Excerpts from the article:
In the shadow of the Ambassador Bridge,
construction crews are humming, making into reality a 30-year-old
community dream for an international welcome center and marketplace to
anchor the booming neighborhoods of southwest Detroit.
After three decades of talk, 10 years of
development and almost a year of construction, concrete and steel beams
are finally up for the $18-million, 45,000-square-foot Mexicantown
International Welcome Center and Mercado.
The long-awaited project that will
feature a public plaza and mercado -- or marketplace -- with three
restaurants and vendors selling Latino-influenced products and wares,
is expected to be completed by August and open to the public by
November. The state will run the welcome center, which will be housed
in a separate building across the street and offer a rest stop and
tourist information for motorists getting on and off the bridge.
The corporation is scouting for tenants
for both buildings, the welcome center and mercado. The center will
accommodate five retailers on the first floor and office space for up
to 10 businesses on the second floor, while the mercado will serve as
an incubator project that will house not just the restaurants, but also
up to 18 start-up businesses.
Rodriguez said she has received calls
from Mexican restaurant owners from as far away as North Carolina who
are interested in leasing space in the mercado.
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