Wixom council approves West End Commons site plan, authorizes bid process

The Wixom City Council on March 11, 2025, approved a site plan for the West End Commons at 31250 Old Wixom Road and authorized the Downtown Development Authority to begin the bid process for construction.

The plan would repurpose a city-owned, vacated right-of-way to create a small public plaza and event space. Assistant City Manager Drew Benson said the project has secured grant funding that would cover roughly 70–80% of the design and construction costs, including a congressionally directed spending award through the office of Rep. Haley Stevens and an Oakland County Public Spaces and Placemaking grant funded with ARPA dollars.

Council members and staff emphasized that the council’s vote only authorized the site plan and the formal bid process; any construction contract or additional expenditures will return to the DDA board and city council for approval.

Benson said the parcel has historically been difficult to develop because an 18-inch sewer main, water lines, storm sewer and private utilities run through it. "This property is encumbered by an 18 inch sewer main. There are also water lines, storm sewer lines, as well as other private utilities," Benson said, and the design intentionally uses relatively impermanent installations so future utility work can be performed and the site restored.

Laura Perkin, staff member, said the DDA and city have iterated the plan several times and believe the current version will "bring some vibrancy" to the social district and provide programmed space for events and seating. Perkin said consultants prepared the images and site plan (HRC is the design consultant listed in the packet) and that the next step is requesting bids; the council was not being asked to approve construction spending tonight.

Council members focused discussion on three recurring issues: restroom maintenance, overhead power lines and design details such as seating and planter heights.

Council member Babin raised maintenance concerns about a proposed prefabricated restroom and asked who would clean and service it. "I would hate just to be approving, eventually a restroom to go here if there's no plans of who's actually going to maintain it," Babin said. Perkin said the city is working with the Department of Public Works to add restroom servicing to existing routes and that the DDA contributes toward maintenance; alternative cleaning arrangements remain under consideration.

Several council members pressed staff on overhead electric lines that cross the site and how they affect the design. Benson told the council the city has been in talks with DTE Energy and that DTE is doing a conduit project in the area that could enable burying lines in the future, but the conduit schedule does not match the DDA’s grant timelines. Benson said an earlier DTE estimate to underground the lines in that segment was roughly $800,000; he later summarized a revised partnership estimate at about $200,000–$300,000 but said DTE has not committed to a timetable and their full project would likely occur closer to 2028–2030.

Council member Gatcho and others suggested minor design shifts — for example moving some of the circular seating pads nearer the knee wall — to avoid the overhead lines if possible without materially reducing the programmable space. Benson said staff can explore small adjustments to avoid placing primary seating directly beneath overhangs but that the council should decide whether to redesign around lines that may be buried years from now.

Council members also discussed plantings, furniture durability and signage. Perkin said the plan anticipates movable bistro chairs and umbrellas to allow flexibility for events, and the DDA and staff will revisit materials and planter heights in subsequent design refinements.

The motion to approve the site plan and authorize the bid process, as recommended by the Downtown Wixom Downtown Development Authority, passed with council members in attendance voting in favor.

Next steps: staff will complete final bid documents, solicit bids, and return any required budget or contract approvals to the DDA and city council in a future meeting for construction authorization.