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RH gets approval for new building from Birmingham City Commission

Posted By: Hometown Life on March 1, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.

New plans for the under-construction RH building will put Birmingham in a unique class, according to its architect.

The Birmingham City Commission Feb. 27 approved a special land use permit and final site plan for the building under construction at 300-394 S. Old Woodward that will change the design from what was approved in 2021.

“We’re very excited about the new design, the new direction. This was not being done to save money, this is actually going to cost a lot more money,” architect Victor Saroki said. “But it is a beautiful, more elegant design and it is in the spirit of where RH is going as a company.”

This new design, Saroki said, is a new concept for the company formerly known as Restoration Hardware.

The new plans will shift parts of the building, including the restaurant planned for the top level, to the east so it faces Old Woodward.

“In flipping the entire building 180 degrees, it allowed the stairs and elevators, as I mentioned earlier, to move to the back,” Saroki said. “When we allow those to move to the back, that then allowed the restaurant orientation to face South Old Woodward and those outdoor terraces.”

The development has been in the works for years. The changes were first presented to the city’s planning board in December and received a recommendation for approval. Once constructed, the building will stand four stories and provide customers with a vast showroom of furnishings and other items for their homes.

The site will be the first full-service RH gallery in Michigan. The national, high-end home furnishing company currently operates a smaller outlet store at Maple and Telegraph in Bloomfield Township.

Most of the commission members spoke positively on the development, including Mayor Therese Long. She said while the new building was exciting, she wants RH to be sensitive about parking in the area and not affect those who live nearby.

“All of the comments we made about sensitivity about parking in the neighborhoods still stand. We want you to be aware that they still stand,” she said. “We are thrilled for this development, but we do not want it to be a burden to the surrounding neighborhoods.”

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