He says, “It’s going to make downtown look a lot better it’s long overdue.” As one aspect, Starnes likes the idea of narrowing Main St. However, Starnes tells WHMI the changes will be good. In the past, Starnes has been a frequent critic of City Council and the DDA. They subsequently sold the business, but Starnes retains ownership of the building. Rick Starnes owns the Vitamin Company on West Main as well as the building itself and the building next door that formerly housed Two Brothers Coffee, which he co-owned with his brother, Jim. Most downtown merchants are enthusiastic about the Streetscape Plan, although they worry about the length of time the project will take. Ground zero for the project is Main Street from East Street to Second and Grand River between St. The Authority is paying for the project and has approved bonds to finance it at a cost of $6.8 million. The Plan was developed over many months by the city’s hired planners - Giffels Webster of Detroit. Downtown Development Authority Chairman Tim Corrigan tells WHMI that the Streetscape Plan is a huge project, saying, “It’s absolutely the biggest project (the DDA) have ever taken on.” It’s called the City of Brighton Streetscape Plan - a nearly year-long project to be paid for through bonding. By Tom Tolen / Brighton will get a major makeover next year with a project to substantially improve the look of downtown.

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