Livonia Board Strikes Down New Pawn Shop

LIVONIA (WWJ) - As residents in one Livonia neighborhood take a sigh of relief, one local business man is upset his proposal to run a pawn shop was turned down.

The Livonia Planning Commission on Tuesday decided against Mark Aubrey's proposal to build a Motor City Pawn Brokers at a vacant, free-standing gym on Middlebelt Road just north of 6 Mile Road.

Aubrey, who already operates another location of the business on Grand River in Livonia, said the location would have made a perfect location for the pawn shop.

His business proposal, however, was vehemently opposed by residents in the nearby Valley Wood Condominiums, who said they were concerned about the type of clientele the store might bring in. The residents worried that the pawn shop would further exacerbate problems they have with a nearby gun shop and liquor store.

Aubrey contends that his business is respectable, adding that pawn shops are getting a bad rap from TV shows that generally paint them in a negative light.

"It's not like what you see on TV. We haven't had any problems in 30 years," he told the Livonia Observer. "Our customers, they love us here. It's really not that way, and the perception they have, it's a real false perception."

In addition to their Grand River location, Motor City Pawn Brokers operates stores in Warren, Ferndale and Roseville.