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April 7, 2005Details of project will be outlinedMeeting tentatively set for April 25ByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - The public soon will have its first chance to learn about a possible large-scale development on West Front Street downtown. Developer Michael Uzelac of Howell met Wednesday with city manager Richard Lewis, city planner Russ Soyring and Bryan Crough of the Downtown Development Authority, Lewis said. Uzelac is considering a multi-use development including a parking deck for the city's west end. "What we counseled is if he is serious about his ideas, let's start getting the public bodies together," Crough said. The city tentatively scheduled a joint meeting April 25 to hear a presentation from Uzelac. The city and planning commissions and DDA board would attend. Uzelac also is involved in a large development in Petoskey, where he and Lake Street Petoskey Associates of Farmington Hills are planning a private and public deal to build a hotel, condominiums and parking facility. Many details of Uzelac's Traverse City plan remain unclear, but Crough said the developer is pondering two of three West Front Street properties owned by the Harry Calcutt Trust. Those properties are the 1.09-acre Grand Traverse Auto site on the north side of West Front Street and the lot on the southeast corner of Pine and West Front streets, Crough said. The DDA wants to work with a developer to construct the city's second parking deck on the corner lot. DDA plans show a 566-space parking deck for city use and extra parking required by the development, Crough said. "He is ... really very interested in doing what we are interested in seeing," Crough said. "He likes what we've put forward; and now, as is always the case, the devil can be in the details." Crough and Lewis said they don't know if Uzelac inked a deal with the property owner. Neither attorney William Calcutt, who represents the family trust, nor Uzelac could be reached for comment. "My sense is that he (Uzelac) is still under this - quote, unquote - due diligence phase," Lewis said. The property on the south side of West Front Street is zoned for a maximum height of 85-feet, with an additional 15 feet allowed for rooftop mechanical equipment or elevator shafts. The north side on the Boardman River has a 60-feet height limit that increases to 68 feet with a residential floor.
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