People walking in the Main and Liberty area of downtown Ann Arbor will soon have a better view of what's for sale in one of the buildings there.
The Fritz building, at the northeast corner of that intersection, will likely get some new display windows come summer, says Ben Curtis, one of the building's property managers. That corner space has housed Occasionally Gift Shop for years, and dates back to the turn of the century. The owner is looking to retire soon, he says, and they've gotten approval from the historical society to renovate after the storefront is vacated.
The plan is for two new display bay windows, at 8 feet and 16 feet in length, respectively. They've wanted to improve the building for a while, Curtis says, but didn't want to disrupt the business to do so.
"Display windows definitely bring value to the store," he says. "Passersby can see the product the store is selling. Right now it's quite a stretch of just brick wall on Liberty Street."
The three-story Fritz building is also home to a barber shop, a salon, Kilwin's chocolate and ice cream store, as well as second floor offices and a club. He says the corner retail space is about 1,300 square feet, with a full basement.
"We're not really considering restaurants or food establishments, because there's plenty of places (already)," he says. "The building isn't really fit for a restaurant."
But its location makes it an important corner, he says; they've had several inquires. "It's definitely going to enhance the building's look, and that whole intersection will be spruced up a little," he says.
The project falls in line with others they've done, while keeping buildings true to their historical character. "It should definitely enhance the building -- make it look a little bit more crisp and sharp, add value to the building, and value to the space which the new tenant will be in," he says.
Source: Ben Curtis, downtown Ann Arbor property manager
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
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