The Morrie, a dining and entertainment venue for the former Au Cochon and Arthur Avenue locations in the Palladium Building on Old Woodward in Birmingham, received unanimous final site plan and special land use permit recommendation approvals from the Birmingham Planning Board on Wednesday, March 28. Planner Matt Baka informed board members that the applicant, Aaron Belen of AFB Hospitality Group, is planning to combine both sites, located at 260 N. Old Woodward, for a restau

The Stand Gastro Bistro, which was located in the Greenleaf Trust building at Woodward and Maple in downtown Birmingham, has closed. Sources at Greenleaf Trust confirmed the closure. The Stand Gastro Bistro, 34977 Woodward Avenue, Suite 100, was opened in October 2013 by chef Paul Grosz, who also owns the French restaurant Cuisine in Detroit, and John Kelly, who previously managed the Capital Grill steak house. Greenleaf Trust officials are talking with a couple noted operato

Bloomfield Township trustees unanimously approved raising water and sewer rates for residents for fiscal year 2018-2019, at their meeting on Monday, March 26, with rate increases becoming effective to customers July 1, 2018. Olivia Olsztyn-Budry, township engineering and environmental director, explained in a memo, “The township owns, operates and maintains the water system that delivers the water to the customers and the sewer system that collects the wastewater from each cu

After being sent back for minor changes and an update to disability accessibility ratings for the city's parks, at their meeting on Monday, March 26, Birmingham city commissioners approved the 2018 parks and recreation master plan, 5-0, with mayor Andy Harris and mayor pro tem Patty Bordman not in attendance. Lauren Wood, director of public services, explained that minor changes for ADA-capabilities were now included in the master plan, with accessibility ratings from the Mic

A final site plan for a planned unit development (PUD) by TRG Holdings and Nosan Signature Homes, to redevelop the former Meadow Lake Elementary School into 17 detached homes, was unanimously approved by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees at their meeting on Monday, March 26. Patti Voelker, director of planning, building and ordinance, explained the 12-acre site, located at 7100 Lindenmere Drive, near Inkster and Maple roads, would be developed as a planned single fami

Birmingham city commissioners approved authorizing finance director Mark Gerber to reprogram some 2017 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars from the minor home repair project to retrofit the main entrance of the Birmingham Police Department's as ADA-compliant, at their meeting on Monday, March 26. Gerber explained that there were CDBG funds in the amount of $17,834 that the city would like to transfer from the minor home repairs for seniors, to the project of remo

In a sure sign that spring is here, Birmingham's Lincoln Hills Golf Course, one of two municipal courses the city owns, is opening Sunday, April 1, weather permitting, to duffers of all ages. The city of Birmingham owns and operates two municipal nine-hole golf courses. Lincoln Hills is located at 2666 W. 14 Mile Road at Cranbrook, and Springdale is located at 316 Strathmore Road. The city expects to open Springdale GolfCourse on May 1, where golfers will be able to enjoy new

A woman who came into the At Home store in Bloomfield Township on Monday, March 26, stuffed items under her coat and then ran out of the store. Bloomfield Township police were alerted that the retail fraud occurred between 7:05 and 7:15 p.m. at the At Home store, located at 2101 Telegraph Road. According to store personnel, a black female entered the store and went into the home textile aisle where she began stuffing items under her coat. An employee spotted her, and the thie

A woman who shoplifted at the Bloomfield Township TJ Maxx on November 20, 2017, was subsequently arrested on the outstanding warrant and arraigned at 48th District Court on Wednesday, March 28. According to Bloomfield Township police, on November 20, a black female suspect entered the TJ Maxx store at 2139 Telegraph Road, with a black little girl, about five years old. The suspect filled a shopping cart with merchandise, which the store valued at approximately $265. The woman

The Rochester Fire Department doesn't routinely meet response time standards for structure fires as prescribed by the National Fire Protection Association, one of several challenges facing the department, according to members of an ad-hoc fire committee that was formed to assess the current and future needs of the department. The committee's report was presented on Monday, March 12, to Rochester City Council members, who scheduled an April 23 public meeting to further discuss