FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – Plans to redevelop an outdoor shopping strip in Farmington Hills, and potentially demolish a beloved museum/arcade, have been put on hold as city council members consider the details.
The Farmington Hills City Council on Monday, Jan. 8 decided to put redevelopment plans for a strip mall on Orchard Lake Road near 14 Mile Road on hold as it further considers the components of the plan. Though approved by the Farmington Hills Planning Commission, the redevelopment plan poses some concerns to city council members and members of the community -- particularly those who want a business in the strip mall to remain untouched.
For months, fans of Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum have denounced the redevelopment plan that includes demolishing some buildings -- including Marvin’s -- in the strip and installing a smaller-footprint Meijer store there, among other things. The project would seriously impact the arcade and venue that has been widely known and locally loved for decades, and has served as a destination spot for people of all ages.
In November 2023, the Farmington Hills Planning Commission voted unanimously in favor of the redevelopment plan, recommending it for approval “based solely on its adherence to city planning and zoning regulations,” City Manager Gary Mekjian said then. Officials also said the city has no control over who occupies the spaces in the development.
Now, it’s up to the city council to decide whether to approve the proposal brought by the developer who owns the property. Council members held a meeting on Monday, during which they voiced several concerns and questions to the property owners.
Some of the biggest issues appeared to be a proposed drive-thru and how it would impact traffic in the area. Members were also concerned about proposed signage for the Meijer building, which would take up about 70,000 square feet of the property.
A handful of community members also spoke during Monday’s meeting, sharing how the redevelopment would phase out Marvin’s one-of-a-kind, family-friendly business to be replaced with a big box store. In previous meetings, people expressed frustration over the potential new Meijer store, especially since there are other grocery stores in the immediate area, and two Meijer stores less than 15 minutes away.
With all of the local pushback, city officials made it clear last year that the city council will not be making the decision regarding the museum’s future. The Farmington Hills city government “does not have the ability during the plan review process to dictate specific tenancy of any commercial property in the city,” City Manager Mekjian said. “That is a private, contractual relationship between private entities.”
City officials said last year that they reached out to museum owner Jeremy Yagoda in an effort to “determine his needs and to connect him with resources and/or opportunities that could allow him to remain in the city of Farmington Hills for many generations to come.”
Jeremy Yagoda is the son of Marvin Yagoda, who founded Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum in the 1980s. Marvin Yagoda was famous for collecting coin-operated machines and unique items, and sharing them with the public at his quirky museum.
Museum visitors can find 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 ‘80s at what was known as 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.
“We are here and hope to be here for a long time but I am also looking at other options,” Yagoda wrote on social media in November. “Closing is NOT an option in my mind.”
More than 51,000 people have signed an online petition in support of saving the museum as of Jan. 9.