DENNIS SERRAS

ANN ARBOR, MI -- Ann Arbor’s Downtown Development Authority’s work during the pandemic is now award-winning, according to the city’s Main Street Area Association. Ann Arbor authority wins award for supporting downtown during pandemicThe MSA named the DDA as the recipient of its Dennis Serras Award, which is normally given in recognition of an individual who is a “champion supporter” of Ann Arbor’s downtown area, according to Sandra Andrade, the executive director for the MSA. The award, first given in 2018, is named after Dennis Serras, who started Main Street Ventures in the 1980s by opening Gratzi, Palio and Real Seafood Company. The association has “true appreciation” for the award, Thomson said. “The Main Street Association giving us this award, in our mind, validated the work that we did helped,” Thomson said.

Since the pandemic started, Ann Arbor DDA has supported businesses in the area with several initiatives.

WASHTENAW COUNTY., MI - The meticulous vision of a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architect and a family instrumental in developing Ann Arbor’s downtown restaurant scene can be found nestled in more than 18 acres northeast of Ann Arbor. The $3.67 million artisan craftsman home at 3900 N. Dixboro Road in Superior Township stands in harmony with the site’s natural beauty. It’s the home of the late Dennis Serras, a prominent Ann Arbor restauranteur who brought establishments like Real Seafood Co., Gratzi, The Chop House and Palio to the city’s downtown, and his wife, Ellie. A shared study connects two bedrooms at 3900 N. Dixboro Road in Superior Township on Monday, July 26, 2021.Alyte Katilius | The Ann Arbor NewsJack-and-Jill bedrooms include a connecting bedroom and office space on the main floor. A first-floor deck overlooks the hill that the home is built into at 3900 N. Dixboro Road in Superior Township on Monday, July 26, 2021.Alyte Katilius | The Ann Arbor NewsA deck overlooking the property includes dual built-in charcoal grills.