Meridian Township approved a $10 million expansion for Douglas J Hair Salon that has been in the area 40 years. The board approved the renovations in a 5-to-1 vote, allowing them to expand their business by 25,000 square feet just down the road from their current location.
"We sit on a 100 year flood plane where are operation sits today and we looked at space outside of the Okemos and Village of Okemos area, but that just didn't seem right to us," said President of Douglas J Scott Weaver. "There is going to be two separate buildings we are going to be looking at, the Douglas J Salon and Spa itself and the second building for new business, which will be available for lease and also create one and two bedroom apartments."
With the expansion, the Travelers Club International Restaurant and Tuba Museum will be one of several buildings torn down.
"The Tuba Museum is history. This township and Douglas J and this board will go down in history as the town that tore down the Tuba Museum the only one in world," said Will Tyler White with Meridian Economic Development Corp.
White collected over 1,000 signatures to preserve the museum and convince Douglas J to build elsewhere. He calls the approval short sighted.
Weaver says Douglas J is not only receiving a new salon, the City of Okemos will receive a makeover as well, a new look that he says, is sure to attract even more business to the area.
The current Douglas J Salon in Okemos will still be used by the company for office space. The project is expected to be completed by the spring of 2014.
