'The hitting-our-stride phase': Oak Park eyes revitalization after disinvestment

City leaders in Oak Park are sharing their hopes for the future of the city undergoing revitalization.

With the grant-funded public improvement project Nine Mile Redesign as the highlight, the city is starting to attract more businesses in vacant spaces.

In 2023, they saw a decline in vacancy in the area corridors and brought in at least 17 businesses.

"In every instance of that, the investments we've made in the public space are leading to other investments in private development," City Manager Erik Tungate said.

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Moving past the pandemic, Tungate expects even more businesses and development this year.

"I'd say we're in the hitting-our-stride phase," Tungate said.

The next phase is to add more public space and connector parks to the Nine Mile project.

Another big project is the Water Tower Social District Improvements, which will also have a pocket park and public space.

Newly opened coffee shop and event space Mother Handsom is the third business with a liquor license added to the area.

"It's really exciting just hearing some of the preliminary plans that they have and having just this really cool open spot for the neighbors and the community to come and gather together," co-owner Brooke Zadorsky said.

While new to the area, Zadorsky says the community has been very welcoming and inviting.

"Just the neighborhoods like the residential neighborhood around us has been amazing, getting people in and hanging out and getting to know my staff. We're getting to know the neighbors. That kind of is what we're going for. We want to build relationships," Zadorsky said.

Her experience moving to the area resembles Ed Madell's of Ed Mandell's Chess Club Inc.

Mandell moved his shop to the Oak Park corridor on Coolidge Highway in January.

"Already, we've had a fair amount of traffic coming by," Mandell said. "We were in St. Clair Shores for about three years and the rent started to get extremely high, so I started to check around. It was a lot more reasonable and this seemed better suited for our needs."

Oak Park has been known as a bedroom community of Detroit and Tungate says he wants the city to remain that.

"We're not trying to be a new downtown. We're not trying to usurp downtown Detroit or other downtowns near us, but what we are trying to do is to be the most exciting neighborhood commercial development area in south Oakland County," Tungate said.

Voters agreed to a tax increase in 2023 to continue commercial improvements in the city.

Plans for 2024 include continuing work on the Event Hub project that will be Farmers Market Structured.

More than $3 million will be invested for a project at Shepherd Park.

Currently in the design phase, it will become Oak Park Woods at Shepherd Park.

Construction is planned for 2025 and 2026.