Cannabis park and grocery store coming to Pontiac after legal victory

A proposed $40 million cannabis park in Pontiac is moving forward after a judge sided with the developer in a long legal dispute with the city.

Construction on Greenwood Plaza could begin this summer at the site of an abandoned Kmart complex on South Glenwood. The site is expected to include dispensaries and cannabis cultivation and processing facilities, and developers said it will spur the creation of hundreds of jobs.

A 15,000-square-foot Hollywood supermarket also is planned for the site.

The project was stalled amid a zoning dispute. Interim Pontiac City Clerk Garland Doyle insisted a local zoning ordinance barred cannabis businesses from operating on the site. The developer, Rubicon, along with Pontiac City Council and its attorney, disagreed and filed a lawsuit, saying a conditional rezoning from 2020 permitted commercial and light manufacturing at the site.

Oakland County Circuit Judge Yasmine Poles agreed with Rubicon last week and said it may proceed with the development.

“Judge Poles’ ruling in our favor allows us to aggressively move forward and secure the necessary funding to complete this great project which will greatly benefit the City of Pontiac,” Joseph Brown, principal of the investment firm Rubicon Capital, said in a statement. “Construction of the Glenwood Development, the hiring of hundreds of people, and the opening of a world class supermarket will also benefit Pontiac’s tax coffers with much needed revenue.”

Brown said developers of the project “look forward to delivering on our promises to make Pontiac an even better city.”

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