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Nightlife : Detroit Development News

27 Nightlife Articles | Page: | Show All

SkyBar and Lounge now open on 33rd floor, previous ground floor space being renovated and expanded

Up until a couple of weeks ago, "Sky Bar" was a bit of a misnomer, what with the bar and lounge being located on the ground floor of the David Stott Building in downtown Detroit.
 
"We are in the process of a rebranding," says Marshal Simons of Impakt Digital, community manager of SkyBar & Lounge. "When the owners first opened they were new at the bar industry and wanted to get in on the ground level of Detroit" … so to speak.
 
Owner Lynn Kassotis, president of the Florida-based real estate company CID Investments (which owns the building), fell in love with the art deco architecture of the 37-story David Stott Building and was drawn to the space on the 33rd floor, but because of issues with the sprinkler system they were not able to get a liquor license and open in the upper-floor space initially. They now have a 180-day temporary approval of occupancy as they complete the final necessary repairs, and are currently open on Fridays and Saturdays offering unparalleled 300-degree views of downtown Detroit and the Detroit River.
 
Prior to opening they completely stripped the 33rd floor space down to the studs and totally restored it with a granite and marble bar, tile floors, and three private rooms including a plush library with leather chairs and an oak bookcase. One of the rooms is also designed as a cigar lounge with the proper air filtration system, though they have not yet been approved for the cigar licensing.   
 
The ground floor space, which has been the bar's home for a little over a year, is now undergoing a half-million dollar renovation and expansion which includes a new stage built in partnership with WDET. They hope to have this renovation completed in the next few weeks. There will be live music downstairs on weekends while upstairs will be more relaxed with music played over their internal speaker system. Both floors will continue to offer an upscale environment for drinks and small plates.
 
Source: Marshal Simons of Impakt Digital, community manager of SkyBar & Lounge.
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

Got a Development News story to share? Email Nicole here.

MotorCity Wine moving to Corktown this fall

Detroit's MotorCity Wine, currently at 608 Woodward Avenue on the second floor above Foran's Grand Trunk Pub and Foran's Deluxe Diner in downtown Detroit, is relocating this fall to the space currently inhabited by the Express Bar (pictured) in Corktown. The new address will be 1949 Michigan Avenue.
 
Owners David and Melissa Armin-Parcells have acquired this space and are currently working on the liquor license transfer, a process they expect will take five months under new laws established by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission that expedite the process of a license transfer. They will take that time to do some cosmetic remodeling at the new location.
 
"(The Foran's space) was always intended to be a temporary location for us to build our brand and build our capital," says David Armin-Parcells. "It's worked out well for us; we have no complaints. We love the space. We created a vibe that's totally unique. The new place will be different but equally lovely."
 
The new space is 2,000 square feet, effectively double what they currently have. It also includes a large outdoor patio that doubles their indoor capacity, which they plan on making "the best patio in the city." The bar also has its own parking lot with plenty of spaces, alleviating the biggest issue they have in their current location.
 
The new MotorCity Wine will open first as a wine bar; the retail sales license will come a little later. "Basically the core of our plan will be the same -- good value wines, interesting small family producers, a lot of organic and biodynamic products." They will also continue to host musicians and DJs and will expand their kitchen offerings.
 
They will continue to operate in their current location through the summer and welcome any pop-up concepts (sans alcohol) in the new space for the interim period. Contact David on the MCW site to inquire.
 
Source: David Armin-Parcells, co-owner of MotorCity Wine
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

Got a Development News story to share? Email Nicole here.

Orion Music + More festival invests in Belle Isle, Detroit city parks

Belle Isle has certainly been a hot topic of conversation lately, and it seems like the nation's largest city island park is going to get a little outside help after all.
 
Tickets are now on sale for the Orion Music + More festival being held on Belle Isle June 8-9, featuring headliners Metallica, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bassnectar, and many more. This is the second year for the hard-rock-centric music festival, which was first held over a single weekend last year in Atlantic City.
 
Seeking a new location for the festival, which is expected to draw in about 30,000-35,000 people per day based on last year’s attendance, the organizers – Austin-based C3 Productions -- approached the City of Detroit about using Belle Isle. Bradley Dick, the city's director of general services (who at the time was also filling in as interim recreation director), worked out a deal with festival organizers that would put money right back into Detroit's parks.
 
As part of the deal, the Orion Music + More festival is to pay a set fee of $100,000 in 2013, $100,000 in 2014, and $250,000 in 2015 which will be funneled directly back into capital improvements for Detroit's parks. Dick's idea was to split this revenue 50/50 between Belle Isle and Detroit's other 100-plus parks so that the economic benefit of the festival is widespread.
 
The City of Detroit will also receive a set percentage of all ticket sales, concessions and merchandise sales. All of this money will be re-invested into the city's parks, and will also provide significant seed money for the city to apply for matching grants, enabling them to turn, say, $200,000 into $400,000.
 
While Orion is on the books for 2013, years 2014 and 2015 are not yet confirmed. The festival has the first right of refusal for the same weekend both of those years and terms and conditions, should they continue in Detroit, have already been agreed upon.
 
As a burgeoning host city for major events, Detroit potentially has its own Lollapalooza/SXSW on its hands with Orion -- a diverse showcase of major artists held once per year. This is the largest music festival to ever be held on Belle Isle.

Source: Bradley Dick, General Services Department Director of the City of Detroit
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

Got a Development News story to share? Email Nicole here.

Trinosophes cafe, gallery and performing arts space celebrates grand opening this Saturday

Trinosophes, a new art gallery and performance space in Eastern Market, has been hosting monthly events for the past few months, but they are now ready for their full-time debut with a grand opening set for this Saturday, March 9.
 
Musician and event producer Joel Peterson and MOCAD Deputy Director Rebecca Mazzei have partnered on this project, which includes an integrated café, gallery and performance space. Peterson had previously been booking shows through the Bohemian National Home, and it had been his intent to find a new space since 2008.
 
"It has been a really long process for us," he says. "We put in the purchase agreement two years ago. We’ve been in there just about a year now getting it all together." The space did not require a full gut and the utilities were all solid, but it was basically an empty warehouse. They’ve spent this past year working on its aesthetic transformation.
 
The 8,500-square-foot space at 1464 Gratiot near Eastern Market was an old spice processing facility before it was the Butcher and Packer Supply Co. It has three storefronts; two will serve as the café and gallery exhibition/performance space, and the third will soon be a second location for Midtown's Peoples Records.
 
The café portion will be completed this spring and will offer free WiFI. Peterson says this will be encouraged as a "hangout space" for people to linger. 
 
There are no immediate plans to apply for a liquor license. "We’re looking forward to being the space that isn’t a bar where exciting stuff happens."
 
Peterson will continue to book the kind of high caliber talent he was known for bringing to the Bohemian National Home, and the gallery will host specific exhibits built around particular artists. It is also accruing a semi-permanent collection as part of the environment, some of which will be for sale "until someone builds enough of a relationship with it to take it home."
 
The first exhibit opens in conjunction with their grand opening this Saturday.
 
Source: Joel Peterson, co-owner of Trinosophes
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

Got a Development News story to share? Email Nicole here.

Partners open La Hookah Town and Grace of India Restaurant in Midtown

It wasn’t that long ago that Thistle Coffeehouse was flourishing on Second Ave. at Prentis. But now the space has been reborn with two brand-new businesses owned by partners Sal Sufyan and Abe Aswadi.
 
The first, La Hookah Town, officially opened in January. La Hookah Town offers an inexpensive "hangout spot" for Wayne State students with a variety of flavored tobaccos, free WiFi, free parking, a student study area, and televisions for watching sports (including pay-per-view boxing). It opens at noon daily and stays open until 2 a.m. or later.
 
While there are a number of hookah lounges in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights and a quietly growing hookah culture in Royal Oak, the city of Detroit previously had no hookah lounges of its own. Hookah lounges are increasingly popular study spots for students and social hubs for young adults under the age of 21 who can’t just go to a bar. They also appeal to the large population of Muslim students and young adults in the area who do not patronize liquor bars.
 
In addition to bringing a hookah lounge to the city, the partners are also bringing an Indian restaurant to an area that currently has none. They are opening Grace of India Restaurant next to La Hookah Town, a small restaurant that will serve authentic, affordable Indian cuisine for carry-out and delivery, specifically targeting students. They will have only three or four tables inside where people can wait for their carry-out orders.
 
Sufyan says that they noticed a need for Indian food in the area and are catering to that demand. They have hired a chef who specializes in Indian cuisine to oversee the kitchen. The interior has been totally remodeled and they hope to be open this month.
 
Source: Sal Sufyan, co-owner, La Hookah Town and Grace of India Restaurant
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

Have a Development News story to share? Send Nicole an email here.

More Palmer Park apts set to come online in Feb, April

Renovation work on a handful of apartment buildings in Palmer Park is set to wrap up in the next few months.

The first in line for completion is the Sarasota Apartments, 325 Merton, in February. The four-story building exemplifies the Art Deco architecture for which Palmer Park's apartments are famous. It had been vacant for years, falling into disrepair before renovations began last spring.

Next in line are the Seville Apartments and Palmer Lodge. Both are set to come online in April. "I really can't wait," says Kathy Makino-Leipsitz, co-owner of Shelborne Development which is heading up the development of the apartment buildings in Palmer Park.

Palmer Lodge
is one of the marquee apartment buildings in the Palmer Park historic district. The jumbo-sized Tudor-Revival structure stands sentinel at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Covington Drive. The four-story apartment building was designed by Weidmaier and Gay and built in 1925. It's being redeveloped into 54 apartments and space for two businesses (think cafe or martini bar) in its basement. The Seville Apartments is at 750 Whitmore St. The four-story structure at the corner of Third Avenue and Whitmore Street will feature 16 apartments. One hundred and two units will come onto the market when construction is finished at all three, which were vacant and in serious disrepair before renovation work began early last year.

Shelborne Development is renovating these buildings and a handful of others in Palmer Park. The Indian Village-based firm leveraged historic tax credits, federal stimulus funding and other government incentives to renovate these buildings to maintain their historic integrity and upgrade them with modern conveniences such as new Energy Star appliances, high-efficiency furnaces, insulation and granite countertops. It previously renovated the La Vogue apartments last summer.

Makino-Leipsitz says she is still pursuing the idea of bringing mounted security patrols to the neighborhood by utilizing the Detroit Police Department's mounted division, which is housed nearby. She also wants to bring Christmas lights to the trees of the neighborhood to help inject some vibrancy to the area.

"I want to light up the trees in Palmer Park like they do at La Dolce Vita (a nearby restaurant)," Makino-Leipsitz says. "It gives the area such a great feel."

Source: Kathy Makino-Leipsitz, co-owner of Shelborne Development
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Two James Spirits to bring a distillery to Corktown in 2013

David Landrum and Peter Bailey see history repeating itself in micro-brewing and micro-distilling worlds. Where craft brewing beer has exploded as a slow-food-style business in recent decades the co-owners of Detroit's first distillery see the same thing happening with craft distilling of liquor.

"That's what's happening with spirits right now," says Landrum, co-founder & president of Two James Spirits, which is an homage to the names of the co-founders' fathers who were also entrepreneurs. "There is going to be a boom with small spirits makers because the product is superior."

Two James Spirits plans to open at 2445 Michigan Ave. in Corktown, a small commercial building adjacent to Roosevelt Park and within a stones throw of Slows. The micro distillery will have a tasting room and will serve vodka, gin and whiskey. The co-founders plan to serve vodka and gin first because it can be made in a matter of days while they let their whiskey age. Landrum plans to age the whiskey in barrels and expects the process to take between 16-24 months. David Pickerell, one of the foremost experts on whiskey distilling, is also working with Landrum and Bailey on Two James Spirits' brand of whiskey.

Two James Spirits is set to open in the first quarter of next year. In the meantime, the company's co-founders are recruiting for its Corktown 500 club, an exclusive club that will be able to make its own whiskey and have other unique privileges at the distillery.

Source: David Landrum, president & co-founder of Two James Spirits
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Woodward Garden Theater Project in last phase

The Woodward Garden Block project recently received the last funding needed to complete construction of the Woodward Garden Theater.

The project was started on 2002 by developers Woodward Garden Theater, LLC. and Woodward SA-PK, LLC led by long time partners Michael Byrd, William Mosely and George Stewart. The team of supporters include Midtown Detroit, Inc. (MDI), Quinn Evans Architects, McIntosh Poris Associates, Miller Canfield, Strength Property Partners and Zachary & Associates.
 
"Without the willingness of these partners to look for innovative solutions to the obstacles that faced this project, we wouldn’t be celebrating the revival of this block." said Stewart.
 
The theater is a 32,000 square feet, 1,300 person capacity live music-theater, originally designed by C. Howard Crane. The funds will also allow for the development of a mixed-use development with approximately 12,000 square feet of leasable space and 61 market rate apartments adjacent to the theater.
 
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation awarded the project a $750,000 loan via the Michigan Strategic Fund’s Community Revitalization Program. Other critical funding of the Woodward Garden Theater project came in the form of a HUD Section 108 loan through the City of Detroit, HUD 221 funding through financial intermediary First Housing and a variety of brownfield, federal and state historical tax credits. Federal tax credits were purchased by Symetra Life Insurance. 

Stewart, who has lived and worked in the Midtown district since the late 1950s, believes this project has been long overdue. 
 
"Restoring this block to its former glory and providing a place where people will be able to experience great music and soon live (and) work has been the least I can do to give back to a neighborhood that has meant so much to me over the years," he said. 
 
Once completed, the building will house a theater, a full service catering restaurant and a conference center allowing for diverse facility use.
 
On Monday, Woodward Gardens, LLC and MDI celebrated the final phase of the development stage with the "Woodward Garden Block Development Celebration." The event took place on the rooftop of the Woodward Gardens Parking Deck on Alexandrine.

Visit the Woodward Garden Block Development and the Woodward Garden Theater project or call 313-833-5720 for more information. 

Source: Nicole Brown, Midtown Detroit 
Writer: Leah Johnson 
 

Tashmoo Biergarten kicks off year with spring fling in West Village

The first installment of the 2012 Tashmoo Biergarten kicked off last weekend in Detroit's Villages.

The initial community outdoor beer drinking extravaganza at 1420 Van Dyke was a tester for this year's round of events, which will be begin in earnest this fall. "This was a one-weekend spring fling," says Aaron Wagner, co-founder of Tashmoo Biergarten.

Wagner participated in the initial class of the BUILD program at D:hive, which teaches local residents the basics of starting a business and organizing an initiative. Wagner and his fellow co-founder, Suzanne Vier, are looking at expanding the Tashmoo Biergarten this year so nonprofits and other community groups could use Tashmoo's expertise to host their own biergarten parties.

"We're looking at doing a pop-up biergarten in a box," Wagner says.

Tashmoo Beirgarten got its start last fall as a way to build community and buzz in the Villages area on Detroit's East Side. The duo took over a vacant lot, fenced it off and built picnic tables out of old doors, creating a space to serve high-quality beer and for locals to congregate. The mixture proved to be an instant hit with hundreds of participants at a handful of events last fall.

Wagner and Vier plan to do a repeat performance this fall and are also looking at expanding the idea to other neighborhoods in Detroit.

"We're definitely looking at it," Wagner says. "Nothing is set in stone."

Source: Aaron Wagner, co-founder of Tashmoo Biergarten
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Palmer Lodge, Seville Apts next on deck for restoration in Palmer Park

Shelborne Development expects to bring two more Palmer Park apartment buildings online soon with Palmer Lodge and the Seville Apartments next on deck for a complete restoration. Work is currently ongoing at the two buildings and approaching a finish.

"Both will be online by the end of the year," says Kathy Makino-Leipsitz, who co-owns Shelborne Development with her husband Mark Leipsitz.

Palmer Lodge is the large, four-story apartment building overlooking the southern tip of Palmer Park at the intersection of Woodward Avenue and Covington Drive. The Tudor-Revival was designed by Weidmaier and Gay and built in 1925 at 225 Covington. Indian Village-based Shelborne Development is redeveloping it into 54 apartments and space for up to two businesses in its basement, such as a coffee house or martini bar.

The Seville Apartments, a stately brick building located at 750 Whitmore, is also being redeveloped into 16 apartments. The four-story structure stands sentinel at the corner of Third Avenue and Whitmore Street and has been vacant for years. Shelborne Development is redeveloping both buildings with a bevy of green and modern features like new Energy Star appliances, high-efficiency furnaces, insulation and granite countertops. It is also preserving the historical character of the buildings' exteriors and entrances, among other features.

"It's a brand new unit in the envelope of a historic building," Kathy Makino-Leipsitz says.

Shelborne Development has been working on redeveloping the Seville Apartments and Palmer Lodge since 2008, utilizing a tool box of economic tools such as historic tax credits, brownfield tax credits and federal stimulus funds. The apartments will be made available for both affordable and market-rate housing.

Source: Kathy Makino-Leipsitz and Mark Leipsitz, co-developers of the La Vogue
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Shelborne Development's Palmer Park plans include mounted security patrols

Kathy Makino-Leipsitz and Mark Leipsitz don't just have a vision for the handful of Palmer Park apartment buildings they plan to bring online this year. They have a grand plan for the entire district and its large collection of Art Deco buildings.

"We're very excited," says Kathy Makino-Leipsitz, who co-owns Shelborne Development with her husband Mark Leipsitz. "These buildings are irreplaceable."

The Indian Village-based real-estate development company has purchased nearly a dozen apartment buildings in Palmer Park in recent years. Many of those include some of the district's most jaw dropping architectural gems, such as Palmer Lodge, La Vogue, Coronado, Madrid Court (currently under construction), El Dorado, Alwyne Lane, Sarasota, Merton Manor and Whitmore Plaza. Shelborne Development plans to redevelop all of these into apartments and commercial space, and is considering razing two fire-damaged mixed-use buildings on McNichols. The renovations are expected to all come online by 2014.

The idea is to create a vibrant neighborhood that is a destination for the entire region filled with high-quality homes (both affordable and market rate housing) and spaces for small businesses. The basement of the Palmer Lodge features several thousand square feet of space that could offer space for a coffee shop, restaurant or bar.

"The basement is pretty much open space," Kathy Makino-Leipsitz says. "You would have up to 2,500 square feet in each space."

She is also looking into the idea of bringing a mounted security patrol to Palmer Park. The Detroit Police Department recently relocated its mounted division to Palmer Park. Kathy Makino-Leipsitz is interested in brokering a partnership with the police department that would allow properly trained private security personnel to use the mounted division's horses.

"This should be like Central Park in New York, but for Detroit," Kathy Makino-Leipsitz says.

Source: Kathy Makino-Leipsitz and Mark Leipsitz, co-developers of the La Vogue
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Mindfield begins renovation of GAR building in downtown

The rebirth of the GAR building, one of downtown Detroit's most iconic small structures, has begun and will soon become obvious through extensive work to its exterior.

Mindfield, the creative agency that currently calls the floors above Vincente's home, is redeveloping the five-story Romanesque building into its new home. The GAR, Grand Army of the Republic, was built as a meeting place for Union Army veterans of the Civil War at Grand River and Cass avenues. The city took control of it by the 1930s and it has been vacant for the last few decades caught up in legal battles.

"The building was a mess when we took it over so we're doing a lot of cleanup and abatement," says David Carleton, executive director of Mindfield. "There was a lot of water damage, bird poop and asbestos there. We're preparing the canvass to paint."

Mindfield will occupy about one quarter of the building and is looking to lease out two other floors. Space in the 25,000-square-foot structure will also be set aside for a restaurant and a Civil War memorial. Mindfield hopes to move in by November of next year.

"You will see some visible signs of improvement very soon," says Sean Emery, post director of Mindfield.

In the mean time, the firm plans to restore the GAR building to its original grandeur. That will start soon with some exterior stone and roof work. Mindfield's co-founders also plan to restore the building's original windows to maintain its original architectural character.

"It would be a crime to take a building that is this grand and iconic in downtown Detroit and take the cheapest way out," says Tom Carleton, creative director of Mindfield. "We're not going to slap the cheapest windows in the building."

You can follow Mindfield's efforts to restore the GAR building here.

Source: Tom Carleton, Sean Emery and David Carleton, co-founders of Mindfield
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Seva Detroit, COLORS restaurant open in Midtown, downtown

Two new restaurants, Seva and COLORS, have opened in Detroit's Midtown and downtown neighborhoods, both bringing unique characteristics that promise to raise the culinary bar in the Motor City.

Seva, the staple of vegetarian eating in downtown Ann Arbor since 1973, has opened a Detroit location in the G.R. N'Namdi Gallery in Midtown at 66 E Forest Ave, between Woodward Avenue and John R Street. The restaurant and bar will feature a full vegetarian menu and enough seating for just under 100 people.

"We saw an opportunity in a great community," says Lauren Trendler, general manager of Seva Detroit. "Midtown is very central to the arts, Wayne State and the DMC. We are also in a community that is turning around and we want to be a part of that."

COLORS restaurant has also opened in downtown Detroit's Paradise Valley district, formerly Harmonie Park. COLORS is in the basement of the Virgil Carr Building, 311 E Grand River Ave, where it serves traditional American fare for lunch and dinner.

COLORS is focused on sustainability, using local ingredients and products. The restaurant also is a training ground for people interested in joining the food service industry. It provides job training for those who want to become cooks, chefs, waitstaff or management.

Source: Lauren Trendler, general manager of Seva Detroit
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Blues vet opens Mo' Sound label and studio in Hamtramck

For years, Mike Boulan, the owner of Detroit's No Cover Productions, wanted to expand his offerings beyond the homegrown blues musicians he champions. His new label expands on sound, if not geography.

"The first label was all Detroit blues, so the Detroit focus has always been there," Boulan says. "I've traveled a bit, and everywhere I've went, the music just doesn't really compare to here, where we live. I just like to be part of that. Documenting it is something I've always enjoyed doing."

It took a chance encounter at a blues night hosted by Kelly's Bar in Hamtramck for the idea to take shape -- a Detroit-centric studio and label called Mo' Sound & Light. Boulan found out the bar, which is located across the street from Cafe 1923 on Holbrook, had two empty apartments in the 1890's-era building. The veteran soundman, along with partner Lightshow Bob, have spent the past 10 months remodeling the space --refinishing the floors, hanging posters, creating a lounge and moving in equipment. They've already recorded a potential Buddy Smith commercial for H&R Block and released an album from John Sinclair. This Saturday, Looking Up At Down, who recorded their debut album in the Hamtramck space, will celebrate their opening at the New Way bar in Ferndale.

"I did 130 releases on my first label, and most of the bands I've worked with for the past 15 years have come back for multiple projects," Boulan says. "As a producer, what the artist wants is what I want. I don't try to come in and produce the record and tell them how to do it."

Mo' Sound & Light Productions is located at 2405 Holbrook on the second floor. Call Mike Boulan at (248) 398-6877 or contact him through the No Cover website.

Source: Mike Boulan, co-owner, Mo Sound Studios
Writer: Ashley C. Woods

Buhl Bar brings the cocktail hour back to Financial District

Call it a Mad Men-inspired yearning for the martini hours of yesteryear; or the way the mind creates possibilities after walking past an empty space; or even just a personal dream finally recognized. For those reasons, and more, James Van Dyke says, the Buhl Bar needs to exist in the downtown area's Financial District. Look for this after-work haunt to open its doors in the next two weeks in the historic Buhl Building.

"It's funny," Van Dyke says, "I got into real estate because I originally wanted to open a bar in Detroit, in 2003. So this is kind of coming full circle -- I'm opening a bar after doing real estate in Detroit."

Headed by the Roxbury Group, which recently debuted the Auburn mixed-use project in Midtown, The Buhl Bar will offer 900 sq. ft of throwback glamor in the space which formerly housed Starbuck's Coffee. "We were always lamenting that what Detroit has really lost, in the Financial District, is the idea of the after-work cocktail bar," Van Dyke says. "Each one of the buildings in the district had one. There was a very strong happy hour culture here." He says the success of after-work happy hours at 24 Grille, Fountain Bistro and Roast inspired the Roxbury Group to move forward with plans. Luckily, the old liquor license from the building's original Buhl Bar was held in escrow by the owners, who embraced the concept.

Van Dyke says the 21st century Buhl Bar will achieve an upscale feel while retaining a laid-back vibe, appealing to businesspeople and casual passerby alike. Housed in a former bank lobby, the design is heavy on dark wood, plaster ceilings and crown moldings. Thirteen seats span the bar, while an additional seven seats are available at the window seat. "It happens to be my favorite spot in the bar, because you can sit at the window and watch people pass by on Congress Street," Van Dyke says.

While the cocktail menu is still under wraps, Van Dyke says one aperitif will be inspired by a Buhl building tragedy in the 1980s -- a shootout in an upstairs law firm between a disgruntled client and an attorney. "Hit in the crossfire was a legal clerk named Eve August," Van Dyke says. "My grandmother was actually working on the floor when it happened, and was very close to the people involved. So we wanted to name one of the drinks after Eve August."

Follow the Buhl Bar on Facebook, or swing by 535 Griswold next week for a cocktail.

Source: James Van Dyke, vice-president of development, The Roxbury Group
Writer: Ashley C. Woods
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