THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT Authority's recent increase in vendors' fees has drawn some heavy criticism. Last year the fee was $165 for the season. This year (23 Saturdays): $360. That's a hike of well over 100% all at once. Seems a little drastic. Well, here's the reasoning behind it. The DDA surveyed other farmers markets around Michigan and Wisconsin to see what they were charging for spaces. A quick caveat: There's no perfect apples-to-apples comparison because of varying sizes of the communities, of the markets themselves, of their income levels, etc. But here's some of what they found (daily costs based on the season-long … Read More
NeuroTrainer Lives!
REMEMBER JEFF NYQUIST? He's the guy who opened NeuroTrainer, the "world's first brain gym" on West Washington Street, about five years ago. Super high tech stuff. Designed to help an athlete, or an older person, or anybody really, improve the brain's performance. Nyquist struggled for a few years here trying to gain traction for his brain gym, but just couldn't do it. Not enough money or investors here. Not enough potential clients. Not enough of a high-tech mentality to make a go of it. So a year and a half ago, he pulled up stakes and headed out West to the high tech heartland--Silicon Valley, San Francisco. He was pursuing his … Read More
Farmers Market Changes, Big Bucks for Facades, a New Patisserie, the Ever-Shrinking Yellowbook, and a Facebook Firestorm
CHANGES UPCOMING AT Marquette's renowned Farmers Market. First--and this won't thrill most of the vendors--the season fee for a space at the summer market is more than doubling, from $165 to $360. That's a pretty steep hike. Some vendors had been hoping and expecting the increase to be gradually implemented over the next 2-3 years. Myra Zyburt, the market manager said it had to be done now. "The DDA has been supporting the market for years and we've had some grants to offset the costs," she explains. "We don't have the grants now. So this (the increased fees) will level things out." Bottom line: The DDA has been subsidizing the … Read More
Mystery at the Old Arby’s Site, Tourism Bounce, and Hope for Lakeshore Boulevard
STILL NO ANSWERS on exactly what's going in at the old, abandoned Arby's site off the highway, near WJMN and Bigby's. It's clearly going to be a restaurant, with a large, new slab of concrete laid out front for a sitting and dining area. The Veridea Group owns the strip mall and the property. "We can't comment on it," is all they'll say. They're leaving the announcement apparently to the lessee. The contractor, who's been doing demolition work inside, isn't talking either. Rumors have been rampant that it'll be a new Sol Azteca. The manager at the Sol Azteca downtown says she doesn't think so because she's been told nothing about … Read More
McDonalds Modernizes, Beer Co-op Prepares, and Neighborhood Lawsuit Ends
THESE HAVE BEEN dark days for McDonalds lovers. The fast food restaurant on West Washington has closed down for construction--although the drive-through remains open. So what's going on? Modernization, according to owner and operator Jim Wilson. When it's complete, Wilson says, "Guests will notice a modern look and feel with new designs and new ways of ordering with self-order kiosks." Not only that, but you won't be waiting at the counter to pick up your orders anymore. They'll be delivered to your table by the McDonalds crew. In other words, it'll be something closer to a regular restaurant experience. Construction should be … Read More