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Oakland County outlines timeline for major downtown Pontiac redevelopment, demolition to start in spring
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Summary
County officials updated the Pontiac City Council on a multi‑year downtown redevelopment project that will relocate county offices, demolish the Phoenix Center parking structure and build new parking and office space; demolition fencing is expected in March and demolition in April.
Deputy County Executive Sean Carlson told the Pontiac City Council on Feb. 18 that Oakland County’s downtown Pontiac redevelopment remains on a multi‑year timetable that will move hundreds of county employees downtown, demolish the Phoenix Center parking garage and construct new parking and office facilities.
Carlson said demolition preparatory work, including fence installation, is expected by March and demolition of the Phoenix Center garage is scheduled to begin in April with a six‑to‑seven month demolition window. He described parallel workstreams covering 31 East Judson renovations, a new parking structure next to 51111 Woodward, a proposed 300‑car parking deck north of Auburn and Orchard Lake, and road and utility work along Saginaw, Auburn and Orchard Lake.
Carlson outlined staffing and contracts supporting the project, naming Farben Group as owners’ representative, Granger as construction manager for interior work at 31 Judson and Adamo as the awarded contractor for Phoenix Center demolition. He said the county originally negotiated with developer BOGI Group but, after an evaluation period, moved toward the Endeavor Group for development negotiations when the first respondent could not reach acceptable contract terms.
Traffic and parking plans: Carlson said the county is working on temporary parking and shuttle options for state employees already in 51111 Woodward and citizens who use county services. He said fence lines for demolition will cause traffic reroutes around Auburn and Orchard Lake and that the county and city communications teams will announce detours to the public. “By the March… when the fencing goes up,” Carlson said, “you should expect to see traffic diverted.”
Community engagement and workforce: The county’s team said it has held community engagement events, is recruiting locally for construction workforce and is coordinating with minority‑ and veteran‑owned firms. Carlson said the county intends to consolidate its health department services in downtown facilities to create a “one‑stop shop” for residents.
Why it matters: The project represents a major public investment intended to create a county campus presence in Pontiac, add public parking, rebuild adjacent streets and generate private development on county‑owned parcels. Carlsons’ timeline positions some work to start this spring, with building renovations and move‑in phases forecast into 2026–2027.
Next steps: County staff said they will continue permitting and licensing work, finalize developer agreements and issue public communications about detours and parking; council members asked the county to use door‑to‑door outreach and local partners to reach residents who lack online access.
