Eureka Road Corridor Project Updates
Stayed tuned!
As time moves forward, this page will provide an overview, updates and contact information for the Eureka Road Corridor Project, scheduled to run through the second quarter of 2027.
The long-awaited Eureka Road Corridor Project delayed almost five years has restarted, with much of the heavy lifting set to tentatively begin after Labor Day 2025. It will continue through the second quarter of 2027.
The initial phase started years ago with new infrastructure along Eureka Road – roadwork related to Trader’s Point, signage, traffic signals, etc. But then the permitting for the largest portion of the project, enclosing a portion of the Frank & Poet Drain, slowed everything to a snail’s pace. But that pace now quickens, thanks to the Taylor Tax Increment Finance Authority approving a contract with Anglin Civil LLC. The pact is for approximately $18M, funded through Wayne County and TIFA.
Work on the culverts – along Racho Road, Syracuse, Cornell and Telegraph, along with around Meijer – is ongoing. The work along Racho involves closing the road to traffic at the Frank & Poet Drain. Construction of the culverts will take over 280 working days and include lane closures while maintaining access to businesses.
Street scaping will go on up and down Eureka Road including new sidewalks, retaining walls, electrical, trees and shrubs. The project is scheduled to be under construction through the second quarter of 2027, although contractors emphasized that much of the construction work and road closures would be “rolling” and somewhat fluid. Plan on lane closures for cranes and construction materials.
Constant updates will be channeled to residents and business owners in and near the affected areas.
“While the lengthy delays in this project have been very frustrating, we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Mayor Tim Woolley said. “These improvements will be very worthwhile for the City of Taylor. This is an extremely large improvement project for our business and entertainment district.”
The original plan came as a result of a September 2020 settlement reached in a decades-long legal tussle involving the Northline Road Agreement. That agreement created a then-$17M project in improvements along Eureka Road be done over several years. That plan was a partnership between the City’s TIFA and Wayne County.
Tax increment financing (TIF) is a tool used by municipal governments to stimulate development in a specific geographical area. They are used mainly for community and/or economic development purposes. When a TIF district is established, the base amount of future property tax revenue is recorded using the status before improvements, according to Nexus, the National Housing Conference Guide. As these districts become successful, property values within their boundaries rise, leading to actual property tax receipts above the base.
While the original base property tax revenue continues to fund City services, the increase can be used elsewhere – to pay bonds, reimburse investors. or to be captured to fund other projects within the district. That’s the huge benefit of TIFA financing – it “self-finances” redevelopment or enhancement projects without imposing new taxes.
Taylor’s TIFA helped build the City Hall campus, DPW building, Sportsplex and both golf courses, among many other things. TIFA board members are appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council.
In more recent times, Menards eventually purchased the old Gibraltar Trade Center and built a modern superstore on the southern portion of the 80-plus-acre parcel to
THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL flyer being sent out to residents and businesses in the areas of Taylor effected by the Eureka Way Corridor Project.
the east of the mall. Next came BJ’s Wholesale Club. Currently, Main Event is building a large entertainment center on the Trader’s Point site, due to open in August.
Successful retailers know how to follow on a good thing and as the outlook of the Eureka Road business and entertainment corridor improved, brand names have walked through the door:
- Hilton built a Home2Suites location.
- Target did a complete makeover.
- Bubba’s 33 and BJ’s Restaurant and Brew house (no relation to the wholesaler) were built.
- Two Marriott hotels, a Fairfield Inn & Suites and a TownPlace Suites, have opened near Eureka and I-75.
- Chick-fil-A opened a location near Southland Center.
- A Sheetz convenience center will be built in front of the Marriot hotels.
The Eureka Road Corridor Improvement Project supports all of this business and entertainment traffic nicely.
Plans for improved safety for both motorists and pedestrians will resume, including enhanced “gateways” and branding at Telegraph and Allen roads; trees, plantings and walkway improvements; and non-motorized traffic connections. Above all, enhanced design of storm water management will transform the existing open Frank & Poet Drain into a more effective and aesthetically pleasing system.
The Frank & Poet Drain, which runs along Eureka Road from just east of Telegraph through the Southland Center property and on toward Southgate, is an eyesore. In some areas of the improvement plan, the open drain will be enclosed, which will lead to better flow and easier maintenance. In other areas, it will remain an open drain, but will be refurbished and enhanced.