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"Even in
a not-so-promising economy, progression is still prevalent
here in Pontiac, not only downtown but throughout our
neighborhoods and that's a good thing," said Mayor Willie
Payne. "It's evident that Pontiac is being looked at as a
place to raise families, buy homes and start a future.
"Not a week will pass when we don't have builders coming to
City Hall with projects they want to bring downtown or (to)
neighborhoods."
Council President Everett Seay also sees this as a good time
for Pontiac.
"This is a positive impact, compared to prior years, to see
all the development going around us in leaps and bounds,"
Seay said.
"This is the capital of Oakland County. We are no longer the
old rust belt town. Pontiac has made the transition. This is
a great thing to see, being on the council as long as I
have."
The Hannah Group and the Downtown Development Authority are
discussing the proposed building for downtown. If
constructed, it will be the first new construction downtown
since the Phoenix Center and Plaza.
Also downtown, the new Thai Remix restaurant recently had
its facade design approved and received a grant of up to
$20,000 from the Downtown Development Authority to redo the
building front. Restaurant owners plan to open soon on the
east side of Saginaw Street, just south of Huron Street.
At the northwest edge of the city, a Value World - offering
used merchandise - has been approved for the now vacant
Media Play store building in the Oakland Pointe shopping
center on Telegraph Road, north of Elizabeth Lake Road.
Plans are to open it in late summer.
And the Parkside Villas housing development of 16 ranch,
colonial and Cape Cod three- to four-bedroom homes will be
constructed on the former American Forge and Socket site.
"They will be located on (the new) Holland Lane, after
former Mayor Wallace Holland," developer Andrew Pettress
said. The development is off Branch Street next to New
Bethel Baptist Church. The council recently authorized Mayor
Payne to apply for a $632,000 environmental grant to clean
up and prepare the site for construction.
The homes, to sell in the range of $185,000, will have
two-car garages and 11
2 baths.
Elsewhere, Presbyterian Village on Opdyke near University
Drive is preparing to construct 112 one-story cottage-type
units in two phases at the Oakwood Manor independent living
complex for senior citizens. The existing units are all
apartments.
The Pontiac City Council gave Presbyterian Village of
Michigan a waiver to allow the cutting of 1,500 trees.
Once the additions are complete, developers are required to
plant at least one tree for every 50 linear feet in the
right-of-way of all internal streets.
Since there is not enough room at the site to replace all
the trees to be cut down, the council agreed to a deal that
requires developers to provide the city with 150 trees over
three years of at least 1-inch caliber to replace the ash
trees that died or were removed because of the emerald ash
borer, said Council President Seay.
This will help cut costs for the city, which pays about $200
a tree to replace them, he said.
The council and planning commission allowed the waiver
because there was not enough space on the property to build
without removing them.
The units will have two bedrooms, 1,050 square feet, two
bathrooms and a one-car garage. About 40 percent will rent
for around $750 and the others for $1,000.
http://theoaklandpress.com/stories/030305/loc_20050303018.shtml
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