Once-ravaged Ypsilanti landmark sees new life as a dispensary

Michigan dispensary chain Quality Roots is opening a new location at a Ypsilanti landmark, hoping to promote historic preservation and racial equity. With a $2 million renovation project underway, the company has transformed a place on Ypsilanti's Dangerous Buildings list into a fully operational cannabis dispensary, set to open in late July.

The building, a 101-year-old former Farm Bureau property/Frog Island Brewery, had fallen into disrepair, with six feet of standing water in the basement and numerous broken windows. Quality Roots saw an opportunity to breathe new life into the historic structure at 2 West Forest Avenue, even while maintaining its architectural charm.

“This building represents the past, present, and future of Ypsilanti. We’ve preserved much of the historic aspects of the building –- like the signature tower and silos and the exposed brick walls. It’s as rustic as it gets. We’ve refurbished the building, but we haven’t depleted it,” Quality Roots CEO Aric Klar said in a news release.“We’re also planning to commission a local artist to paint a mural on the tower behind the building, right under the words ‘Ypsilanti Farm Bureau Grain Feed,’ which will pay tribute to the history of the city.”


Ypsilanti's recreational marijuana regulations require retailers to secure permits through the state's social equity program, which is designed to encourage participation in the marijuana industry by people living in one of the 184 Michigan communities disproportionately impacted by marijuana arrests and incarcerations.

Klar joined forces with Ypsilanti social equity advocate Jeff Guyton and real estate firm Farbman Group to proactively create opportunities for local Black entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry.

The new location, which will be Quality Roots' seventh dispensary in the state, is located adjacent to Eastern Michigan University, Downtown Ypsilanti, and Depot Town.

Jonathan Klar, COO of Quality Roots and an EMU graduate, expressed his excitement about the location.

"We’re at that perfect tripoint, which is the perfect representation of our company," he stated in the release. “We’ve cultivated one of the largest cannabis menus in the state, and the new store will be no exception. We’re excited to bring the prices we offer to the whole community of Ypsilanti and its surrounding areas, to continue to hire local talent, to prove ourselves, and become the new go-to shop in the city."

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