid.
“It's just something we love to do," Leiberman said of coming to Marvin's. "We do it as a family. My cousins, my brother comes in from out of town and it's the first place we go. It's a special treasure here they don't have anywhere else.”
Ten-year-old twins Ava and Mya Veasey know Marvin's well.
“When you walk in, you can see how unique it is. You'll think to yourself wow, this arcade is so special,'” Ava said.
“It would be kind of sad for me to let go of this place because I have a lot of memories here,” Mya said.
As news spread, customer support for Marvin's has been pouring in. Many plan to attend the public hearing on Thursday, fighting to keep Marvin's and everything inside where it is.
“If these folks want to rehab the mall, that would be fantastic. But if they can let us stay where we are, that would be a win-win,” Rosenfeld said.
According to minutes from the Oct. 26 planning commission meeting, David Ortner, the senior vice president of development for RPT Realty, said the plan would call for the demolition of everything between Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum to Bed Bath & Beyond.
"That is something the community has some pride in, and I'd like to see if they can stay. It is an attraction to the community. If there's any possibility they have some space in this, is a benefit to the community," he said. "Are they planning to shut down or move?"
Ortner said it was too early to have the discussion, but they are open to discussing the future with them.
A change.org petition is calling for the historic location to be saved and has garnered thousands of signatures in the past 24 hours.
In a comment on Facebook, the owner of Marvin's said that he has been talking to his landlord about plans and possible options and has also met with Farmington Hills leaders.
"The landlord and city are aware of my concerns and passion for continuing Marvin's!!!" the post said.
During the meeting on Oct. 26, Commission Member Steven Stimson asked what would happen with the event.
We have reached out to RPT Realty for a statement on the situation.
In a statement to 7 Action News, Farmington Hills City Manager Gary Mekjian said in part, "Before making a recommendation to City Council on whether the project should be allowed to proceed, the Commission will consider: the extent to which the developer’s plans meet City regulations, the City’s current Master Plan for Land Use, the community benefit of the project, and the community’s feedback. Occupation of the property is not determined by any City process; it is a legal agreement between the landlord and tenants of the property.”
