A controversial Chick-fil-A location is still coming soon to Detroit’s east side near the Grosse Pointe border, but the project hit a speed bump this week.
Hours after demolition began on Monday, May 19, to a former Buick service center at 17761 Mack Ave. to make way for the future fast-food restaurant, Detroit officials ordered an immediate halt to the work.
According to the city, the problem was the demolition contractor did not give the required advanced notice of the demo work to nearby property owners.
The notices eventually were sent out via UPS and received the morning of May 20 by the property’s neighbors, which include a day care/Montessori school with 116 enrolled young children.
A city spokesman said the demolition crew is now in compliance and can restart the teardown of the old Ray Laethem Buick building.
Neighbors told the Free Press that the demo work had yet to restart as of late Wednesday afternoon.
The Mack Avenue Chick-fil-A was first proposed nearly two years ago and faced opposition from some area residents and business owners, including concerns about traffic and the close proximity to The Giving Tree Montessori Learning Center that neighbors the site.
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Plans call for razing an old Buick service center at 17761 Mack Av. in Detroit near Grosse Pointe to make way for a future Chick-fil-A
The restaurant plan ultimately was approved by the city last year once all traffic was routed on Mack Avenue, with none entering or exiting the neighboring Marseilles Street.
On April 4, Detroit issued a building permit for the 2,954-square-foot Chick-fil-A. The demolition permit for the site was issued May 14.
The Grosse Pointe News has reported that the future location would be the first drive-thru-only Chick-fil-A in Michigan.
Representatives for Chick-fil-A and the site’s demolition contractor, Warren-based Blue Star, did not return messages seeking comment May 21.
Renee Chown, owner of The Giving Tree Montessori Learning Center, which she said is a day care as well as a private elementary school, opposes the Chick-fil-A because it would bump up against the learning center and its playground.
Chown said she was surprised Monday morning when the demolition work began and went outside to confront the workmen.
“When they started that demolition, none of us had a notice,” she said. “We are a little upset here.”
Chown also questioned whether the Chick-fil-A location violates a city ordinance against locating fast-food drive-thrus on major roadways within 500 feet of a school.
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“There is absolutely no way that they can put that drive-thru next to our playground,” Chown said, “because those kids will be smelling smoke, marijuana smoke, the rodents will be out there, they are going to listen to people talk not in such a good language, and the noise control, the fumes of the exhaust pipes — there are many many things wrong with this project.”
However, city spokesman John Roach noted that Detroit’s Zoning Board of Appeals issued its decision in favor of the Chick-fil-A in April 2024, which was two months before the Montessori center is said to have received its registration as a private school.
Dave Bell, director of the city’s Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department, said in a statement that a survey found no asbestos in the old Buick service center building, and that the contractor does have an approved plan to mitigate demolition dust.
Bell also said the city asked the contractor to erect a perimeter fence before resuming demolition work, even though such a fence isn’t always a requirement.
Another neighbor to the site is Allemon’s Landscape Center, a business that dates to 1910.
Owner Joe Allemon said in a phone interview that he, too, received a demolition notice via UPS on May 20. Nevertheless, he has been opposed to the fast-food restaurant plan, largely because of all the traffic it would likely generate.
“We are not against the brand Chick-fil-A — it’s the location,” he said. “The overwhelming community is against this development, but it has just fallen on deaf ears.”
Contact JC Reindl: 313-378-5460 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on X @jcreindl
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit orders work stoppage for Chick-fil-A near Grosse Pointe
