FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – A beloved museum/arcade located in Farmington Hills is slated for demolition after the city council approved redevelopment plans for the same property.
After months of back-and-forth, and continuous outcry from the community, Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum is expected to be toppled to make room for a redevelopment project. The Farmington Hills City Council on Monday approved plans to partially redevelop Hunter’s Square Shopping Center, a strip mall, on Orchard Lake Road near 14 Mile Road, and to add a new, smaller-footprint Meijer on the property.
Community members and fans of Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum have continuously denounced the redevelopment plan that seeks to demolish the widely known and locally loved venue. Home to 5,000 square feet of vintage coin-operated machines, macabre, oddities, and more, the museum has served as a destination for people of all ages from near and far.
After placing the plans on hold on Jan. 8 for further consideration, the Farmington Hills City Council voted Monday, Feb. 12 to allow the project to move forward. The decision comes nearly three months after the city’s 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 then that the city has no control over who occupies the spaces in the development, and that the choice is a “private, contractual relationship between private entities,” Mekjian said.
Speaking at a city council meeting in January, some community members said the new project would phase out Marvin’s one-of-a-kind, family-friendly business only 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.
City council members expressed some concern over the plans in January, as well, particularly related to 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, officials said.
But the council ultimately approved the project at their Monday meeting, much to the disappointment of the museum patrons.
It’s unknown when exactly Marvin’s will be demolished, or what exactly its future holds. Owner Jeremy Yagoda -- son of Marvin Yagoda, who founded the museum/arcade -- said in November 2023 that he was looking at other options, and that closing is “not an option” in his mind.
Yagoda wrote on the Marvin’s Facebook page Tuesday morning saying the museum is not closing, but instead will be moving. It wasn’t known exactly where the arcade would go, but the owner made it clear that the redevelopment project is not the end for Marvin’s.
Farmington Hills officials said last year that they reached out to 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.” More than 52,000 people signed an online petition in support of saving the iconic venue, which has lived at that address for decades.
Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum was opened in the 1980s by Marvin Yagoda, who was famous for collecting coin-operated machines and unique items, and sharing them with the public at his quirky museum. The museum first opened 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.