The former Wendy’s at 1655 Plymouth Rd. in the parking lot of the Courtyard Shops was built in 1987 and has stood vacant since 2019. But not everyone is happy that it will be replaced next year by a new Taco Bell.
Ann Arbor is working toward extending its new, high-density TC1 zoning to Plymouth Rd. Some planning commissioners lamented the proposal to replace the single-story restaurant and drive-through with an identical concept as a lost opportunity for denser development. But the proposed 2,500-square-foot building complies with the site’s current planned unit development zoning, so members reluctantly but unanimously approved it in October.
Team Lyders, the Brighton-based Taco Bell franchisee leasing the one-acre parcel from an entity connected to the Wendy’s franchisee, was drawn to the location by its high traffic and nearby residential volume, and by the opportunity to operate “one of the last drive-thrus available” on the corridor, according to Clint Lyders, director of development. “This isn’t the only city that has been against us developing a new drive-thru restaurant,” he notes, but “we are bringing a strong business that stands the test of time and one that brings many reliable jobs to the community. We wish they could be welcoming, but it is what it is.”
Lyders expects construction to begin next spring.