Publication select ▼
ROSEVILLE — A vision for Roseville’s downtown has been refreshed for the first time in eight years.
The Roseville City Council unanimously approved the Downtown Development Authority’s action plan at its Nov. 25 meeting. The DDA’s document had not been updated since 2016, which was the first year the DDA made one.
Jim Gammicchia, Roseville administrative services specialist, Community and Economic Development Department, said the COVID-19 pandemic slowed updating the plan. He said the goal is to revise it every five years.
“It was long overdue,” Gammicchia said at the meeting.
Following the meeting, he said one of the largest changes to the downtown area is the available spaces. This includes city-owned properties like the former Tip-Top Bar and American Legion Post 261 space and the Roseville Theatre.
A request for development proposal has been made for the Tip-Top Bar and American Legion space, which will allow a developer to see what the space requires for occupancy. Gammicchia said the last time this was done was in 2018. The city had a developer it was working with at the time, who eventually backed out. The DDA worked with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which granted the city $100,000 for plans to develop the mixed-use development on the parcel.
The plans funded by the MEDC, which have received site plan approval, could be used by a new developer for the space or new plans could be made.
“Basically, we’re looking for proposals from qualified companies and developers to develop that parcel,” he said.
The request for development proposal states that the property at 28392 Utica Road is approximately 52,802 square feet with a building that’s about 3,000 square feet. The building on the site, the former American Legion, could be demolished or incorporated into a future development for the space.
“The City is prepared to offer the land for FREE in exchange for a qualified development agreement that will produce a mixed-use project that demonstrates the City’s desire to further develop a vibrant Town Center,” the request for development proposal states.
There are no updates on the theater, but Gammicchia said it has been winterized and a request for development proposal is in the works.
Items on the action plan document’s implementation plan include improved signage; securing a variety of grants; a pocket park; upgrades for recreation facilities; developing a nonmotorized transportation plan; and creating lists of potential upgrades and investments.
Public input for the downtown is derived from surveys. Gammicchia said an effort is being made to streamline this process by combining separate surveys, from the DDA and entities like the Recreation Authority of Roseville & Eastpointe, into one longer survey. He hopes this could happen by 2026.
The DDA has a Facebook account. The city’s X and Instagram accounts post DDA related content.
A survey, where over half of the 42 respondents were residents, showed that 28.6% of those asked visited downtown daily, 9.5% weekly, 21.4% monthly, 28.6% rarely and 11.9% never. Respondents said retail and shopping options were the most important things for a “vibrant downtown” followed by dining options and safety. Upscale bars and restaurants ranked as the No. 1 addition those asked wanted to see in Roseville’s downtown. In terms of transportation, improving pedestrian crosswalks topped the list of possible upgrades.
“It’s a community effort to beautify the space and make it more walkable to give it a downtown feel,” Gammicchia said.
The action plan can be viewed at roseville-mi.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11262024-631 and starts on page 65. Information on the former Tip-Top Bar property can be found at roseville-mi.gov/207/Opportunity-Awaits.
You May Also Be Interested In
