Downtown parking deficit and proposed deck at 165 E. 9 Mile
Ferndale
Summary
A developer wants to replace the city-owned surface lot and an adjacent parcel with an eight-story building: about 108 apartments, ground-floor retail, and a 233-space public parking deck. The city may use tax increment financing to help pay for the garage, and the Planning Commission postponed action to nail down whether the public really benefits from granting a height deviation.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 8
- Last 30 days
- 2
Rising — discussed at 3 meetings since Sep 16, 2026, up from 2 in the two months before.
Impact analysis
The parking deck's debt service could be offset by tax increment financing, meaning public dollars are potentially on the line for the garage portion.
Downtown could gain housing (including 11 workforce-rate units), retail, and modernized public parking plus upgraded sidewalks and utilities.
Neighbors who've spoken against the project worry about the building's height and design impacts in the downtown core.
Mentions & discussions (9)
Joint City Council and Planning Commission - Nov 10, 2026
A developer wants to replace the city-owned surface lot and an adjacent parcel with an eight-story building: about 108 apartments, ground-floor retail, and a 233-space public parking deck. The city may use tax increment financing to help pay for the garage, and the Planning Commission postponed action to nail down whether the public really benefits from granting a height deviation.
Planning Commission - Oct 28, 2026
Businesses in the northeast quadrant lost parking to the Vester project and are struggling; the proposal would add 79 net public spaces but requires an eight-story building to pencil out financially. Business owners say it's life or death; nearby residents say it's too big.
Planning Commission - Sep 16, 2026
The developer's PUD for the vacant lot behind Como's includes a multi-story parking deck the city would receive, topped with retail and apartments. Neighbors are upset about the proposed height (7 stories vs. the standard 4), added traffic on Bermuda Street, and potential effects on property values. The hearing was pushed to October 7, so nothing has been decided yet.
City Council - Aug 24, 2026
The council weighed a $1 lease to add 23-24 temporary parking spaces downtown while a mixed-use development is pending. Financial uncertainty — $15K-$17K in prep costs and a possible $8K-$13K loss to a strapped parking fund — killed the deal for now, though it could return.
City Council - Jul 27, 2026
Businesses in the Northeast Business District want more parking, and the city pitched a $1 lease of a private lot for temporary parking. The council tabled it to August 10 — with site prep costs of $10,000-$35,000 against estimated parking revenue, there's clearly more to weigh.
City Council - May 11, 2026
The council took its first step toward a public-private development that would replace the city surface lot with a three-story garage (~250 spaces) topped by 86 apartments, paid for partly through tax capture on the housing. The lot's 47 spaces plus the 75 lost to Vester Flats would be replaced, with a net gain of about 40 spaces. Town halls and planning commission engagement come next before anything is final.
City Council - Apr 27, 2026
Parking in the northeast downtown quadrant is tight, especially nights and weekends, after the Vestor Flats project removed 75 spaces. The DDA pitched a valet pilot, but council leaned toward just adding new on-street spaces instead.
City Council - Jan 26, 2026
The parking fund ran a deficit, and the state requires a corrective plan. The city will cut costs, raise fees periodically, and forgive part of a $2 million loan from the general fund on an annual basis. Council also wants answers from the private partner on long-delayed residential development tied to the parking structure.
Here’s what’s different with downtown Ferndale’s parking system, payment options
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Related development
165 E. 9 Mile Road PUD and Site Plan — parking structure with retail and residential components
This would add significant housing downtown and replace a surface lot with a public garage, but the requested height deviation and possible TIF financing for the garage are the sticking points residents and officials are scrutinizing.
Cypress Partners Mixed-Use Development with Parking Structure
If built, it would return the 75 spaces lost to Vester Flats plus the 47 on the current lot, add roughly 40 net new spaces, and bring 100–110 new residents downtown — but construction would temporarily remove all existing lot parking.
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
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