Planning commission approves preliminary site plan for 78,000‑square‑foot Bose Hub at Troy Center

Troy — The City of Troy Planning Commission on April 22 approved the preliminary site plan for a new Bose Hub, a two‑story, 78,000‑square‑foot office and engineering building proposed at 755 W. Big Beaver (JPLN2025‑0009) in the Big Beaver zoning district.

The commission's vote approved the preliminary site plan as presented by the applicant. The plan calls for a 31‑foot‑tall, two‑story building with engineering labs, high‑bay garage space for vehicle work, customer immersion areas and a public face along Troy Center Drive. The applicant will provide 218 parking spaces (the ordinance requirement is 206); eight spaces will include EV charging stations. The plan exceeds required perimeter landscaping but requested a waiver for the count of interior parking‑lot trees due to underground utilities and existing site constraints.

Why it matters: Bose Corporation said the facility will be an automotive center of excellence and an engineering hub for vehicle sound systems, bringing R&D, lab space and demonstration areas to Metro Detroit. The project adds an employer and R&D presence at a high‑profile corridor and repurposes underused surface parking near the PNC Tower.

Applicant and purpose Bose representatives explained the facility will house automotive engineering teams and spaces for developing and demonstrating in‑vehicle audio systems. "This is really going to be our dedicated center of excellence and our innovation hub for our automotive division," said Courtney Cacho of Bose during the commission meeting. The building includes secured high‑bay areas where concept vehicles will be loaded and tested and offices and collaboration space on the second floor.

Site plan and design details Planner Brent Carlisle noted the site is approximately 4.9 acres after a pending lot split and complies with Big Beaver zoning bulk standards. The building is oriented to provide visible frontage to drivers coming off I‑75 and along Troy Center Drive; the site plan shows a landscaped buffer and a sidewalk network that will connect to the adjacent PNC Tower area.

Materials shown on the schematic include stone, metal panels and curtain wall glazing; the south elevation was intentionally designed more opaque because it faces the secure high‑bay area used for vehicle staging. Commissioners asked about the long, uninterrupted south wall; the project architect said the team will add texture and variation in the masonry and material detailing to break up that elevation while preserving necessary security and confidentiality for vehicles undergoing testing.

Parking, landscaping and technical items The applicant proposed 218 spaces and eight EV charging ports; the plan slightly exceeds the city parking requirement but is short of the city’s interior parking‑lot tree count. Planning staff and the applicant said the shortage results from underground utilities and existing site constraints; the commission approved the plan and the waiver request for the interior tree count while noting the developer has added extra perimeter landscaping and green belts to improve the site's campus character.

Formal action The planning commission voted to grant preliminary site plan approval for the Bose Hub (preliminary site plan JPLN2025‑0009). The motion was seconded and passed on a recorded roll call with all commissioners present voting in favor. Notes from the discussion indicate staff will follow up on final material selections and detailed landscape/specifications at the final plan stage.

Next steps The approval is preliminary; the project will return for final development plan/site plan review with construction documents, final material specifications and stormwater details. Staff will also finalize the lot split and the cross‑access/parking easement language between the new parcel and the remaining PNC/Tower parking property.

Proper names in story: Bose Corporation; PNC Tower (Top of Troy); Troy Center Drive; City of Troy Planning Commission.