Ypsilanti takes advantage of new liquor license law to push Thompson Block forward

A state law on liquor licenses is proving instrumental to development in Ypsilanti.

The law lets downtown districts offer cheap liquor license to entrepreneurs who make substantial improvements to property in a district. Ypsilanti’s Depot Town Downtown Development Authority is using it as a big part to help the Thompson Block development come to fruition.

“That’s what started this whole thing,” says Brian Vosburg, director of Depot Town and Ypsilanti DDAs.

Under the law a DDA district can sell liquor licenses for $20,000. Liquor licenses in Washtenaw County normally go between $80,000 and $100,000, Vosburg says.

But there are strings attached. The district must have undergone at least $200,000 in improvements for each new redevelopment liquor license. The DDA board must also approve the license. Each applicant must invest at least $75,000 in their property to qualify and be open at least 10 hours, five days a week.

“That’s to ensure a lively district,” Vosburg says.

Doing that math means Depot Town has three to five extra liquor licenses. Downtown has 13. This is also the same law that said earlier this year that downtown Ann Arbor would have hundreds at its disposal.

This law is essential to the Thompson Block because its main tenant is a bar/music venue being developed by Andrew Garris. Without the redevelopment liquor license the bar would be a non-starter, killing the overall development before construction even starts.

Source: Brian Vosburg, director of the Depot Town and Ypsilanti downtown development authorities
Writer: Jon Zemke