A high-end climbing facility, a change at McCamly Plaza Hotel and expanded outdoor dining and drinking options haveJohn Hart, Battle Creek's downtown development director, excited about projects in the works in the city's center.
In a presentation to update Battle Creek city commissioners Tuesday, Hart exuded the optimismhe’s maintained since he was brought on by the city last year. Nearing the one-year mark of his tenure,Hart highlighted several dining, housing and recreation projects -- most notably, a proposedrecreational enterprise at 50 W. Michigan Ave.
Thatproject,he said, would bring a “high-end recreation” opportunity to the downtown area. He said the property, long vacant butmost recently the home ofCereal City Office Supply, has a purchase agreement pending with an unnamed developer.Thebuildingis owned by theCalhoun County Land Bank Authority, whichacquiredthe propertyin 2010 fromBattle Creek Unlimited.
Hart did not share with commissioners a timeline for the completion of the sale.
"It will be so fun, a draw from two or threehours away," he said. "People like to see and to be seen and it’s a high-end climbing facility and a gym and potentially a high-ropes course on the roof. They are studying there and getting it together."
Elsewhere, Hart updated commissioners on catalyst projects at several downtown properties by 180Urban Development and Management LLC. He said those properties -- 15 Carlyle St., 64 W. Michigan Ave., 85-87 W. Michigan Ave. and 119 W. Michigan Ave. -- could create a “dynamic shift” in downtown culture, particularly as 180Urban fills up the long vacant properties.
180Urban acquires former Shrank's building
Land Bank completes sale of three buildings to 180Urban
The owners of 180Urban,David Sciacca and Alexa Smolinski,completed the sale of three of the buildings in March from the land bank. A setof performance requirements for 180Urban ispart of the deal.
Theirother acquisition, the former Shrank's Cafeteria building, was purchased earlier this yearfrom Southern Michigan Bank & Trust.
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Additionally, Hartreiterated his desire to retain Arcadia Brewing Co. He said he's been working with Arcadiato "right-size" its spaceto accommodate itsneeds. There's a desire, he said, to provide opportunities for other restaurants and businesses in the downtown area and he feels the 103 W. Michigan property could house additional tenants in the near future.
Among other topics of discussion Tuesday:
- Hart said the McCamly Plaza Hotel is in the process of taking on a new franchise name. The hotel's general manager, Bob Holsten, told the Enquirer earlier this year the hotel planned to submit an application to become aDoubleTreebyHilton hotel.
- Of the Calhoun Street area, Hart said the area is the "ripest" it's been in years, especially with the impeding addition of Umami Ramen at 78 Calhoun St.
- There's optimism about outdoor seating atMarcia Magiera'sRivers Edge Popcorn and Holiday Treats at33 N. McCamly St. Hart saidMagiera is in the process of securing a liquor license and is developing a menu of food and drink options for the shop's riverside deck.
- He said he's had discussions withHorrocksFarm Market and the Pancake House restaurantabout providing outdoor options for visitors. Those businesses, he said, are "very much a part of the downtown."
- Retention visits in the Old Lakeview neighborhood, on Helmer Road and the area's West end have been completed this year. He noted a recent success making contact with Moore Theaters owner Carol Moore, who plans to open JC Cinemas at the15375 S. Helmer Road property later this year. The theater's former project manager, the late Joe Chabot, complained about communication with the city when the project launched last year.
Although there have been gains in the past year, Ted Dearing,Battle Creek assistant city manager for community and economic development, said the city still has "plenty of challenges." One of those, Dearing said, involves residential housing in the downtown area and creating more "turn-key spaces" for small- tomid-sized businesses.
The 180Urban properties, specifically at theCarlyle Building and 119 W. Michigan, as well as the Heritage Tower could address housingissues in the years ahead.
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The process to create turn-key space, however, could be more challenging and the city needs to continue to explore how to accomplish it, Dearing said.
Dearing also discussed the city's plan to "reallocate and further leverage existing resources." He citedthe Kellogg Co. andW.K. Kellogg Foundation'sBC Vision project and previously establishedadministration goals -- such as providing opportunities for civic engagement and reviewing the area's Parks and Recreation Department -- as areas of focus in these efforts.
Contact Dillon Davis at269-966-0698or dwdavis@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter:@DillonDavis
