This small Oakland County city is booming. Here’s why
This week, as part of a Detroit Free Press series exploring Michigan communities, we return to Hazel Park to examine what makes this small city of Detroit stand out.
Attractive: Hazel Park, a southeast Oakland County community that borders Wayne and Macomb counties, is in the midst of a visible reinvestment and revitalization. Long known for its modest housing stock and close-knit neighborhoods, the city is now attracting renewed attention from developers and homebuyers for its affordability, location and growing sense of momentum.
A sign for the Hazel Park community stands at the corner of E. 9 mile and John R. Road from City Hall and the Hazel Park district library, where people frequently take the bus, Dec. 1, 2025.
The John R Road corridor between 8 Mile and 10 Mile is undergoing significant improvements with new landscaping, improved walkways and lighting. Main Street Hazel Parkpart of the national Main Street America compatible and compatible with the program Main Street Oakland CountyIt helps strengthen the economic vitality and eclectic character of the corridor. Pole banners along the northern portion of John R highlight the corridor’s evolving identity.
Public and private donations are also helping with growth. Oakland County was awarded $300,000 for renovations to the recreation center and $400,000 for improvements to Green Acres Park. The recreation center is being modernized and the city will soon be home to a satellite office of Oakland County Parks and Recreation.
Green Acres Park serves as a community hub where festivals and parties are held behind the community center in Hazel Park, Michigan, on December 1, 2025.
Residential redevelopment, particularly infill housing, transforms neighborhoods by blending contemporary design with established neighborhoods while replacing dilapidated homes with new construction. Bloomfield Hills-based Robertson Homes recently completed a 54-unit apartment project, and the company has partnered with Singer to propose an approximately 101-unit apartment project along the I-75 service road south of 10 Mile, according to City Manager Edward Klobucher.
“We are in preliminary discussions for a proposal to redevelop a vacant parcel at the southeast corner of John R and Woodward Heights,” he added.
Hazel Park’s economic base has also diversified. Built on the former 120-acre Hazel Park Racetrack, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, the Tri-County Commerce Center now serves as a major industrial anchor.
Park 54, a Robertson Homes Community, is a new condominium being built on Woodward Heights Boulevard. East of John R. road in Hazel Park, Michigan, December 1, 2025.
“We are a Promise Zone community that offers a guaranteed two-year college scholarship to resident students graduating from Hazel Park Schools,” Klobucher said, noting that the city is “a safe, affordable, centrally located, full-service city with a true sense of community where everyone is welcome.”
Facts: Founded as a city in 1942, Hazel Park covers 2.8 square miles and is home to 14,945 people. The city is bordered by Detroit to the south, located just south of I-696 and bisected by I-75. (US census)
The expansion of I-75 in the 1960s reshaped Hazel Park when it cut through the community, replacing part of the John R Road business district.
The city also holds a unique place in Michigan’s retail history. The first Harmony House music store opened in the city in 1947 and eventually grew to 38 stores before closing most of its stores in 2002.
For more information, visit: www.hazelpark.org.
Neighborhoods: Hazel Park’s housing stock consists of single-story and bungalow-style homes built on small lots before the 1960s. New construction is often two-story homes, and the city also offers apartments and condominiums. According to Realcomp II, 2024 median home sales prices ranged from $50,000 to $360,000; this reflected the city’s affordability and mix of housing options.
The 1,184-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom renovated home built in 1951 at 23798 Vance in Hazel Park sold in February 2025 for $228,000.
Parks and recreation: The city has 13 parks that offer playgrounds, ball fields, pavilions, a dirt bike track, a community garden, a dog park, a disc golf course, sledding hills, and walking trails.
Hazel Park Ice Arenawas purchased by Black Bear Sports Group In 2023, it includes two ice sheets, a gymnasium and concessions and serves the Little Caesars Hockey Club, International Stars Youth Hockey and several high school teams.
Community events: Several annual events include the Memorial Weekend Festival and Carnival, the Hazel Park Art Fair in August, and the Hazel Park Haunted Art Fair in October.
Taxes: $50.88 per $1,000 of taxable value of a home in the Hazel Park Schools district. A $92,800 (median-priced) home with a taxable value of $46,400 pays about $2,360.
Shopping and dining: The main shopping areas are located along John R and 9 Mile roads, where new investments have created a more diverse commercial mix.“ The south end of John R has been particularly hot lately with new businesses, new bars and restaurants,” Klobucher said. The city is home to many notable dining destinations, including: Mabel Gray, Loui’s Pizza, Pi’s Thai, Brayz Hamburgerand recently opened Bar Gabi.
Hazel Park’s new restaurant, Bar Gabi, offers a variety of Romanian dishes.
More: Framebar in Hazel Park gets new life as chef couple to open Romanian bistro
The city’s coffee scene is also growing with the addition of four stores: Hazel Advantage, Kazkara, Java Hut And Coffee and Tree BarkKlobucher noted:
Industries and employers: Amazon, Capital Sales, Mayville EngineeringEnovaPremier and Hi-lex Controls
Public transport: CLEVER, Senior Van Service For residents 55 and older or with disabilities.
Public safety: Hazel Park police reported 16 burglaries, 23 vehicle thefts, four criminal sexual conduct cases, five robberies and zero homicides in 2024.
Community insight: For many young buyers, Hazel Park’s appeal stems from both affordability and location. Collin Ward, 36, rented in Ferndale and Birmingham before buying a home in Hazel Park a year and a half ago.
Collin Ward, 36, became a homeowner in Hazel Park a year and a half ago.
“I wanted to live in the Woodward Corridor,” he said, noting that Ferndale and Royal Oak were priced beyond his budget. “Hazel Park got me into the area and it was still affordable.” Ward said he’s seeing more young people moving in, including two friends who bought homes in the city in the past two years. The combination of value and accessibility is hard to beat, he added. With quick access to I-75 and I-696, “I can get anywhere in about 20 minutes.”
Brendel Clark (previously published as Brendel Hightower) writes about real estate and other topics for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at bclark@freepress.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe to Detroit Free Press.
This article was first published in the Detroit Free Press: Hazel Park renovation: New growth revitalizes this Oakland County city
