Pontiac chooses developer for downtown's Lot 9

Decisions have been made but details still need to be ironed out for the Lot 9 development in downtown Pontiac.

The Pontiac Downtown Development Authority choose the plan from West Investments (headed up by Kyle Westberg, owner of Pontiac-based West Construction) for the 6.7 acre parcel at the northeast corner of Saginaw and Pike streets. The property is currently a surface parking lot at the knot end of the Woodward Avenue loop that surrounds downtown.

The development calls for building a 4-story, mixed-use structure. The building will feature ground floor retail space with a yet-to-be-named anchor tenant. Above that will be three floors of residential space. The number of units and whether they will be rental apartments or for-sale condos has also not been determined.

Sandy McDonald, executive director of the Pontiac Downtown Development Authority, says the units will play a key role in creating a critical mass of residents in a downtown dominated by business space.

"Both projects were excellent mixed-use developments," McDonald says.

The project is far from a done deal, though. The DDA still has to take the project to the mayor’s office for approval and must iron out other development details with the developer. An update is expected by mid October, which is why details remain scarce.

"We don’t want to say too much, too fast," McDonald says.

Source: Sandy McDonald, executive director of the Pontiac Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke
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