Planning board recommends approval for new Hamilton Row restaurant with conditions on patio, signage and liquor review

The Birmingham Planning Board on Aug. 27 recommended that the City Commission approve a special land use permit and approved final site plan and design review for a new restaurant called Number 28 at 211 Hamilton Row (Unit 28) in the Palladium building. The proposal calls for interior renovations, a 12-seat outdoor dining patio (about 200 square feet) and on-premises sale of alcohol; the planning board attached conditions addressing pedestrian access, signage, outdoor service and a liquor-license verification.

The action matters because the block on Hamilton Row has a long history of alcohol-serving venues and the proposal sits at a busy pedestrian pinch point near a movie theater and other downtown uses. Board members pressed the applicant and staff on sidewalk clearance, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) concerns and how the restaurant’s late-night hours could affect downtown activity and safety.

Planning staff presented the project and recommended the board forward the special land use permit and site plan to the City Commission subject to conditions. Nick Dupuy of the Planning Division said the application proposes no changes to the building footprint and that most work is interior plus the new exterior patio. “The planning department recommends that the planning board recommend that the city commission approve the special land use permit … subject to the following conditions,” Dupuy said, listing requirements to preserve a five-foot clear pedestrian path, provide signage that meets the zoning ordinance and comply with city departments’ requests.

Applicants and operators described the concept as a small, intimate restaurant serving high-end fish and sushi. Kevin Bidison of Bidison Architecture, the applicant’s architect, proposed relocating a city trash receptacle and suggested moving it further west along the block to reduce conflicts with the patio. “I would just suggest that that might be something that could be considered for that to be, shifted,” Bidison said. Jordan Jonah, representing Playdium of Birmingham LLC (the property owner), said the restaurant will use a separate liquor license (not Tara’s) and described plans to secure a permissive endorsement from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. “We are securing a class E liquor license that's already in the city that would come for the space,” Jonah said.

Operator Randy Fumiel of Tara Kitchen and Cocktails, who will run the restaurant’s food program, described the venue as “restaurant first,” with seating required for patrons and a focus on service rather than standing-room bar activity. “This place ... was put together with the mindset that it is not a bar,” Fumiel said. He said the operation would feature a sushi chef and table service inside and outside.

Board members raised several concerns during the review. Multiple members said the proposed five-foot pedestrian path must be clear of exposed aggregate and obstacles; one member called exposed-aggregate surfacing inappropriate for the required clear path because it can be slippery for people using wheelchairs or pushing strollers. The applicant’s plans showed a clear path of 6 feet 8 inches but staff and the Department of Public Services noted existing items — a city trash can and a bike rack — that could reduce the usable width.

The Planning Board attached conditions to its recommendation and to the site-plan approval. Conditions include: 1) the applicant must submit revised plans that show an unobstructed five-foot clear pedestrian path (the board’s site-plan motion specifically required removing two two-top tables that extended south of the property line to preserve that clear path); 2) the applicant must provide table service for the outdoor dining area during all hours of operation; 3) the applicant must operate an establishment that is primarily a restaurant, not primarily a bar or tavern; 4) the curtain shown parallel to the property line must be removed (the board allowed a small airlock-style curtain for winter weather as originally discussed); and 5) the city must verify the applicant’s liquor-license status and confirm statutory and regulatory compliance before City Commission consideration.

Planning staff noted that the local code requires city commission approval for transfers and permit endorsements related to on-premises liquor sales (Chapter 10, Section 10-42 of the Birmingham Code of Ordinances). Dupuy told the board that the City Commission will receive a police investigation report and other materials as part of its review of any liquor-license endorsement.

The board voted unanimously to recommend that the City Commission approve the special land use permit and to approve the final site plan and design review for 211 Hamilton Row Unit 28, subject to the listed conditions. The applicant was reminded that the project must comply with requests from all city departments and that final signage must meet zoning requirements; the applicant’s packet showed a proposed 5.5-square-foot bronze wall plate, which staff flagged as not clearly placed within the sign band.

The applicants said they expect to seek City Commission action next and target an opening between January and March of 2026, pending commission approval and required permits. The planning board’s recommendation and the site-plan approval do not itself grant a liquor license or the outdoor dining lease; the applicant will need the annual outdoor dining permit and a lease for use of public property where the patio extends onto the public right-of-way.

Votes at a glance: The Planning Board’s recommendation to the City Commission to approve the special land use permit for 211 Hamilton Row Unit 28 passed unanimously. The planning board’s final site plan and design-review approval for the same application passed unanimously.

The planning board’s recommendation now goes to the City Commission for final action on the special land use permit and for any city approvals related to the liquor-license endorsement and outdoor dining lease.