Grosse Pointe reforms downtown zoning for taller buildings

Grosse Pointe is laying the groundwork to make its downtown area denser and more competitive in Metro Detroit.The City Council approved zoning changes that will allow for taller buildings, more density, residential units, and more commercial uses in the traditionally flat city center. The couple of blocks of downtown that line Kercheval Street are mainly served by 1-2 story buildings that feature ground floor retail and office space above.”The rules should encourage new development that allows for greater heights, uses and flexibility in the village,” Peter Dame, city manager for Grosse Pointe, wrote in an email.The new rules now allow for residential units above the first floor of a building to encourage more downtown living. Businesses now may include office space on the back half of the ground floor of commercial buildings. Retail and restaurants must still face the street unless offices have already been grandfathered in.Developers can now look to build taller buildings in the center of downtown. Buildings can rise as tall as 52 feet in the center of downtown and taper down to 42 and 35 feet the father from the center they are. Developers can also make a payment to the city if they can’t provide sufficient on-site parking. The idea is to make development more economically feasible on smaller land parcels. Source: Peter Dame, city manager of Grosse PointeWriter: Jon Zemke