Proposed Mack Avenue storage units
wouldn't hurt Grosse Pointes, says developer

The developer of a proposed drive-through self-storage facility adjacent to the old Lochmoor auto dealership on Mack Avenue has a suggestion for those who might be bothered by it: Relax.

"We will be good neighbors" if the facility is built, said Bill Bowman, president of Great Northern of Ann Arbor, and a partner with Nolan Brothers Inc., the Fort Worth company that specializes in such businesses. The company is "willing to work with" the cities of Detroit, Grosse Pointe and Grosse Pointe Farms to make the 3.5-story design more appealing.

But he cautioned that an EZ Storage is better than abandonment, and might be the best use of the Detroit side of Mack that anyone can realistically expect.

Bowman's proposal had a hearing with the Detroit City Planning Commission last Thursday (May 20). The commission did not rule, but directed city planner Angeline Lawrence to work with Bowman's company to address concerns about the plan. Commission members questioned the tight lot size –  less than an acre, on a narrow, deep plat – as well as plans to have customers exit onto an alley, rather than a street.

"We have a month to work on it," said Lawrence. "I could not in good conscience recommend it in its present form."

City and Farms officials are concerned with the height of the structure, the traffic flow that the facility would bring, and the materials used to build it, as well as the general aesthetic of Mack Avenue.

"We are trying to protect the interest of the (Farms) and have an interest in the border. The city of Grosse Pointe Farms is an advocate interested in a viable commercial district located next to a residential area," said City Manager Shane Reeside.

Grosse Pointe City Manager Peter Dame has made it clear that the City will be taking a cooperative stance on the matter. In an email, Dame wrote, "We are certainly pleased to have proposed development on the Detroit side of Mack. Mack Avenue is a shared border street and what happens there is important to both communities."

Dame said City residents who have contacted him are split between those who consider such a facility an eyesore, and those happy with any development of vacant parcels. The land under consideration currently holds a vacant one-story office building, and a parking area behind it is used for school bus storage.

Nolan Bros. and Great Northern have erected other facilities around the Detroit metro area, including Eastpointe, Southfield and Ferndale. Bowman said that in Ferndale, the company redesigned their facade at the city's request, "to make it more Colonial."

"Some sort of retail is going to go in that space eventually," Bowman said. "It could be a White Castle, lights on all night. This is much better for the neighborhood." 

Below, an architect's rendering of the Mack Avenue side of the proposed storage facility:

What do you think? Do you agree that a storage facility is better than the alternatives? Or do you have another idea? How important is Mack Avenue to the Pointes? We would like to hear what you think. Register or log in and click on  "add a new comment" below.

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