I started going to Buchanan, Mich. some 15 years ago, when my old pal Tom Jolly of Thomas Jolly Antiques opened a shop there, joining fellow antiques dealer Alan Robandt. It was a quiet little town an hour and 45 minutes-drive from Chicago with a charming working water mill dating back to 1853, a farmer’s market, and a few dive bars serving fried food and pizza and domestic beers.

Lots has changed since then. Most recently, a new boutique hotel and restaurants have opened, joining Dean Antiques, SL Consignment, Glendora Bookshop, and several marijuana dispensaries (Buchanan was one of the first towns in this area to allow them after Michigan legalized recreational pot).

I recently went to check out Thistledown & Row, a lovely restaurant just off the town’s main drag, from the folks who own River Saint Joe brewery a few miles outside of town. It opened in January. We enjoyed a throwback appetizer of deviled eggs (why doesn’t every restaurant offer these! Super tasty and a hassle to make at home) and a fried fish special. (Note that the restaurant serves only wine and cider, no beer or spirits.)

Buchanan seems to be on the cusp of something big. Second-homers looking for land and feeling pushed out of Three Oaks, 10 miles inland, are flocking to the area, as well as several new businesses.

But if you visited downtown Buchanan today, it looks like a bomb dropped, with the main street dug up and with dirt everywhere. What’s happening: complete new infrastructure, including sewer, water, stormwater management system, and streetscape, including curbless streets/sidewalks that will allow for closure of the road for festivals and such. The downtown’s historic streetlamps are being refurbished. That’s all from city manager Tony McGhee, who filled me in.

Construction is supposed to be finished by late fall, much to the relief of business owners, who are experiencing drop-offs in business as construction continues and makes it tough for people to get to their front doors. The results, however, should be terrific for both existing and new businesses coming in.

The new hotel is locally owned The Grant, a ten-room establishment with self check-in. It’s located in the historic McCollum Livery Building, which dates back to the late 1800s, and sits on the banks of McCoy Creek. It’s one of the only non-chain hotels for miles around and should be popular with vacationers and the Notre Dame football crowd.

The hotel’s restaurant, McCullom’s, has a pretty outdoor patio near the creek and an outdoor fireplace. Inside has an industrial feel, with a bar and table seating. Everyone I’ve spoken with who has tried the food has enjoyed it. Nothing groundbreaking, but it’s a solid menu of steak, chicken, salmon, burgers, salads and the like. Open every day for lunch and dinner.

The city manager tells me a Vietnamese restaurant will be opening soon downtown, along with a tasting room from the winemakers at nearby The Stranger Wine Company. Buchanan followers might know that Stranger operates out of James Lester’s Wyncroft Winery, which moved to Pullman, Mich.

Meanwhile, free concerts are still happening all summer on The Commons, Buchanan’s ampitheatre. My favorite place to eat in Buchanan remains The Sweet Shop/Cafe Italiano, which serves up excellent sandwiches, pasta, salads and gelato made from imported ingredients. (No liquor license.)

I’ll be posting more details as I get them. Meanwhile, support these local businesses during construction. They’ll be glad you did. And look for a shiny new streetscape later in fall.