In the spotlight
Brookwood Estates Senior Living opens
Brookwood Estates Senior Living, 11070 Brookwood, recently held its grand opening. Mayor Tim Woolley attended along with new Economic Development Director Paula Fisher, Planning Director Lora Fell and other City staff. Also on hand was the Southern Wayne County Chamber of Commerce.
Brookwood is located in the old Timber’s Edge property, between the Telegraph Road Home Depot and the Taylor Post Office along Goddard Road. Brookwood offers 1,100-square-foot residential living spaces for the 55-and-over crowd. The units include two bedrooms, two baths and private garages in four-unit clusters in a secure, gated community. They promote maintenance-free living and include a community center gathering spot, walking trails, sports court and transportation services. Floor plans are spacious with modern kitchen appliances and in-unit laundries, all in a pet-friendly environment. Brookwood also offers service partners including Everactive (onsite therapy and wellness); Aaron Cox Legal and Estate Planning; Chavis Tax & Accounting; and meal and cleaning services, transportation, beautician/barber and pet care.
For more information, call Brookwood at (888) 593-0180 or email info@brookwoodliving.com. Click on Brookwood’s website at brookwoodliving.com.
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard now open on Telegraph Road
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, 9895 Telegraph Road, held its grand opening and is now operational. Rita’s shares a building with Buffalo Wild Wings Express. Mayor Tim Woolley. Clerk Cindy Bower and others represented the City of Taylor. Also on hand were members of the Southern Wayne County Chamber of Commerce.
This is the first Rita’s location Downriver. Offerings include Italian Ice, Frozen Custard, Gelati (layers of Italian Ice and custard), Concrete (creamy, rich, thick custard loaded with tasty toppings), Blendini (custard and Italian Ice blended with toppings) and much more. Take home treats available like Custard Cookie Sandwiches and Custard Pints. They can cater a party as large as 500.
This is part of a national chain originally started by Bob Tumolo, a former Philadelphia firefighter, and his wife, whose name was… Rita! During the grand opening, there was plenty of music and games along with special offers for the first 50 guests in line. Open noon-10 p.m. daily. Call (313) 633-1763 for more information, or click on ritasice.com.
Delite Café & Deli opens third location near Pardee and Goddard roads
Delite Café & Deli, 22326 Goddard Road, held its grand opening and is serving customers. Delite is located in the spot formerly occupied by Biggby Coffee in the Kirklynn Commons. Mayor Tim Woolley, Clerk Cindy Bower and Southeastern Wayne Regional Chamber of Commerce President Ron Hinrichs were on hand for the celebration along with many others.
The café and deli offers a variety of fresh wraps, soups, smoothies, coffees and lattes. They use Boar’s Head meats and cheeses – quality, fresh ingredients. Just some of the top items include the Turkey Reuben, Traditional or Pastrami Reuben, Supreme Sub, Golden Classic Chicken Wrap, Blazing Buffalo Sub or Wrap, Chipotle Chicken Wrap and more. They also offer Veggie Specials including the 3 Pepper Wrap, Hummus Veggie Wrap and Falafel Veggie Wrap. Salads. Large breakfast menu. Reasonable prices. Friendly staff.
This is the third Delite Café & Deli in the metro area, with other locations in Hamtramck and on the Wayne State University Campus in Detroit. The Taylor Delite is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. For more information, call (313) 769-5665 or email delitecafetaylor@yahoo.com.
Expert Heating & Cooling celebrates 50 years in Taylor
The City of Taylor and the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber of Commerce celebrated the 50th anniversary of Expert Heating & Cooling, 24400 Northline Road. Included were Expert Heating & Cooling President Mark Angellotti, his daughter, Alyssa (who is vice president of the company for business development) and a number of their employees.
Mayor Tim Woolley and City Clerk Cindy Bower thanked the business for their dedication to Taylor and the Downriver region. SWRCC President Ron Hinrichs presented Mark Angellotti with a commemorative plaque honoring the occasion.
Expert Heating & Cooling offers HVAC services, including commercial and residential heating and cooling, as well as related services like furnace, boiler, AC, ductless, heat pump and air filtration. They also specialize in exhaust systems for businesses. For more information, click on expertheatcool.com.
Expert Heating & Cooling is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
KPot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot opens on Eureka Road
KPot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot has opened its newest restaurant at 21200 Penn Street. The location that was formerly owned by Wahlburgers.
KPot is a dynamic concept that merges the traditions of Korean barbecue and Chinese hot pot with a social dining experience. KPot has over 95 locations now open across the U.S. Hot Pot has a rich history that also spans centuries and is deeply rooted in Asian culinary traditions. A communal dining experience where friends and family gather around a simmering pot of broth, cooking and sharing a variety of meats, seafood, vegetables and noodles.
At KPot the customer receives a choice from a variety of broth flavors, so each guest can customize their meal to their specific taste. The sauce and appetizer bar is an essential part of the experience, offering a variety of flavors and fresh accompaniments. The sauce bar allows guests to customize their meals with a wide selection of dipping sauces, from savory soy-based mixtures to spicy chili blends, giving each bite a personalized kick.
Located in Rockville, KPot is a privately owned chain that has expanded its delicious offerings to additional locations across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California and now Michigan. The Taylor location is open from noon until 10:30 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and on Fridays and Saturdays from noon until 11:30 p.m. Contact KPot at (734) 225-6505.
Modern Psych and Wellness opens on Goddard Road
Modern Psych and Wellness, 21415 Goddard Road, held its grand opening and is open. Modern Psych and Wellness provides individualized mental health care tailored to the patient’s needs. Specializing in ADHD, anxiety, depression and substance use disorders, the company’s team of psychiatrists and therapists create personalized treatment plans designed to empower patients.
Modern Psych and Wellness’s holistic approach to mental health is focused on helping regain balance and thrive through its friendly team of Dr. Jamal Saleh, Pascael Succurro, Matt Gaedke, Manal Jawad, Kim Tanner, Julius Cantuba. Persia Coleman, Ayaa Ouza, Dana Grossmann, Uzma Anwar, Bonnie Pelland and Yolanda Skelton.
Mayor Tim Woolley welcomed the large crowd to its Taylor location. City Councilman Charley Johnson also attended, as did officials of the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber. For more information on Modern Psych and Wellness, call (734) 375-6900 or click on modernpsychandwellness.com.
Chick fil A holds grand opening
The long-awaited Chick-fil-A Taylor held its grand opening and is now operational at 22250 Eureka Road (the old site of Little Daddy’s Restaurant), on the outskirts of the Southland Center property. It’s open for dine-in and carry-out from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the drive-thru open until 9 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays.
“I was very impressed,” Woolley said. “The restaurant is very nice. They ship in all their veggies and fruits daily. Having a Chick fil A in your city is a big deal. Chick fil A is a market (driver). When other businesses are looking to come into your community, they want to know whether you have one or not. It’s a good thing to have.”
For those concerned about drive-thru traffic patterns and possible back-ups, there is no direct entrance to the restaurant off Eureka Road. Instead, access comes from the adjacent Southland Center parking area and entrance way.
Owner-Operator Anthony Sautter and his family celebrated the opening by honoring several local campaigns and organizations. Chick-fil-A, Inc. donated $25,000 to Feeding America, supporting local hunger relief in the area. The funds will be distributed to Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan and Forgotten Harvest, two partners of Feeding America dedicated to addressing food insecurity.
The restaurant will also participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program to donate surplus food to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and nonprofits in need. The grand opening also honored members of the Downriver Fish & Loaves Community Food Pantry, along with Taylor and Trillium high schools.
Main Event breaks ground in Trader’s Point
Main Event, recently built in the Trader’s Point complex near Eureka Road and I-75, held a grand opening for the new facility today. It is now open to the public. Main Event joins the anchor of Trader’s Point, Menards, and BJ’s Wholesale Club, in that 80-plus acre parcel.
Mayor Tim Woolley, State Rep. Jamie Thompson, members of the Southern Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, various City employees and others attended the grand opening. Main Event made a $2,500 donation to the Penrickton Center for Blind Children during the gathering.
The entertainment center features:
- State-of-the-art bowling with VIP Lanes
- Laser tag & gel blaster battles
- Billiards & shuffleboard
- Nearly 200 arcade games plus virtual reality
- A full-service bar and restaurant
- Private meeting and event spaces
The first Main Event center opened in Lewisville, Texas, in 1998. The creators wanted to incorporate more family entertainment in a single site than just the old bowling alleys that dotted the region. They developed a model that offered things like laser tag, gravity ropes, arcades, billiards and more. Main Event was purchased by Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Inc. in 2022. The purchase transformed Dave & Buster’s into a two-brand entity. The two operate separately under one corporation but benefit from shared resources and expertise.
The move was driven by a desire to broaden Dave & Buster’s appeal to a wider audience and leverage Main Event’s focus on family-friendly entertainment and bowling. Fun and food combos. Reward and gift cards.
Looking forward to new Sheetz locations
Taylor can look forward to not one, but two new Sheetz convenience store locations. Sheetz, a 24/7 gas and deli combination based out of Pennsylvania, has been an extremely popular brand that is now just coming to Michigan. It’s first location was built on Vining and Ecorse roads in Romulus.
“Mayor (Robert) McCraight got the first one,” Mayor Woolley laughed, “but we’re getting two of them. I got a chance to attend their opening in Romulus, and that’s a clean facility. Family owned. They preach cleanliness. We want those types of facilities in our community and Sheetz brings that. People don’t know that 80-percent of their business is food – not gas.”
Sheetz, Inc. was founded by G. Robert "Bob" Sheetz in 1952 when he purchased one of his father's five highly successful dairy stores located in Altoona. In 1961, Bob hired his brother Steve to work part-time.
In 1963, the second store was opened under the name "Sheetz Kwik Shopper." A third store followed in 1968. In 1969, Steve became general manager. The brothers planned to expand at the rate of one store per year with a target of seven stores by 1972. That year, the company expanded from seven to 14 stores. One year later, Sheetz began selling gasoline, and opened the first self-serve gas pumps in central Pennsylvania. The first Sheetz store outside Pennsylvania opened in Maryland in 1976. In 1981, Bob retired and Steve became president. By 1983, Bob and Steve had opened 100 stores. At that time, the "Kwik Shopper" in "Sheetz Kwik Shopper" was removed.
The new Sheetz locations will be on Telegraph and Champaign roads and on Eureka east of I-75, in front of the new Marriott hotel complex.
Metro 94 Commerce Park earns $1M grant
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is awarding a $1 million grant to the redevelopment of an unregulated landfill in Taylor. The nearly 74-acre site at 6775 Inkster Road contains a dump historically known as the Beverly Road Dump. It was used from the 1960s to the 1970s and has been vacant since then.
Site assessments found PCBs, methane, metals, organic compounds and PFAS compounds at the site. The $1 million EGLE Brownfield Redevelopment Grant will pay for further site assessments; field monitoring; limited excavation, transportation, and disposal of contaminated soil and waste; and a vapor mitigation system for the new building.
The city of Taylor, EGLE, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation also have approved approximately $14 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to pay for other work including a barrier to prevent contact with any remaining contamination, utility upgrades, and site preparation. TIF allows the increase in property tax revenue on the finished project to be used to reimburse the developer for eligible brownfield costs.
Redevelopment plans call for the construction of an approximately 532,000-square-foot industrial building. The project is expected to draw $75 million in capital investment and create an estimated 185 full-time equivalent jobs. Construction is scheduled to be finished in winter of 2027.
Other sites approved for EGLE brownfield funding include Central Lake Auto Clinic in Antrim County; Flint Group Building in St, Joseph County; Otsego County Court Complex in Gaylord; Romulus Distribution Center in Romulus; and Sempco Inc. Redevelopment in West Branch;
More than half of EGLE’s annual budget supports local projects, protects public health and the environment, and helps create economic growth and jobs for Michigan workers. Redevelopment increases the value of brownfield sites and other nearby properties. In 2024 EGLE awarded $25.1 million in brownfield incentives to 87 projects around Michigan.
CMAC Transportation receives key designation
City Council recently granted an industrial development district along Northline Road for rapidly expanding CMAC Transportation, headquartered in Brownstown Township. The designation is worth a 50-percent tax abatement for eight years on the company’s projected $40M investment.
The new Taylor Distribution Center will feature a state-of-the-art warehouse facility of over 300,000 square feet in the 44.29-acre industrial district. The City of Taylor is part of the Detroit Region Aerotropolis, which is managing the project with the Christie Family. The Christies started CMAC in 2001 with just eight trucks and 15 drivers in a small building in Taylor. The firm eventually grew to 125 trucks, 450 trailers and 180 drivers in Brownstown and other facilities.
“The Christies are a great family and their staff has great morale,” Woolley said. “When I visited their headquarters in Brownstown, I came away really impressed. This industrial district will be a real plus for Taylor.”
Twins Auto Sales expands into Taylor
Twins Auto Sales opened its newest location at 12830 Telegraph Road, just north of Northline. The company takes over the old CarRite location. Mayor Tim Woolley and several members of the City staff attended what was a very large celebration, featuring food and beverage trucks, music and much more.
Twins Auto Sales also has locations in Detroit and Redford. It opens every day of the week except Sundays at 9 a.m. It is open until 8 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays; until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and until 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Connect with Twins Auto Sales by calling (734) 888-2500 or click online at twinautosales.com.