Berkley planning commission approves reuse of former Rite Aid as live theater, sets parking and façade conditions

The Berkley Planning Commission on Nov. 25 voted 7–0 to approve a site plan for the former Rite Aid building at 29601 1/2 12 Mile Road and to recommend a special land use to city council to allow the space to operate as a private assembly/live theater.

Kristen, the city planner who presented the item, told the commission the building is located in the downtown district and that downtown rules require a 30% transparency on facades. She said the existing building currently measures about 17% transparency and the applicant’s renderings show a proposed transparency in the low double digits (reported in staff materials as roughly 8–12%). Kristen said the commission may require the applicant either to revise the façade to restore the existing 17% transparency or to pursue a variance from the zoning board of appeals (ZBA) if it intends to retain less glass.

Staff cited parking analysis from engineering consultant Spalding de Decker noting typical event attendance is expected to be in the 300–550 range and that occasional peak events could approach the theater’s historical capacity (Jeff Kong of the historical museum confirmed the old theater once seated about 850). Because of that, the commission made a contingency plan a condition: any event expected to exceed 550 people must be coordinated with city staff and public safety and have a finalized parking and egress plan in place before a certificate of occupancy is issued.

The commission also included additional conditions commonly required in staff review: full compliance with staff review letters, that the applicant obtain special land use approval from city council, and an exterior lighting temperature cap of 3,500K.

During public comment, nearby resident Kurt Knight said he supports the reuse but asked that employees not park repeatedly on the same residential streets; Knight also asked about accessibility changes to historic bathrooms, which staff said were altered for ADA compliance. Dino Vista Laredes, representing the property ownership group, voiced ownership’s full support and described the project as a key reuse for the downtown.

The applicant representative (unnamed in the transcript) described mitigation already used at a comparable venue in Rochester — interior sound-absorption, ticketing that informs patrons where to park, and contingency measures such as temporary traffic control — and said the applicant would pursue private agreements and lease arrangements to provide additional parking when necessary. Staff recommended the contingency plan as a condition to protect public safety and nearby residents.

The commission debated enforceability of employee-parking requirements and whether such provisions should apply only for large events; the final condition ties employee/shared-parking expectations and contingency planning to events that exceed the 550-person threshold.

What happens next: the site plan approval includes the requirement that the applicant secure special land use approval at Berkley City Council and finalize the contingency parking/egress plan before a certificate of occupancy can be granted for events over 550 attendees. The commission’s motions passed by voice/roll-call votes recorded as 7–0.