Improvements to an old building for a new restaurant coming to downtown Brighton may help the city’s waste collection plans.

The city’s Planning Commission recently approved site plans for an addition to the back of the building at 120 West Main Street that is the former location of Homespun Market. The addition, which will be a closed-patio with a seasonally-operating rooftop over it, is the new home of “Sidecar Slider Bar”. The exterior deck will be built partly on the existing building and partly on the new patio. The renovations to the rear of the building will include improvements to the St. Paul Street corridor.

Brighton Community Development Director Mike Caruso says that area has been under consideration by city staff for “quite some time” because it currently is mostly gravel lots, weeds and properties that are said to be difficult to develop because of utility poles. The planned improvements include a new sidewalk connection for an ADA-compliant ramp and the installation of a dumpster enclosure that can be used by units and businesses on that side of Main Street. Caruso says that would benefit the city if officials move forward with a conceptual waste collection plan that would be run by the municipality. Caruso says the plan would reduce the number of trucks and vehicles coming into downtown.

Project Architect Dave Richardson of Lindhout Associates Architects says the building’s old brick and wood fits Sidecar Slider Bar’s gritty and industrial aesthetic while maintaining the character of a classic building. Raymond Kurmas, owner of the Brighton location, and Consultant Dan Linen tell WHMI a new building would be easier to work with, but renovating an old building has a mass appeal. Developers previously obtained an interior demo permit for the building with plans to essentially gut it and start over.

Sidecar Slider Bar will serve small plates, Michigan-crafted beer, cocktails, wine and, of course, sliders. The Brighton location will be the fifth installation of the franchise, with the others located in Novi, Farmington, and Commerce Township. Kurmas, who recently moved to Brighton Township, says he loves the space and the area, and is excited to bring the restaurant to Livingston County. (DK)

Photo 1: View from St. Paul street with the trash compactor enclosure, paved parking, rain garden and the rooftop patio with plantings and existing pine trees in the background.

Photo 2: Old growth wood framing beneath the floor in the older part of the building.