New Theatre Complex Set to Move Forward

The proposed 14-screen multiplex at Traverse City’s former outlet mall has been well received by area businesses, residents and Garfield Township officials. But its reception by its neighbor, Grand Traverse Mall? A bit cooler.

At the March 12 Garfield Township planning commission meeting and since, attorney Pat Heintz -- representing Grand Traverse Mall -- has raised issues with the proposed theatre development.

Heintz says the Grand Traverse Mall was originally held to “the highest level of responsibility and very much set the benchmark,” adding “We’re just interested in making sure that the appropriate criteria are being considered, including everything in the [zoning] ordinance, like environmental, traffic, stormwater management…”

But the theatre project is a Planned Unit Development (PUD), which typically provides the developer more flexibility than a project subject to traditional zoning ordinances.

“The township can exact as high or as low a standard as they want with a PUD; it’s flexible,” Heintz says. “We don’t have a stake in the outcome; that’s their decision. But getting there needs to be a process.”

The Ticker broke the news about the proposed theatre in January. It would be an eventual anchor in the redevelopment of the entire center located on US-31 South. The theatre would be built on the site at the north end of the center, which tentatively will be renamed Buffalo Ridge.

Township Supervisor Chuck Korn tells The Ticker Heintz’s comments prompted the planning commission to “have its attorney look a little closer at a few points, and that’s been completed,” adding that “the legal review has ruled out any real concerns, so at this point it’s essentially lawyering.”

The commission will meet next Wednesday, when Korn says he believes they are “inclined to approve the project.”

Outlet mall property manager Joseph Sarafa says Heintz aside, he has heard nothing but positive things about the project.

“We expect to be on the agenda next week and we expect a yes vote. I can’t believe it would go otherwise. We’ve heard from all seven commissioners at some point or another, and we’ve implemented every single point they requested, and even requests from the community."

Among the items Sarafa says his group have amended are the elimination of non-native plants in the landscaping; the addition of a path to Cedar Creek residences nearby; additional landscaping to buffer the parking lot lights; creation of a path across adjacent wetlands for a nature trail, items he adds “aren’t required but are good business and neighborly things to do.”

Sarafa says if the project is indeed green lighted next week, the legal debate will have caused a four week delay in the construction timeline.

“Instead of breaking ground on July 1 and being complete June 30 [2015], we’d break ground likely August 1 and handoff the property [to Carmike] late July or early August next year.”

He adds that most of the subcontractors who will work on the project will be local.

“The general contractor and architect were selected by Carmike, but aside from electric and drywall, we’ll be using local subcontractors,” Sarafa says.