Mess

Roof

Southfield developer plans to put a piece of urban paradise in
the heart of downtown Royal Oak.

JULIE EDGAR STAFF WRITER

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rco Construction in South-
field is inverting the usu-
al urban equation:
Paving over property for
a parking lot.
Instead, the company
wants to replace an old,
200-space municipal
parking lot in downtown Royal
Oak with a luxurious condo-
minium-retail development.
With the approval of the city's
planning and city commissions,
the Lafayette Terrace project
could begin as early as next sum-
mer.
The lot occupies one square
block, bordered on the east and
west by Lafayette and West
streets and on the north and
south by Fifth and Sixth streets.

Arco's 10-story, 114-unit build-
ing will feature a four-level park-
ing deck for public and private
use, a fifth-floor terrace with a
health club and swimming pool,
and shops at the ground level.
Arco Vice President Walter Co-
hen said the company has talked
to a major drugstore chain about
occupying the building's ground
floor.
City officials agree Lafayette
Terrace is a beautiful prospect.
If approved, it would solidify the
area by bringing in higher-in-
come residents and generate
enough tax revenue to pay for the
two parking levels promised to
the city. The parking structure
would double the number of
spaces available now.
Area residents see it differ-
ently. Even if their property val-
ues climb because of a new
development, they aren't eager
to live near a high-rise.
"When I moved to this neigh-
borhood, I wasn't looking for a
high-rise in my back yard or front
yard. That's a negative impact
on my property values. For a lot
of people who are in the neigh-
borhood, that's a moot point, be-
cause they're here for the long
term. They don't care about prop-
erty values," says Tracey Smith,
a West Street resident and mem-
ber of two neighborhood associ-
ations that oppose the
development.
In response to
Walter Cohen
their
concerns, the
has big plans
for Royal Oak. city formed a task
force to study al-
ternatives. Arco even modified
its drawings, placing the highest
parts of the building furthest
away from West Street. Condo-
minium fronts now face West
Street.
Ms. Smith acknowledges the
groups have few legal options if
Arco's plans are approved. Neigh-
bon wish the city had rejected a
high-rise development for aes-
thetic reasons and because it
would have made for better pol-
itics, she says.
"There have been significant
modifications to the building that
I think have made it a better
product for the neighborhood,"
says Chuck DiMaggio, Royal
El Oak's director of planning. He
noted that the city has two oth-
er buildings that are higher than
Lafayette Terrace would be.
Mr. Cohen says more people
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