Scott Jones tells his plans for 500 block of Main Street

Scott Jones of Van Buren Township, who purchased deteriorating property in the 500 block of Main Street in Belleville, announced to the city’s Downtown Development Authority his plans for rebuilding the city’s front door.
Jones said he will bring his plans to the Belleville Planning Commission for its June 13 meeting and his plan is to begin the demolition and rebuilding as soon as possible.
At the May 15 DDA meeting, VBT architect Wayde Hoppe explained the present situation and Jones’ plan for the future.
Hoppe said currently a lot of the property is an old parking lot and a strip mall with a pink wall. He said there are four different buildings.
He said the plan is to include a small grocery market, with professional offices behind and a retail strip with a restaurant or two.
Hoppe said there will be entrances from Main Street and North Liberty Street and the buildings will be made of brick and limestone for easy maintenance.
He said there will be a number of retail stores to the north and parking in the middle. A prominent restaurant building will be built across from Doane’s Landing with a covered outdoor eating area, so diners can see the waterfront. He said people coming over the bridge will see the “tower” at the restaurant and no longer focus on the peach wall.
The building behind the market will be a two-story building. He said everything is still very much under design.
When the Independent asked about the future of the Lunch Box restaurant, Jones said the intention is to have the Lunch Box stay, but it is up to the owner. He said the proposal is to build the strip mall next to the restaurant and then move the restaurant into one of the units in the new building. Then, they would demolish the current Lunch Box, build a new restaurant on the site and move the Lunch Box back in.
“It’s up to him,” Jones said.
When they were asked about parking, Hoppe said there are 93 spaces, including 14-barrier free spaces, on site. He said 119 spaces are demanded by the ordinance.
Customers could also park on the street and in nearby city parking lots, people in the audience said.
When asked what kind of grocery store it will be, Jones said they have reached out to nine different stores, including Trader Joe’s, Kroger City, Fresh Time, Plum Market, Hillards, and Westborn.
The intention is to have seven aisles of groceries, with a meat counter and fresh produce.
When asked what restaurant will be facing the water, Jones said that is a “Fields of Dreams” and still in the planning stage.
Jones said for Phase I, they plan to demolish the buildings in six to seven weeks and have already applied to the city to shut off utilities and to Edison, who will take three to four weeks to turn off the electricity.
The former owner of the house on North Liberty Street has 30 days to move out of the house, so possession at the earliest is June 18.
Jones said the owners of Lakeview Tavern did not wish to sell their family business, so that property is not part of the new construction.
DDA Coordinator Carol Thompson said Jones’ plans are very impressive. She said the DDA will be glad to help with a ground-breaking ceremony and Randy Brown said the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce will be glad to help, as well.
“The whole city will thank you,” Brown said to Jones.
“Everybody’s been so supportive,” Jones replied.
At the end of the meeting DDA member Denise Baker said, “This is kind of the start of things. A year from now we will see a big change.”
“Patience paid off,” said DDA chairperson Rosemary Loria.
In other business at the one-hour-and 34-minute meeting, the DDA:
• Discussed at length three proposals presented by Spicer Engineering representative Phil Westmoreland on design plans for Fourth Street, which is in front of the new library under construction. Questions focused on parking, green space, space for the Iron Belle Trail, and space for the portable stage set up for special events at the Main Street end of the street. Westmoreland said whichever design they choose, the cost will be in the neighborhood of a quarter of a million dollars. Thompson said the DDA put $120,000 in its budget for Fourth Street, but it has $1 million in its fund balance to make sure it has enough for bonds. Also, the library budget has funds for restoration of Fourth Street after construction, so she’s sure they’ll figure it all out. Thompson said they will set up a meeting with library representatives before the next DDA meeting. Westmoreland said he will put all the comments together and come up with another plan;
• Approved the proposed DDA balanced budget of $751,420 in expenditures for 2019-20. This budget will be sent on to the city council to include it in its overall budget. Thompson said growth in taxable value in the DDA district has been 1% for the last few years and this year it’s 2% growth;
• Heard Thompson give a presentation to Taxing Jurisdictions on the DDA, its revenues, expenses, and projects, as required by law. A similar presentation will be done this fall;
• Heard Thompson give updates on the Iron Belle Trail that is coming through Belleville and the swap of the present outdoor sculptures for the new sculptures on May 30; and
• Approved accounts payable of $15,175.73 for April and May, including $550 for ads to Associated Newspapers for the Strawberry Fest and Sumpter Country Fest programs, $5,000 for an ad in the Detroit Tigers Yearbook, $300 to Keaton Publications for an ad in the 2020 Detroit book, $880 to KBE Hoist for Horizon Park waterfront seasonal maintenance, $93.56 per month to AT&T for DSL for the Community Events sign, $750 to Bank of New York Mellon for Belleville City 10 Cap. Imp. Bds., and dues to the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce of $195.