Public restaurant and event facility coming to Pontiac's M1 Concourse

Typically, Pontiac's M1 Concourse is reserved for the well-to-do and their souped-up rides, but on Tuesday officials broke ground on a new restaurant and event space that will open the "87-acre playground for auto enthusiasts" up to the public.

The "state-of-the-art" facility includes a 28,500 square-foot event center, gift shop, and restaurant, which M1 Concourse calls "one of the most unique event and restaurant experiences in the Midwest."

The restaurant will be motorsports-themed (naturally) and "provide one of the best dining and viewing experiences in Southeastern Michigan," including indoor and outdoor patio seating, two full-service bars, and an upper level deck with a view of the speedway.

The restaurant will also include a sealed-off cigar lounge, because, duh.

A restaurant partner has not yet been named, but M1 says it will be announced soon. Newly built public entrances located off Woodward Avenue and South Boulevard will be added to the site.

The event space will be used for "vehicle launches, charitable event galas, fashion and lifestyle showcases, and significant automotive and technology expositions."

The project is expected to be completed next year.

M1 Concourse opened in 2015 on the former grounds of a General Motors manufacturing facility. It's the world's largest private garage community.

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