Council conditionally approves Mad Concepts planned development on Saginaw Boulevard pending outdoor amenity and parking plan

The Saginaw City Council gave conditional approval to a planned development for 400 Saginaw Boulevard and 405 S. Belmont proposed by Mad Concepts Group, approving the PD while requiring the developer to redraft the site design to incorporate a connected, activated outdoor amenity and to address parking before final design review.

Susie Victor Tavingo, assistant director of economic community engagement, described the item as a major textual amendment because of a new developer and changes to the development plan and uses; staff negotiated a primary/secondary-use split intended to preserve sit-down restaurants. "We added the percentage, which they decided 65/35," she told the council, clarifying that the split refers to square footage of the development.

Cameron Hayes of Mad Concepts Group presented the proposed tenant mix and site approach, saying the Saginaw project would include Split Rail Texas Grill, a meat-market concept and Jake's Burgers with a drive-through, and that the team planned to preserve and adapt the existing building rather than demolish it. "This is gonna be about 8,000 to 10,000 square feet of seatable area and Alito's 4,400," Hayes said when comparing the Saginaw proposal to the Alito concept. He and Courtney Lindley, president of Mad Concepts, said the team plans events and park activation (farmers markets, expanded patio) and will pursue design moves, including raising slabs to reduce drainage problems and taking off a roofed area to create enclosed outdoor experiences.

Council members pressed the developer on the scale and configuration of outdoor space, saying the revised plan separates the patio and the green area with a roadway and reduces the family-friendly "yard" they had expected. A council member said they had gone to a comparable site and expected a more continuous outdoor play and gathering area for families; the developer acknowledged constraints including existing buildings, site drainage and parking needs and offered to work with staff to explore options.

Staff warned that the southern portion of the site has drainage constraints that limit how much open lawn can be built without substantial storm‑sewer work. Parking emerged as a key trade-off: staff noted the proposed program will be parking‑intensive and that the drive-through can reduce required parking but that current city rules limit off‑site parking unless ordinances are amended.

After extended discussion, a council member moved to "approve item 4b pending the redrafting of the structure to accommodate the incorporation of an activated amenity through an outside yard space to be approved by the design review committee with reasonable parking accommodations added if needed." Another council member seconded the motion and the presiding official announced the motion passed. Staff and the developer will return with the redrafted site plan and any parking accommodations required for final approvals.