Birmingham officials at the close of the day on Thursday, December 4, were still awaiting a decision by the Oakland County Circuit Court on a November 25 request by the city for a temporary restraining order on the possible sale of The Community House (TCH) on Bates Street in the downtown area of the city.

The 2026 budget for the 48th district court was approved by Birmingham City Commissioners during their Monday, December 1, meeting.

Talks of potentially using artificial intelligence (AI) by the city of Birmingham to generate board and commission meeting minutes were dropped during the Monday, December 1, city commission meeting, after commissioner Brad Host’s attempt to bring the item forward as a formal agenda item failed to garner support.

The city of Birmingham filed suit in Oakland County Circuit Court on Tuesday, November 25, to prevent the sale of the iconic building for The Community House (TCH) at 380 Bates Street in the downtown area of the city.

Birmingham City Commission meetings will be starting, and potentially ending, earlier after commissioners voted to adopt an ordinance amendment during the Monday, November 17, meeting, changing the meeting start times to 7 p.m. and setting a meeting end time for midnight.

The 2026 budget for the 48th District Court was approved by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees on Monday, November 24. Bloomfield Township, along with Birmingham and West Bloomfield, are considered the funding units for the district court which also serves the communities of Bloomfield Hills, Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake and Sylvan Lake. Court administrator Patrick Dunn appeared before the township board to present the proposed budget for the coming year. Based on inform

Bloomfield Township Trustees on Monday, November 24, unanimously approved a 10-year contract with the Axon Enterprise company to replace outdated tasers for the police department. Bloomfield Police Chief James Gallagher explained to trustees that the company already supplies officer body cameras and in-car cameras and is the only company that provides tasers. Gallagher told the township board that the current tasers used by the department are obsolete and “two generations beh

A new three-year contract and settlement agreement for the Birmingham Police Officers Association (BPOA) was approved by the city commission onMonday, November 17, putting in place new wage adjustments for the three contract years, 401(a) contribution matches, and a wage increase for dispatch employees.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)F funding for the city of Birmingham was officially allocated by the city commission during the Monday, November 17, meeting, setting aside money for yard services and the removal of architectural barriers from public spaces.

The holiday season activities officially kick off this weekend with events scheduled for this Saturday in downtown Birmingham. This Saturday, November 29, is considered Small Business Saturday with special events scheduled downtown. Enjoy the vibrant holiday atmosphere and festivities throughout the day, including Santa Walk (registration required), free horse-drawn carriage rides in Shain Park (11 a.m. - 3 p.m.), and free hot chocolate, courtesy of  Hazel's  (visit the tent

The long-awaited RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, will officially open its first Design Gallery in Michigan, RH Detroit, The Gallery, with a grand opening ceremony on Friday, November 21, at 11 a.m., located at 300 S. Old Woodward Avenue in Birmingham.

By Grace Lovins Birmingham city commissioners on Monday, November 17, unanimously approved the long-anticipated redesign of Poppleton Park’s playground. The project, planned as the city’s first fully inclusive and accessible playground, comes alongside approval to create new ADA-compliant parking spaces on Oxford Street to support families using the park. The upgraded playground is part of Birmingham’s city-wide playground improvement plan. Per parks and recreation manager Ca

Birmingham staff are bringing an international approach to service to the city with the approval and adoption of new customer service standards by the city commission during the Monday, November 10, meeting.

The Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center (BBAC) is opening its annual Holiday Shop starting December 4 and running through December 19 at the art center located at 1516 Cranbrook Road in Birmingham. The Holiday Shop has proven to be a local favorite pop-up shopping experience, where more than 3,000-square-feet of BBAC gallery space is transformed into a unique boutique, offering one-of-a-kind, handmade gift items from hundreds of juried artists.     Holiday Shop items include: ce

By Grace Lovins Birmingham staff are set to start taking a closer look at the city’s long-running evening parking permit program, responding to concerns raised by commissioner Anthony Long to address parking needs for service workers and downtown businesses. During the Monday, November 10, meeting, commissioners discussed a report written by parking director Aaron Ford and included in the meeting packet. The city’s “Evening Monthly Parking Permit Program,” implemented in the

Birmingham Fire Chief Paul Wells, currently on paid administrative leave from his position with the city, has filed a federal lawsuit against the city, along with city manager Jana Ecker and assistant city manager Mark Clemence, claiming violation of his civil rights and of the Michigan Whistleblower Protection Act.

It appears that the proposed sale of The Community House (TCH) building at 380 Bates Street in downtown Birmingham will be challenged by the City of Birmingham, following a closed session of the city commission on Monday, November 17.

The announcement at the start of November by officials from The Community House (TCH) that the iconic institution would be replaced by a community foundation and its downtown Birmingham building would be sold has sparked considerable backlash in the community from residents in general, other local nonprofit groups and from elected officials who have reportedly now launched a legal review of the original founding documents of the nonprofit organization.

The start of the Monday, November 17, Birmingham City Commission meeting marked the beginning of a new term as two recently elected commissioners were sworn into their positions and the commission selected a new mayor and mayor pro tem.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) presented Bloomfield Township with a $1.4 million check for the 2027 Telegraph Road Safety Path Project at their meeting on Monday, Nov. 10.

Two Birmingham restaurants, Teuta and the new Snap Taco, are seeking to obtain a bistro license from the city commission, both presenting their case during initial bistro screenings at the Monday, November 11, meeting.

After a unanimous vote in favor from the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees, Academy of the Sacred Heart can now move forward with plans to add a digital scoreboard and shed on the south portion of their grounds. 

Raftelis will once again be awarded the Bloomfield Township water and sanitary sewer rate study after an unanimous vote from the board of trustees on Monday, November 10.

As the city continues to prepare for a hefty zoning ordinance update, Birmingham Planning Board members interviewed four firms during the Wednesday, November 12, meeting, regarding their responses to the request for proposals (RFPs).

Terra Kitchen & Cocktails, 260 North Old Woodward, has won this year’s competition for the Best Burger in Birmingham, sponsored by the Business Shopping District (BSD). Nineteen downtown restaurants competed for the title of Birmingham’s Best Burger, inviting guests to sample unique creations and rate each burger on taste, presentation and creativity. “We wanted to participate in the BirminghamBURGER competition because it’s a great way to highlight all the restaurants, their

Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills voters cast their ballots in the Tuesday, November 4, election to decide the outcome of city commissions, three positions on the Baldwin Public Library Board and residents in the Bloomfield Hills Schools district weighed in on a proposed sinking fund millage

The Community House in Birmingham this week announced plans to evolve into the Birmingham Area Community Foundation to carry on the original mission of the iconic community group, and the closure and sale of its building on 380 Bates Street in the city effective July 1 of 2026.

A reception is being planned to celebrate the Librarian of the Year award from the Michigan Library Association recently received by Baldwin Public Library Director Rebekah Craft. Members of the public are invited to celebrate with Craft at an open reception on Monday, November 17 from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. in the Rotary Donor Room on the lower level of the library. Craft has been the director of the Baldwin Public Library since January 2021 and prior to that time had been the a

The Community House in Birmingham this week announced plans to evolve into the Birmingham Area Community Foundation to carry on the original mission of the iconic community group, and the closure and sale of its building on 380 Bates Street in the city effective July 1 of 2026. In terms of the current building for The Community House, officials said the Early Childhood Center will complete its current session, which concludes in May 2026, and events scheduled now through June

Municipal candidate pre-election reports of contributions and spending for the November general election were due last Friday, October 24, and there was little to report in the Bloomfield Hills City Commission and the Baldwin Public Library Board contests but the race for Birmingham City Commission was another story, including the possible failure by one high-spending candidate to file campaign reports with the county clerk as required by state law.

After Bloomfield Township Trustee Mark Antakli asked for the annual millage rates for Bloomfield Village’s police and volunteer fire services to be removed from the evening’s consent agenda – when routine and non-controversial items are approved with a single vote – the board of trustees went on to approve the millage rates 7-0 at their meeting on Monday, October 27.

The annual Village Fair hosted by the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce is returning to Birmingham for spring 2026, after city commissioners approved the special event application during the Monday, October 27, meeting.

A deteriorating structure at 611 Elm Street in Birmingham was declared condemned and ordered for demolition by the city commission during the Monday, October 27, meeting, despite the property owner’s insistence that the building, while in need of repairs, was structurally sound.

Continuing the preparation work for a zoning ordinance overhaul, Birmingham’s Planning Board on Wednesday, October 22, conducted evaluations of the responses to the request for proposals (RFP) for hiring a firm to complete the work and narrowed the applicants down to four firms to bring in for interviews.

The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees on Monday, October 27, approved the 2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application.

Baldwin Public Library Director Rebekah Craft has been named Librarian of the Year by the Michigan Library Association. Craft has been the director of the Baldwin Public Library since January 2021 and prior to that time had been the associate director since July 2015. She had previously been with the Rochester Hills Public Library. Craft was nominated for the annual award for her work this past year securing agreement with Birmingham officials that the Baldwin Public Library

Longtime Japanese restaurant Sushi Japan, at 176 S Old Woodward in downtown Birmingham, is preparing for a new start after Birmingham City Commissioners approved the transfer of ownership and liquor licenses Monday, October 27, for the new restaurant concept, Kaishin Izakaya.

One of Birmingham’s iconic businesses – Hunter House Hamburgers – will soon be moving from its original location at 35075 Woodward Avenue to the former home of a KFC at 33900 Woodward. The move was announced this past week in a release from co-owner Kelly Cobb, who said that Friday, October 31 will be the last day at the original location. According to Cobb, Hunter House hamburgers will begin operations at its new locale on November 1. The new location, Cobb said will provide

By Grace Lovins The Birmingham Planning Board gave its unanimous support during the Wednesday, October 22, meeting to a proposal for a new three-story office building at 36977 Woodward Avenue, recommending approval of the special land use permit on top of approval of the final site plan and design review. The site, a vacant lot on the corner of Woodward Avenue and Quarton Road, sits adjacent to the recently completed Gasow Veterinary Hospital, and will serve as the office of

Several noted national retailers are making plans to join the downtown Birmingham shopping district, according to an announcement from Cindy Ciura, principal of CC Consulting. The national retailers include rag & bone, long represented in the state by retailers such as Saks and Neiman Marcus, which will open its first standalone Michigan store at 110 S. Old Woodward Ave. in a two-level, lofted retail space currently under construction which will deliver a modern, elevated sho

By Dana Casdei Last April the Bloomfield Township Road Advisory Committee – made up primarily of volunteer residents – held their inaugural meeting and this week they brought their first update to the board to present all they had found out about township’s roads during the last six months.  “We won’t be hearing solutions tonight, this is simply fact finding,” said chairman Jeff Salz.  The overall verdict is that Bloomfield Township roads are in poor condition, with over 80 p

After a 7-0 vote from the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees in favor of the new site plan, the existing Bloomfield Car Wash at 4025 Telegraph Road in the township is on its way to becoming an improved Jax Kar Warsh.

Several long-awaited updates to the Birmingham police station inside city hall at 151 Martin Street are on the horizon after Birmingham City Commissioners approved the selection of MCD Architects to begin designing a new and improved police garage, interview room and dispatch center, along with a new sally port, during the Monday, October 6, meeting.

Baldwin Public Library officials and officials from the City of Birmingham are continuing discussions started this past spring about the...

Birmingham City Commissioners and Planning Board members held a joint workshop meeting on Monday, September 29, focusing on the hiring of a consultant to assist the city in updating the existing zoning ordinance.

The Forest Lake Country Club will look quite different next summer thanks to the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees vote on Monday, September 29, in favor of proposed renovations. 

The employee agreement for Jennifer Haring, Bloomfield Township’s new human resources director, was approved 7-0 by the board of trustees at their meeting on Monday, September 8.

The Bloomfield Township Senior Center will be offering flu shots provided by University of Michigan Ambulatory Care Immunization on...

Birmingham officials are getting closer to implementing a city policy allowing for private/public partnerships that could prove of...

Birmingham City Commissioners, on a split vote, have agreed to raise the base salary of city manager Jana Ecker by seven percent....