QUINCY, MI (WTVB) – The Quincy Village Council approved a downtown redevelopment plan during a special meeting Tuesday night.
Joe Borgstrom from Place and Main Advisors of East Lansing put together a 50 page report which said the boundaries of the plan covered the Downtown Development Authority district and Quincy Park.
It said downtown Quincy has several nearby competitors which draw a significant amount of spending from the immediate community. In addition to three other traditional downtowns in Coldwater, Jonesville, and Hillsdale, the presence of two Walmart stores and a Meijer draw a large amount of spending away from the downtown and community as a whole. Recapturing this spending, which is largely cost driven, will be difficult without additional nearby customers. Capturing spending from summertime tourists at Marble Lake will also be critical for the district’s success.
The report went on to say downtown Quincy has a love/hate relationship with U.S. 12 as it brings nearly 8,000 cars a day through downtown, but also brings significant traffic from semi-trucks traveling to Jonesville and Hillsdale from U.S. 127.
The report also took issue with recent renovations to downtown buildings, which it felt caused the value of the buildings to diminish, and that inappropriate design and materials used on renovations covered up underlying structural issues.
The redevelopment of upper floors was listed as one of the keys to successful downtown real estate. The report suggested that the Village should work with existing building owners to explore who might be interested in activating their upper floors and coordinate with local contractors to determine financial feasibility.
While there are few restaurants in downtown Quincy and fairly limited sidewalk space in areas, the report said outdoor dining should be encouraged for both existing and future restaurants.
