Traverse City -- A cluster of businesses with a hip, underground feel known as the Warehouse District is off the beaten path, nestled between the bayfront and busy downtown streets.
The almost-hidden location adds to its appeal, but also makes the expanding attractions hard to find for visitors and even some local residents.
That could change by extending Garland Street -- the road through the district -- to Union Street, an idea that's being talked about by city officials.
"If we're going to connect the Warehouse District to downtown, this is the way to do it," said Bryan Crough, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority.
For now, Garland Street is accessible through Hall Street and Grandview Parkway. People also cut through an alley behind the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau on Union Street to get to the Warehouse District.
The burgeoning area includes a coffee shop, brewery, hair salon, art gallery, and kayak and bicycle rental shop, among others. There are also preliminary talks about a 130-room hotel, a 56-unit condominium building and another mixed-use building with condos on the north side of Garland Street.
"Now that it's quickly growing and there are more businesses down here, it's a good idea," business owner Russell Springsteen said. "The Warehouse District has just taken off."
Springsteen opened Salon Saloon in 2006 and Right Brain Brewery late last year. He views the street project as a safety issue, because it's difficult to turn from Garland onto Grandview Parkway.
Shayne Daley, who opened Cuppa Joe Warehouse Lounge in May, is interested in a new street as well as a planned pedestrian bridge across the Boardman River.
"There's not a history or a culture of customers coming down here, so anything that will drive traffic will be a big boost to all of us here," Daley said.
Funding would likely come from tax increment financing and could be tied to the potential hotel and condominium development, Crough said.
A street extension to Union could mean abandoning the section of Garland that links to the parkway. The alley connected to Union Street could be transformed into a city street with sidewalks, officials said.
But it could be difficult to accommodate the drive-through at nearby Fifth Third Bank and the driveway for the visitor center, where parking is already at a premium.
"Whatever happens, we can't put ourselves in a worse position for parking," said Brad Van Dommelen, president of the CVB.
Business owners said they'd like to see a streetscape design to fit the "urban chic" warehouse environment.
"We want to keep it different and funky and edgy," said Mike Curths, who owns InsideOut Gallery. "This is why we like this neighborhood, that it is a little off the path, but we're still downtown and we can market to the people who don't like the cookie-cutter aspect of Main Street USA."
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