The finishing touches are being put on two major projects in downtown Ypsilanti, both of which are set to open soon - almost in time to ring in the New Year.

Maurer Management & Properties, a local family owned firm, has done all of the heaving lifting for Ann Arbor SPARK's new East Incubator and the retail space in the old Kresge building. The workers are painting the walls and getting ready to roll down the carpeting for SPARK in the Mack & Mack building. They are also moving in the last pieces of the kitchen for the J Neil’s Mongolian Grille and Keystone Martini Bar in the Kresge.

"We're in the last two weeks of it," says Eric Maurer, co-owner of Maurer Management & Properties. "They should be in by January."

SPARK is opening a satellite office in the Mack & Mack building in the center of Ypsi's downtown, on Michigan Avenue next door to Bombadill's Cafe. The business incubator choose the location because it is vibrant, up-and-coming urban center.

The Mack & Mack building's 8,300 square feet will serve as home for 5-10 new economy-based start-ups. There will be space for conference rooms, offices, networking space and a full kitchen.

Before this year the building had been largely vacant and abandoned. Just last year the 19th Century structure was up for auction before the Maurer family stepped in and bought it. Over the last few years, the Maurers have restored a number of historic structures in Ypsilanti, turning them into space for apartments and small businesses.

One of their first downtown properties was the Kresge building, across the street from the Mack & Mack building. The Maurers and fellow downtown developer Stewart Beal bought the old Kresge’s department store earlier this decade.

They turned the two upper floors into a dozen rental lofts. Those filled up quickly and played an important role in downtown Ypsilanti's fledgling rebirth. J Neil's will now occupy the first floor and the Keystone will take up the basement space.

The 19th Century building originally offered street-level retail and office space for attorneys on the second and third floors. Kresge eventually took over the whole building between the 1920s and 1960s. The building then fell on hard times for the latter part of the 20th Century.

Source: Eric Maurer, developer of the Mack & Mack and Kresge projects
Writer: Jon Zemke