'Big names' may occupy Wayside Theater site

'Big names' may occupy Wayside Theater site

YPSILANTI-The renovation and expansion of the empty Wayside Theater into a retail/service center will begin soon, said John Shipman, a partner in the project.

But Shipman's still not ready to say who the tenants at the Washtenaw Avenue site might be.

"We're still negotiating leases, but we are talking to some big names," he said.  "We hope to begin the actual construction immediately, and be open by spring."

Shipman proposes construction of three new buildings on the 2.75-acre site: a 7,000-square-foot auto parts store, a 2,000-square-foot auto detailing shop and 1,500-square-foot oil change shop for which he'll need to receive a conditional use permit.

In addition, Shipman plans to renovate the 13,000-square-foot theater building for retail stores, but the number of shops and types has not been decided, he said.

On Tuesday, the Ypsilanti Township Planning Commission unanimously approved the final plan with the following stipulations:

-Erection of a four-foot wall to screen neighboring residences.

-Construction of landscaped islands in the parking lot.

The Wayside, at 3020 Washtenaw Ave., opened in 1965 and showed movies until late January, just before Shipman bought it, according to a spokesperson for Group 4 Realty, which has marketed the site.