Detroit developer Jake Porritt is committed to replacing Pug Ryan’s in downtown Dillon with a grocery store, restaurant, retail and parking structure. He is formally pitching his plans to the town development authority in two weeks on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Before then, the authority surveyed locals by asking one question in a few different ways: What do YOU want?
Survey says… locals are split almost right down the middle. 45% want nothing new on the Pug Ryan’s property. 44% want something new.
The least-popular option is a grocery store. Just 30% want one downtown.
Most people support more parking, 49%. Even more, 61%, say that is prime placement.
One thing everyone agrees on – a restaurant. 77% say yes, please.
Porritt hopes his parking garage wins the town over by hitting them where it counts – live music.
In his latest proposal his team says a structure “will ease the over-burdened streets of Dillon during events at the amphitheater. It will transform an infill parking lot into a central hub in the town core that will also lead to additional walkability to other spheres of development.”
This Pug Ryan’s proposal is the only formal document from Porritt right now. But that last sentence implies his team has not given up on rebuilding beyond it.