New Grocery Store Sparks Tiff in Metro Detroit Suburbs

Last year, plans to construct a new Meijer grocery store and 102 rental apartments on a former Kmart site were given the go-ahead. This happened in Livonia, one of Metro Detroit suburbs, and not without a fuss – there was quite a resistance from the city council members and a bunch of locals who argued that their city, home to 92,200 Wayne County residents, simply didn’t need another chain grocer.

A few council members however admitted they didn’t exactly warm up to the Meijer plan, even though they okayed it in the end. “I’m not a fan of a Meijer. We are awash with grocery stores,” a Councilman remarked. Meijer wasn’t the only chain grocer in Livonia, it already had a Kroger, Walmart, and Target, and a Whole Foods was being proposed somewhere in the city.

Meijer has not had it easy with establishing new stores in a few Metro Detroit communities. Last year, a lawsuit ensued between the retailer and Plymouth Township in a bid to get approval for building a store after the town’s planning commission rejected its plan. The same happened in Farmington Hills when Meijer wanted to upgrade an aging strip mall, causing uproar because it would have meant tearing down Marvelous Marvin’s Mechanical Museum, a popular, long-standing arcade.

The main worry was the proliferation of grocery shopping and large-scale retailers. The people were having none of it, causing quite an uproar over fear of more traffic and crime rates spiking. They were growing increasingly wary of the ever growing retail choices in big stores like Walmart and Target, and chains like Whole Foods, which seemed to be leading to a glut of supermarkets and an overly competitive retail industry.

People’s sentiments were captured well by a Livonia resident in a recent council meeting; “Livonia doesn’t need another grocery store,” he pointed out.

However, Meijer did not seem perturbed, arguing that facing challenges and resistance was part of the norm. Meijer also mentioned that resistance to new stores was not an unfamiliar situation, and that it usually involves a minor but outspoken group against any form of new build at the start.

Former Kmart Site in Livonia

After a long string of delays, the seven-member city council of Livonia unanimously approved an estimated $60 million plan to construct a 75,000-square-foot Meijer and 102 rental apartments proposed by developer Schostak Brothers & Co. on the corner of Seven Mile and Farmington. This site has been vacant since 2017 after a Kmart store shut down. Even though the facade of the former store is still on the site, folks in the council were on the same page about one thing: they couldn’t turn down a multimillion-dollar investment that would breathe life back into a ghost commercial space.

Still, the traffic concern was hard to ignore for residents. “We’re really wary of the traffic that’s already there,” said a local at a planning commission meeting earlier in the year.

Farmington Hills and Marvelous Marvin’s

Down at Farmington Hills, the strip mall demolition plan seemed to hit a snag when it became apparent that a cherished arcade would have to relocate. Fans of Marvelous Marvin’s Mechanical Museum rallied in masses, pleading with officials to save their beloved arcade. Despite the pleas, and a petition with over 20,000 signatures, the plans still moved forward after securing approval from the Farmington Hills City Council in February.

Plymouth Township and Meijer

In Plymouth Township, where Meijer was met with a legal battle over its proposal to build a 159,000-square-foot store, such plans apparently were the cause of turmoil in a recent primary for township supervisor. The incumbent was accused of permitting developments like Meijer that altered the township’s character and lost in the primary.

Even so, the building of the Meijer store is still pressing on, an agreement having been reached to settle the suit between the retail chain and the township. “We often find that those who were initially opposed to our stores are among the first ones through,” said a Meijer spokesperson. “They end up being some of our most loyal customers, and it’s always a pleasure serving them.”