Council adopts ordinance rezoning former Willow Creek assisted-living site for indoor storage

The Wayne City Council on April 1 adopted Ordinance 2025-01, rezoning 31720 Van Born Road (the former Willow Creek assisted-living facility) from multifamily to a business/storage classification to allow redevelopment as an indoor storage facility.

Council members described the property as a long-vacant, blighted three-story building of about 69,000 square feet at the corner of Van Born and Merriman. Councilmember Brock moved adoption; Councilwoman Lawrence seconded. The motion carried.

Petitioner Ali Hamouche attended the meeting and described plans to invest about $7 million to convert the building into climate-controlled, state-of-the-art self-storage. “We're gonna do actually state of art self storage, climate control, and, you're gonna like it,” Hamouche said. He thanked city staff, including Laurie, for assistance with the permitting and review process.

Council members said the project is a lower-intensity use for the neighborhood compared with multifamily or other higher-density proposals and expressed support for regenerating a long-vacant building. The petitioner said the building has been vacant for more than 12 years and that the project should complement nearby housing infill.

The ordinance was presented for a second reading and adoption at the meeting and passed on the council's vote. The council did not discuss specific site plan approvals, building permits, or a construction schedule at length during the hearing; the petitioner said he and staff are continuing those technical processes.

Votes on the ordinance were recorded in favor; the motion carried.