AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Downtown Auburn Hills is set to get a significant boost in parking, with the city planning to add nearly 200 spaces.
The city manager, Tom Tanghe, said this addition is in response to the area becoming more urban and to address concerns from business owners and residents.
He added that the new spaces are aimed at improving convenience rather than solving an overall shortage.
For business owners like Thayer Gorges, who opened Theory and Thread Resale and Consignment downtown just a few months ago, the addition is exciting.
She said customers sometimes circle the block several times before leaving when they can’t find a spot close by, especially in bad weather.
“People have said to me when they’ve come in that parking is challenging or that they’ve circled several times and have just decided to give up,” Gorges said.
As a new small-business owner, she said those lost visits are tough to take.
“It’s heartbreaking because I’m a new business and I wanted to share it with the community,” Gorges said.
Residents are feeling the strain too.
“I can never get a parking spot in my own building that I live at, let alone this street here,” said downtown resident Chris Duday.
To address those concerns, the city plans to turn a lot along Auburn Road into a parking area with 131 spaces. Another lot on Primary Street is expected to add 43 spaces.
The city manager said downtown’s recent parking pressures are partly a sign of growth: Auburn Hills is becoming more urban, drawing more people, while some existing spaces are currently offline because of construction.
Business owners said more spots will make downtown more attractive and accessible.
“It would just make it better for the guest and all the customers to come have,” said Kiana, owner of Scents Science Candle Bar.
Construction on the Auburn Road lot is expected to begin in August, though that timeline depends on the removal of several DTE utility poles and the approval of a wetland permit. Work on the Primary Street lot is also slated to start in August and is expected to be completed by fall.
Because the Primary Street lot is closer to retail stores, the city is considering making it a metered lot.