FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – The owner of the unique and beloved Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum in Farmington Hills says he is “fighting tooth and nail” to prevent the demolition of the establishment as the city considers a redevelopment proposal.
The Farmington Hills Planning Commission is on Thursday, Nov. 16 considering a proposal brought by RPT Realty, which owns numerous open-air shopping centers throughout the U.S., including several in Metro Detroit. The property management company is proposing to redevelop the Farmington Hills strip mall that is home to the museum, and to build a Meijer store on the property.
As word spread quickly online of the potential demolition of the shopping center, museum owner Jeremy Yagoda shared that he was surprised by the plans, and that he was working on figuring out a solution.
“This is not what I initially heard the plans were ... I don’t know what we will do or where [we could] even go!” Yagoda wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, Nov. 14.
Update: Plan that threatens Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum approved by Farmington Hills commission
The owner later said he had been talking with his landlord about the redevelopment plans and options he may have going forward. Yagoda also said he had been speaking with city council members and the mayor, and that the city and his landlord are “aware of [his] concerns and passion for continuing Marvin’s.”
“I am fighting tooth and nail every step of the way, if we can’t work something out here I will be looking for other options,” Yagoda wrote on Facebook.
Community support for Yagoda and his longstanding business has grown in the past few days, with more than 22,000 people signing a petition in support of saving the museum from redevelopment as of Thursday. Many were encouraging people to attend a Farmington Hills Planning Commission meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 to show support for the museum.
Marvin Yagoda, founder of Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum, was famous for collecting coin-operated machines and unique items, and sharing them with the public at his quirky museum. Inside the museum, located on Orchard Lake Road near 14 Mile Road, are more than 5,000 square feet of vintage coin-operated machines, macabre, oddities, unusual nostalgia, and the new video game crazes.
The museum first opened in the 1980s at what was once Tally Hall, and later moved to its current location when Tally Hall closed. When Marvin Yagoda died in 2017, his son Jeremy took over the business and has been operating it since.
The space is known as an iconic Metro Detroit destination and community staple for many. It’s free and open to the public to peruse, can be reserved for parties, and has been featured on numerous lists, magazines, and shows.
Learn more about the museum on their website here.