While summer winds down, it’s a good moment to look back at the progress Berkley has made and peek at what’s next.
- Downtown & Business Development
- Parks and Construction
- City Departments
- Talk with Dennis Office Hours
- City Planning
- Upcoming Events
- Kitten Update
- Meeting Pages & Other Resources
Downtown & Business Development
Slows Bar BQ is coming to Downtown Berkley, taking over the former Berkley Common space on 12 Mile. They’re aiming for a fall opening.
Right across the street, The Berkley Theater is moving forward as a live entertainment venue, bringing shows back under our historic marquee.
We also approved a special land use for a gas station and restaurant at 12 Mile and Greenfield, led by the family behind Mug & Jug.
The Columbia apartments were refined and approved at 51 units—smaller than the earlier plan—and consolidated to one building with an expanded pocket park. Read the updated project details here (PDF).
Welcome to our new DDA Director, Nate Mack. The City finalized his contract in July, and he began in late August. I’ve met him and think he’ll do great things, with a strong focus on economic development.
Parks and Construction
The Dorothea Pocket Park pilot (June 14–July 19) was a big hit. We hosted many family-friendly activities, and the space stayed busy even during unprogrammed hours. See photos, a short recap video, and share your feedback.
The concession stand and restrooms at Community Field 1 and the Community Center restrooms are being renovated with state community-enhancement grant funds. Work is expected to take around two months and shouldn’t disrupt scheduled programs or games.
The road and underground utilities on Bacon Ave (between 11 and 12 Mile) are getting a full rebuild—new water main, pavement, curbs, driveway approaches, and sidewalks. Design is underway now; construction is scheduled for spring through winter 2026. There’s also a town hall at City Hall on September 29, 5–7 pm to answer questions. Get the latest updates on the City’s construction page: berkleymi.gov/construction.
City Departments
You may have noticed I’ve paused my usual meeting-recap emails. Good news: the City is now sending its own meeting previews and recaps.
- Sign up for City Council update emails.
- Browse recent previews/recaps on the City news page.
- They’re also posted on the City’s Facebook page.
Our finance team saved nearly $300,000 over three years by moving assessing services from Oakland County to WCA Assessing after a last-minute fee increase from the County. Acting quickly secured us one of the limited openings with a new provider and locked in savings for taxpayers.
Our police K-9, Bear, retired this summer with his handler, Officer Anderson. They served together for seven years. We’re grateful for their service.
We’ve also ordered a new fire engine to replace our 2007 front-line pumper. The total cost is $1,170,000, budgeted over two fiscal years, with delivery expected about two to three years from purchase.
For context on how fast prices are rising, the ladder truck approved in 2019—a more complex apparatus—came in at just under $1 million ($998,294).
Talk with Dennis Office Hours
My next Talk with Dennis office hours are Tuesday, October 14, 6:00–8:00 PM at the Berkley Public Library.
Come by to ask questions or share your concerns, though as always, I’m available anytime.
City Planning
New wins like Slows and The Berkley Theater don’t happen by accident. They grow from years of steady planning work—setting the vision, updating our rules, and following through on the details.
We’ve just completed a full rewrite of our decades-old zoning ordinance, and our outreach and public participation work on the update was recognized with a Planning Outreach Award from the Michigan Association of Planning. The write-up is here, and you can see the ordinance resources on the City’s site.
We’ve also kicked off the required five-year update to the Parks & Recreation Master Plan. Council authorized an agreement with Johnson Hill Land Ethics Studio on August 18, and there will be several opportunities for public input as the process moves forward.
Upcoming Events
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Berkley’s Fall & Winter Program Guide is now available. Browse the PDF online or pick up a copy at the Community Center, City Hall, or the Library.
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BOO!kley Month runs through October 25 with favorites like Witches Night Out (Thu, Oct 9), Ghost Chase (Fri, Oct 17) and the Trick-or-Treat Stroll (Sat, Oct 25, 12–3 pm) and Monster Mash Block Party (Sat, Oct 25, 2–5 pm). See the full lineup.
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Berkley Historical Museum Cemetery Walk — Sat, Oct 18 at Roseland Park Cemetery. (Rain date: Oct 19; watch the Museum/DDA pages for updates.)
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Election Day — Tuesday, Nov 4. Five candidates are running for three City Council seats, and the mayoral race is unopposed. Find voting info at the City’s page and from the Michigan Secretary of State. More coverage from the Woodward Talk.
Kitten Update
Our previous cat, Miette, was toilet trained. She'd jump up on the seat and do her business, and all we had to do was flush for her.
I tried training the new cats. Cosette took to it right away. It just wouldn't stick with Nicolette.
So, we got a robotic litter box.
Now they enjoy watching it do its work—so much so they often prevent it from finishing a cycle.
They enjoy the box too.
Meeting Pages & Other Resources
- Find upcoming meetings and events on the City Calendar.
- Watch meetings live or on demand on YouTube.
- Browse minutes and meeting packets for City Council, the Planning Commission, and the Zoning Board of Appeals.
- Catch up on City news at berkleymi.gov/news.
- Follow the City on Facebook: facebook.com/cityofberkley.
- Follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/DennisHennen.
- I’m active on Nextdoor and the Berkley Residents Forum on Facebook.
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