Some new life could come to a commercial area near downtown Northville.
The Northville Township planning commission is reviewing plans for renovating a building to add a self storage facility. The building, located at 807 Doheny St., would see major renovations and the addition of dozens and dozens of individual storage units.
Renovations would take place in the western part of the building formerly occupied by the Jack Doheny Company. The eastern portion — currently occupied by Jim’s Oil Depot will remain with an existing lease in place.
“All the changes to the building itself for now will take place west of the oil change,” building owner Jon Hutto said. “We don’t know what the long term is for Mr. Davis. That’s his decision.”
Major facelift on the exterior is planned, as well as work inside to convert the building into the storage facility. The building would have about 28,000 square feet for storage units of varying sizes, Hutto said.
The facility would be the latest owned by Hutto, who also is an owner of Country Storage in Lyon Township.
Jennifer Frey, township planner, said the plans, which call for a some additional landscaping to be added to the property, would fit well with a the special land use proposed.
“It’s a developed site,” she said. “Adding landscaping is going to help introduce some green space back to the site.”
The planning commission voted unanimously at its July 26 meeting for approval of the special land use for the development. Commission chairman Matthew Wilk said he’s very familiar with the site after having the repair shop work on his car.
“I think it’s a good use of the underused property. I think they may have done firetruck repair there in the past,” he said. “We Americans have a tremendous fondness for our junk and we need places to put it.”
