For all the residential and hockey arena-related developments happening along Cass Avenue, there's at least one being built for our four-legged friends.
Canine to Five Detroit, the dog daycare business founded by owner Liz Blondy in 2005, has announced a major expansion, building a 10,000 sq. ft. addition adjacent to its current 6,000 sq. ft. facility.
Construction is set to begin in spring 2017 with a target completion date of fall 2017. 3,000 sq. ft. will be made available for rent to a retail business. Following the construction of the new building, the original facilities will see their own upgrades.
The $1.6 million development will result in the creation of 10 jobs and increase daycare capacity of dogs from 100 to 175. Additional features include private play areas, small breed-specific features, and a senior lounge for older dogs.
Canine to Five Detroit is the original location for the business, which expanded with a second location in Ferndale in 2013. Success was so immediate in Ferndale that Blondy was quickly forced to move to a 22,000 sq. ft. facility on Nine Mile Road. Blondy has learned from the Ferndale transition and is applying those lessons to the upcoming expansion in Detroit.
"I'm more prepared for it now. Any time you do something for the second time, it's a little bit easier," Blondy said in an October interview.
She's repeatedly gone over the plans and blueprints with not only Detroit-based architects DMET, but also with the Canine to Five staff. Mistakes are expensive, she said, and Blondy is making sure that the Detroit expansion goes as smoothly as possible, for her and the dogs.
Canine to Five Detroit is located at 3443 Cass Ave.
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