Business mix analysis for city presented

By David Hohendorf

An analysis of the business mix in the downtown area of Birmingham, as part of an effort to provide a tool for brokers and building owners in their retail recruitment efforts, was presented to the governing board of the Birmingham Shopping District (BSD) on Thursday, May 4.

The draft version of the 19-page document represents the culmination of work over the past year by the BSD Business Development Committee, cochaired by Sam Surnow of The Surnow Company and Mike McKenzie, a resident representative member on the BSD governing board.

While the analysis contains an abundance of information on the business mix in Birmingham, the bottom line on the report is the conclusion that most apparel categories are in need of future recruitment efforts while the categories of furniture and home, along with jewelry and watch retailers, are probably overly represented.

The report made three recommendations, among them: recruiting businesses that will appeal to office workers and residents to drive daily foot traffic, such as healthy fast casual restaurants; identifying and recruiting regional small businesses to fill gaps in product segments not currently available; and influencing national retailer attraction, especially in the apparel categories, by developing retail attraction assets and building landlord/broker relationships to rebalance the business mix to higher-end, sophisticated and experiential retailers who have a higher pull-factor when it comes to drawing shoppers to the district.

In presenting the report to the BSD board, McKenzie said the analysis shows there is an opportunity to “fine tune” the business mix to increase, as the report noted, the “community's vibrancy, sense of place and attract world-class retailers.”

As a comparative exercise, the analysis positioned Birmingham with downtown Naperville, Illinois, Greenwich Connecticut and the Somerset Collection.

The analysis shows that as of early

March of this year, service businesses, when including the second stories of most buildings, occupied 67 percent of the business mix. Retail accounts for 19 percent of the business community, while restaurants account for 12 percent and entertainment only one percent.

In terms of restaurants, the analysis showed that full service restaurants account for 56 percent of this category and 45 percent of those will have a “luxury” price point. Quick serve eateries account for 32 percent while bars account for 12 percent.

The report also shows that 71 percent of the business in Birmingham would be classified as local while national retailers account for 29 percent of the business mix, leading McKenzie to note that the city should “still be comfortable with pursuing” more national retailers while at the same time recruiting regional businesses looking to add new locations.

In terms of business segments not present in Birmingham, the report noted that the BSD does “not currently have an retailers in the books and entertainment, electronics and technology or toys and hobbies categories.”

Committee co-chair Surnow noted that this report was a “fact-based analysis” but there is “only so much we can do to control” the business mix so the report will serve as a suggested guide for building owners and brokers when attempting to fill empty storefronts.

Board members discussed that initially the business mix report would be updated every six months, while the goal was to move to quarterly updates and eventually monthly adjustments.

Monthly pass prices increase for parking

By Grace Lovins

The monthly parking prices for all five of Birmingham’s parking garages will increase at the beginning of the next fiscal year, which begins on July 1, 2023, as city commissioners unanimously approved the increase during their meeting on Monday, May 8.

Rate increases were brought to the commission’s attention at the budget hearing on Saturday, April 29, since the parking department had budgeted for the hike. Birmingham last increased the parking garage rates in April of 2017, with a $15 increase for monthly passes at the Chester Street garage and a $20 increase at the other four. Price increases will only be seen for monthly parking passes. The daily rate will remain unchanged.

Monthly rates will increase by $20 at the Chester, Peabody, Park and North Old Woodward garages, and increase by $30 at the Pierce Street garage effective July 1. This brings the price for monthly passes from $50 to $70 at Chester Street, $70 to $90 at Park, Peabody and North Old Woodward, and $70 to $100 at Pierce.

According to Aaron Ford, parking systems manager, the advisory parking committee recommended a larger increase at the Pierce Street deck given its centralized location in the city and the fact that it is the busiest parking deck. The increase is also meant to help offset the cost of several capital improvement projects planned for the garages, Ford said.

Projects are planned to improve efficiency with new parking equipment and several other longterm capital repair projects will continue. Ford noted these projects include the installation of LED lights, wayfinding signs and making the garages more compatible for future electric vehicle charging.

For comparison, Ford said Detroit’s average monthly parking rate is $182, and Ann Arbor’s rate is $200, which Ford said has increased each year by $5 for the last few years. Mayor Therese Longe and commissioner Brad Host both said the increase was justifiable, with Host noting that the price is reasonable even with the increase.

Suggestions were made by city manager Tom Markus and commissioner Pierre Boutros to reevaluate the parking rates annually. Markus stated that raising the prices by increments if needed is a better option than raising the price by a larger sum after several years.

Commissioners voted 7-0 to approve the rate increases.

Trustees approves $6 million transfer

By Dana Casadei

On Monday, May 8, the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously for the approval to