City trying to move business for lake view

Date
By Eric Gaertner
Chronicle Staff Writer

Whitehall city officials are ttempting to connect their “new” downtown with their scenic waterfront, but it will take the relocation of a longtime business to make it a reality.

City officials are in the process of trying to relocate Big John’s Pizza, 104 N. Thompson, to make room for a White Lake overlook where Colby Street ends near Goodrich Park. The downtown tie in with the waterfront came as advice from a national consulting firm in a Cool Cities Blueprints for Michigan’s Downtowns report for the city.

City officials have been mum on the proposed relocation over the last month.

If the relocation occurs, a person could see and have direct access to White Lake and Goodrich Park from Colby Street in the downtown.

The proposed relocation of Big John’s, which was highlighted in HyettPalma’s blueprint for the downtown unveiled June 1, is being considered by the city’s Tax Increment Finance Authority, a seven member board that uses money from the downtown businesses with the purpose of preventing urban deterioration and encouraging economic development.

“Everyone’s talking about the move of Big John’s,” Whitehall Mayor Mac Hatch said, when asked about the community’s interest in the overall downtown redevelopment. “ I hope for a presentation at the next TIFA meeting”.

The next TIFA meeting is scheduled for noon July 27 at city hall. City Manager Scott Huebler, who would not comment about the proposed location of Big John’s, said at least two significant items involving the downtown will be before TIFA on July 27.

Big John’s Pizza owner Jack Miller could not be reached for comment over the past week. Miller was reached by telephone after the special TIFA meeting earlier this month and said he was unaware of TIFA discussing possible relocation of his business. TIFA held a special meeting June 15 when a 30 minute closed session was held to “consider the purchase or lease of real property,” but TIFA board members and city staff would not comment on the specific nature of the closed session.

Chairman Jeff Cockerill said the TIFA board gave Huebler permission to continue negotiations for the unnamed purchase or lease. Cockerill said after the meeting that the only thing he would say about the project was, “its exciting.”

According to the minutes from a May 25 TIFA meeting, a consensus of the TIFA board members present directed Huebler to pursue the relocation of Big John’s.

In March, the Whitehall City Council approved a TIFA plan to sell a slice of authority owned land to Big John’s for business expansion. As part of the agreement, TIFA would get the right to meet any “bona fide” purchase offer if Miller attempts to sell the land where his pizza business sits.

The slice of the property would need to be rezoned for Miller’s expansion project. On June 6, the planning commission postponed any action regarding the property until its meeting slated for tonight.