Downtown Ypsilanti’s old Kresge building to house Mongolian barbeque, martini bar

The rebirth of Ypsilanti‘s old Kresge building is nie now that Maurer Management & Properties has nearly completed its ground floor renovation.

J Neil’s Mongolian Grille and the Keystone Martini Bar are set to open in the ground floor and basement of 200 W Michigan Ave. within seven weeks.

“About 90 percent of the work is done,” says Eric Maurer, an Ypsilanti resident who co-owns Maurer Management & Properties with his wife Karen. “We’re just putting on the finishing touches.”

The two new businesses will compliment the 12 lofts that occupy the building’s top two floors. This is the first building in downtown Ypsilanti the Maurers have completely renovated. They are also in the process of renovating the Mack & Mack building and an old Cunningham’s, both on Michigan Ave.

The Cunningham’s is home to the recently opened What Is That art gallery. The new gallery, which specializes in work by local artists, occupies 2,200 square feet of space and will eventually take up 4,000 square feet when it’s finished.

“It’s pretty neat bringing in a lot of local artists like that,” Maurer says. “It has a pretty good buzz going around it right now.”

Source: Eric Maurer, co-owner of Maurer Management & Properties
Writer: Jon Zemke