Cultivate Ypsilanti to Close
Making the rounds on social media: Cultivate Ypsi is "closing indefinitely" come 2/5.
https://www.facebook.com/cultivateypsi/posts/4506272626150110
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZYHtexFqfF/
It's worth noting that Cultivate is managed by the wife of Home Sure Lending's Matt Demorest - a known friend (and sponsor) of the Blog (user: "bigdemo").
Copied and pasted from the posts:
"For the past five winters, we have had a large tent to offset the seasonality of our beer garden. However, despite repeated efforts for City approval, we are still not approved to install it this winter. Our last list of questions to the City of Ypsilanti building inspector on how to successfully move forward, which we raised back in Mid-December, are still unanswered.
We have limited room inside for safe gatherings that are large enough to sustain our business in the winter months. We have tried all we can to keep our incredible staff employed, but we don't have the resources to keep fighting.
Our last day open (for at least a while) is next Saturday, 2/5. Everything will be at least 35% off this week."
I'll end on some personal commentary: COVID has been brutal for a lot of businesses. Ypsilanti (mis)governance being the cause of yet more frustration personally infuriates me.
There is a City Council meeting tomorrow at 7PM, if you wish to make your voice heard.
BUT.
Per the OTHER recent Cultivate posts, please do so politely.
https://www.facebook.com/cultivateypsi/posts/4509007319209974
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZagTjIFN0W/
January 31st, 2022 at 8:36 PM ^
Saw the news yesterday, my wife and I were bummed. Cultivate was actually the last place she and I went out to before the lockdown happened and the first place we went to when things were starting to loosen up again in the summer. Outdoors, at that point. That tent's got to be something like 75% of their seating area, it's no surprise they struggled when they couldn't use it.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:09 PM ^
And, in the wake of COVID, many of us *prefer* outdoor seating whenever possible.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:42 PM ^
Ridiculous. Imagine being a city employee and not doing everything you can to support small businesses and bring in tax dollars.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:05 PM ^
If you think that's bad, wait until you hear how much of *our* tax dollars are being wasted in the cities ongoing war against Deja Vu.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:00 PM ^
I still laugh at the fact that the operating company for the club is called the Ypsilanti Art Theater Corporation.
I mean, I think if you're local, you rather saw this fight coming eventually in some form - COVID and the fire just brought some simmering tension into the light of day, if you will. The fire in particular, because Ypsilanti is - as I understand it - using that as the reason essentially. They can't remodel because they will lose their status as being grandfathered, and the DDA wants nothing like Deja Vu anywhere near downtown. By the ordinance as it is written, they shouldn't be where they are, I think, but that's the "grandfathering" issue (they have been right where they sit for 40 years, I think).
February 1st, 2022 at 8:50 AM ^
Having a strip club in the middle of your downtown, particularly on an important street, is not good for bringing in other good/stable businesses. If I were mayor or on city council, I'd do everything I legally could to get them out of the downtown area. It has nothing to do with being a prude and everything to do with having a family friendly atmosphere that people find attractive.
February 1st, 2022 at 10:21 AM ^
yeah, getting catcalled at a gutted out building with boards in the windows next to the bus depot is MUCH better.
Ypsi has WAY bigger problems than a strip club.
February 1st, 2022 at 11:04 AM ^
Did I ever say that The Vu was Ypsi's biggest problem? No.
I've spent decades in Ypsi. The downtown has the infrastructure and location to be incredibly cool. However, the city has been run poorly for years (see the $30m+ debt to buy the Water Street property which currently has...drumroll...a Dollar General on it).
January 31st, 2022 at 8:45 PM ^
Too bad. Maybe moving it to a nearby town where the city council doesn’t rule with an iron fist
January 31st, 2022 at 9:03 PM ^
Nah, ‘Cultivate A Nearby Town Where The City Council Doesn’t Rule With An Iron Fist’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
February 1st, 2022 at 10:27 AM ^
The name might stir up some publicity. A killer logo is all it needs
January 31st, 2022 at 9:08 PM ^
City Council, and one particular family that owns a LOT of land and business in Depot Town.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:58 PM ^
For those of us who haven't heard of it, what is Cultivate Ypsi?
January 31st, 2022 at 9:02 PM ^
It's a coffee and tap house. Several types of teas and coffees, plus on a good day something like 30 beers on tap. Some food options as well plus it's within spitting distance of several good restaurants so you can bring in your own food.
Gathering space for tons of community events of all different kinds. Small indoor area with a large fenced in outdoor area. The outdoor area had community gardens and other projects in the summer, and in the winter they covered it with a large party tent and used propane heaters to keep it hospitable.
February 1st, 2022 at 11:47 PM ^
also, in an effort to keep it short:
Commmunity, Community, Community, Local Clubs, Local Arts, Local Interest Groups, pro-active EMU faculty usage/presence, Family-oriented activities, basically a monthly calendar of 2-3 casual events/gatherings--i.e. if you weren't aware of it you would just think it was a group of freinds, very casual, very welcoming, etc.
In other words, it indirectly addressed/solved the very thing that has been disappearing from our society (40ish years running) and causing all sorts of malaise, addiction, listlessness, lonliness, etc. etc.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:06 PM ^
Surprising . . . it's always been pretty full when I've gone there. I hope this is only temporary.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:10 PM ^
Wow. A good childhood friend was one of the people who founded/opened that place. Such a great establishment.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:33 AM ^
This is insane. Outdoor dining should be encouraged, so long as the venue is truly open air. We’ve had almost two years to learn about this virus and all the data show that transmission is low outdoors
February 1st, 2022 at 7:46 AM ^
Love that spot. Convivial and well lit.
Hope they can ultimately save it.