Usually, a downtown development authority’s purpose is to strengthen and support an existing downtown. In the case of Commerce Township’s DDA, the mission was bigger. It needed to create a downtown.
Now, 40 years since the Commerce Township Downtown Development Authority was formed, progress is being made on a 42-acre retail and lifestyle center that will have a Main Street vibe.
Five & Main is being developed by Robert B. Aikens & Associates, the firm that created The Village of Rochester Hills, which has become a de facto downtown for both Rochester Hills and northern Troy. The Commerce Township center will be near the intersection of M-5, Martin Parkway, and Pontiac Trail.
The commercial section of the estimated $100 million project will be 60% retail, 25% restaurants, and the rest will be dedicated to experiential entertainment tenants and grocery. This space will also include health and wellness spaces and fitness boutiques, like a med spa and a pilates studio, all of which is anticipated to be complete in fall of 2026.
According to Randy Thomas, president and CEO of Insite Commercial — who facilitated the sale of land to Robert B. Aikens & Associates — residents can expect to enjoy high-end retailers unique to the market.
Bruce Aikens, vice chairman of Robert B. Aikens & Associates, is a resident of Commerce Township and is excited to bring a retail and lifestyle center similar to Birmingham’s and Rochester’s downtowns closer to locals. “We feel if we can be that town for that community, that will create a huge, real success story here,” he says.
As for the residential side of the project, Robert B. Aikens & Associates’ Wisconsin-based residential developer partner Continental Properties is in the process of building the Springs at Five & Main, a walkable garden community consisting of 284 studio and one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments built in a townhome style, with ground-level entrances, attached-garage options, and modern finishes. There will also be a “resort-style” pool, an on-site pet spa and dog park, a 24-hour fitness center for residents, and more. Pre-leasing on the Springs at Five & Main is slated to begin in spring 2025, with move-ins to start that summer after the completion of the community clubhouse and 32 units.
There have been mixed reactions to the development. Some residents are concerned about the potential traffic increase, while new families, according to the DDA, have moved to the township because of the development.
“A lot of folks invested in a new home, hoping and knowing that someday there would be this destination downtown for them to walk or ride a bike to do some shopping, get dinner, and all that fun stuff,” says Commerce Township DDA Planning Director Dave Campbell.
To address traffic concerns, a traffic signal will be placed at the downtown development’s main entrance at Pontiac Trail and Walnut Lake Road.
Five & Main is part of a larger project for the Commerce Township community that’s more than 20 years in the making, called Commerce Towne Place. The DDA purchased 330 acres of land between 2003 and 2007 with a goal to prepare the site for development by improving traffic congestion, part of which involved opening a roundabout at M-5 and Pontiac Trail and Martin Parkway in 2011; preserving the natural landscape; implementing a storm management plan; and so on. Some of the completed projects that currently occupy this area include the luxury Barrington Apartment Homes, The Avalon senior housing facility, and 37 single-family homes at Wyncliff.
This story originally appeared in the November 2024 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our digital edition will be available on Nov. 6.
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