LIVONIA, Mich. (WXYZ) — Developers looking to turn the site of an old Kmart in Livonia into townhouses and a new Meijer store are getting pushback from a number of residents who are concerned about increased traffic as well as how the development will fit into the area of established, mostly brick, homes.
"I think there's still room for improvement with the townhouses," former City Councilperson Kathleen McIntyre said to the Livonia Planning Commission this week.
McIntyre added that the new Meijer store should look like the Woodward Corner Market at 13 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, which was opened by Meijer for customers in the Royal Oak, Berkley and Birmingham areas.
The Meijer store being proposed in Livonia will be just over 75,000 square feet and this week, the plans were modified to use real brick instead of concrete panels.
The housing component of the proposed development originally included a four-story apartment building of about 200 units. That large apartment building has been scraped amid concerns by nearby residents who didn't want their view of the sky to suddenly be blocked by a towering building, among other concerns.
The updated housing plans will include 102 rental townhouses that are two-story and three-story units. Rent on the units are expected to begin around $2,500.
Longtime resident Jenny Krenz questioned whether the developers had done their research on what tenants might be willing to pay. She also added that if someone can pay that much rent, they can pay the same amount for a mortgage.
Some residents attending this week's planning commission meeting also expressed concern about the increase in traffic congestion in the area.
Livonia's Planning and Economic Development Director Mark Taormina said doing something with the site is long overdue and a lot of residents are eagerly awaiting its redevelopment.
The proposal now heads to city council for review and a vote.
Click on the video player above to hear from residents in Kimberly Craig's report.
