The ocean of asphalt next to Como’s in downtown Ferndale may not stay flat for long. A developer has submitted plans for a seven-story parking structure topped with apartments on the site, targeting the surface lot near West Nine Mile Road and Bermuda Street and the vacant parcel tucked behind the popular restaurant.
According to Crain's Detroit Business, the submission sketches out a seven-story mixed-use deck that would pair public parking with new housing above. The plans are described as conceptual at this stage, with formal site plans still required if the proposal keeps moving.
Design and local track record
Krieger Klatt Architects, a Royal Oak-based firm, is listed as the designer. The company has already touched several Ferndale infill and mixed-use projects, including the Flats at Iron Ridge, and promotes its experience with urban multifamily work along the Woodward Corridor. That history gives Ferndale officials a familiar name on the drawings as the concept enters initial review.
Crain's Detroit Business reports that the idea is to replace the low-rise surface parking behind Como’s with a multi-level structure that combines transient public spaces and resident parking below apartments. The proposal is still in the early stages and will have to clear the usual municipal checkpoints before any shovels hit the ground.
Where this fits in Ferndale's downtown
Turning downtown surface lots into projects that stack parking under housing is not a brand-new idea for Ferndale. Planning Commission minutes from April 3, 2019, show earlier debate over what to do with the city lot behind Como’s, with neighbors and commissioners weighing in on traffic and design concerns. That earlier back-and-forth suggests this latest version will draw both close public scrutiny and plenty of interest from the business district.
What happens next
A proposal this large typically runs a full local-government obstacle course: design review, zoning evaluations, public notices, and hearings in front of the planning commission and city council. Civic groups and downtown stakeholders can expect to see agendas, packets, and staff reports once the city begins formal review.
Downtown Ferndale's local development authority and city staff usually post materials and meeting dates as items move through the process. This filing is the opening step in a review cycle that will determine whether the lot behind Como’s becomes a new blend of housing and covered parking for downtown Ferndale.
We will update this story when the city releases formal applications or sets public hearing dates.
