Banquet buffets could soon give way to ButterBurgers on Seven Mile Road, after the Livonia Planning Commission signed off on a plan to bulldoze the long-closed Cascades Catering & Banquet Center and replace it with a Culver’s and a small retail strip.
The commission voted unanimously last Tuesday to recommend the project, attaching a list of conditions aimed at tightening the site’s exterior materials, reshaping the parking layout, and improving pedestrian access. Neighbors at the hearing zeroed in on accessibility, citing a recent incident where a woman using a power wheelchair reportedly had to navigate through several parking lots just to reach a neighboring business.
Per the Livonia Planning Commission agenda posted by the City of Livonia, petition 2026‑06‑02‑17 asks to construct a drive‑through restaurant identified as Culver’s, plus a 4,675‑square‑foot multi‑tenant retail building at 29155 Seven Mile Road, between Middlebelt and Maplewood. The item appeared on the commission’s July 14 meeting for public hearing and action.
Plans for the Seven Mile site
The proposal calls for a roughly 4,449‑square‑foot Culver’s with indoor seating for 86 customers, a 16‑seat outdoor patio, and a drive‑thru featuring dual ordering lanes that merge into a single pickup lane, according to MLive. The site plan shows 101 parking spaces, which is above the 88 spaces required under city ordinance, and city staff and commissioners discussed converting some of the front parking into landscaped areas that could be restored later if demand spikes.
Commission conditions and accessibility concerns
The commission’s recommendation comes with conditions that would restrict the retail building’s exterior to more office‑style materials and direct the developer to pursue changes to the parking layout and pedestrian access, MLive reports. Commission chair Ian Wilshaw warned that pedestrian access could become increasingly important if nearby properties are redeveloped, underscoring a resident’s account of a power‑wheelchair user forced to cross multiple parking lots to reach nearby businesses.
Next steps
With the commission’s unanimous recommendation in hand, the project now heads to the Livonia City Council for final consideration under the city’s standard review process. The commission typically forwards resolutions and recommendations to council, which can accept, modify, or deny them and may hold additional hearings before granting final approval. The city’s records note that planning recommendations are formally transmitted to the council as part of its review, according to the City of Livonia.
Why it matters
If approved, this Culver’s would add another Metro Detroit stop for the Wisconsin‑born chain best known for its ButterBurgers and Fresh Frozen Custard. The company traces its start to Sauk City in 1984, according to Culver's. The 2.24‑acre parcel, long marketed as the former Cascades banquet property and described in commercial listings as a freestanding banquet and retail building with extensive on‑site parking, is being pitched by the developer as ripe for conversion into the restaurant and retail layout reviewed by the commission, per Rofo.
