All the news from the DDA monthly board meetings and more…

Downtown Businesses

  • Grand River Brewery, 1 E. 14 Mile, is still waiting for the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) to issue licensing.
  • Noori Chicken, 1 S. Main, purchased a Class C liquor license and have plans to open a dining room soon
  • We welcome two new businesses to the downtown:
    • 247 E. 14 Mile, Mada Hair Salon
    • 145 E. 14 Mile, Exclusive Nails
  • O’Connors Irish Pub, 38 S. Main, interior renovations are underway

Commercial construction projects continue in and around the downtown

  • Broadway Square; continues to complete apartment units
  • 400 S. Main has a current building permit – potential local brewery location
  • 76-84 W. 14 Mile (former Lim’s) has current building permit
  • 516 N. Main; townhome development framing work continues
  • Clawson Manor, 255 E. 14 Mile; (senior high rise); interior & exterior renovations continue
  • 436-456 W. 14 Mile, plans have been approved by Planning Commission for an apartment development

Main Street

  • The Clawson DDA completed the application for the Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) grant and it has been submitted to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) as part of the Main Street Oakland County (MSOC) submission packet that included a collective of Oakland County Main Street communities. American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding from the County was added to the submission packet lessening the total grant amount requests from each community and it is hoped the entire submission will be graded favorably and granted.

The Clawson DDA application was for parking lot improvements to the SE municipal lot including the market sheds as visioned on the downtown master plan.
Grant awards notices are expected to be announced by the end of the year.

  • Main Street 2024 Technical Visit funds:
    • With the funds being allocated to the Downtown Master Plan, a team of planners visited the downtown last week to walk and review all aspect of development and design in order to incorporate our best and ‘need to improve’ aspects in the new plan. As part of the process there will be public meetings to review findings and add public input before developing a new master plan

Grant follow ups

  • Pedestrian crossing signal update: The update of the crossing signal at E. 14 & Florence is delayed while repair is completed to the signal base in the island.
  • Oakland County Sustainability Grant: Native plantings in the pedestrian islands are thriving. Our thanks go out to Oakland County Parks for not only the planting but for maintaining and watering for the remainder of this year.
  • MSOC/Flagstar Bank Grant: The grant included planters which are now in place at three of the corners at 14 & Main. Our thanks to Design Committee volunteers Kathy Phillips and Carol McClean for making the planting selections and then planting and maintaining with trimming, deadheading and keeping an eye on the water reservoirs in the planters .
  • Alley Heart Artwork: Further modifications to the artwork supports are being done to allow the art to be temporarily removed during the remodel of the adjacent building to take place next year.

Committee Reports
Events

  • Cinema in the Street was successfully held on Saturday, July 29. Our thanks to the Fire Department for again filling the water ballast barrels to hold the screen in place, the DPW for safely closing down S. Main Street and the Police Department for their fine community policing.
  • The Lions Club Down on Main Car Show is Saturday, August 12. 25 years running!
  • ClawsonFest returns bigger and better on Saturday, August 26. In its third year and growing by leaps and bounds.

WE APOLOGIZE FOR NOT KEEPING UP WITH NEWS & PICS ON FACEBOOK AND INSTA BUT OUR FB PAGE WAS HACKED AND WE’VE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS TRYING TO GET THINGS BACK TO NORMAL. PROGRESS ON UNAUTHORIZED ADVERTISING CHARGES HAVE BEEN RESOLVED BUT WE STILL AREN’T ABLE TO POST. THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES AND WE HOPE TO BE BACK SOON.