PETOSKEY — Developers are hoping to soon begin the Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act application process for a property near downtown Petoskey.
Lindsey Dotson, 50% owner of 224 Michigan St., provided an overview of the Belle Tower project to the Petoskey City Council during its meeting on Monday, Dec. 15.
“The building is historically known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It was built in 1891. They were occupants of the structure until the mid-century when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints moved in. For the last 30 or so years, it has been used as a private law office and collections agency,” Dotson said. “The ties to Petoskey’s heritage run deep. Of course, having been a public gathering space a lot of memories were made there and significant life events occurred there. The building’s character and civic prominence make it a potential cornerstone for the continued, I would say, expansion of downtown, since it is right on the edge there.”
The property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and Dotson described it as Queen Anne Victorian design.
“It’s been part of our community for quite a while, but its new life is going to be what I think puts it back on the map. For many years it’s been covered up and not really available for public use, since it was being used as a private office,” she said. “The focus of this project and the redevelopment of it is, of course, historic preservation, since that’s a passion and expertise of mine. So with retaining all of the original materials that are still intact, which is pretty incredible — including original windows from the 1890s — the project is focusing on retaining and restoring those materials and the craftsmanship and will serve as a teaching mechanism for people in skilled trades while we’re doing that.”
Because of large amounts of deferred maintenance over several decades, the property is in poor condition.
“Everything on the outside of the building needs some sort of work, the roof most definitely, and that’s the most noticeable as you are driving by it every day. Also, there are outdated building systems,” Dotson said. “It is not ADA-compliant at all, not even to get inside. And once you are in, the only restrooms are on the lower level in the basement. And the layout, because of some adaptations that happened mid-century when it was transitioned from one congregation to another, chop up the entryway so much so that you can’t even access the second floor.”
Developers also discovered environmental contamination from a dry cleaner’s across the street after purchase.
“So thankfully we are working with EGLE (Michigan Department of Environmental, Great Lakes, and Energy) and we are working on a system that will be permanently installed to make it safe for occupancy,” Dotson said. “It is currently considered safe for eight hours a day but not for residential use. And that is something that we hope to achieve eventually.”
Some basic clean-up efforts and work needed to access the full structure have already taken place.
“We’ve already invested significant time, planning and funds into the project, which demonstrates our commitment and readiness to move into full-scale rehabilitation once financing and plans are settled,” Dotson said. “We are working with an award-winning team of historic architects and structural engineers out of Quinn Evans in Ann Arbor to develop a full scope of work required to get this building back to being accessible and functional for the entire community.”
Future use
Dotson said they plan to transform the main level into a performance and event venue able to accommodate weddings, concerts, classes, fundraisers and other events. The lower level could be a temporary creative studio space to begin with, while developers continue working on plans to build potential apartments.
“The outcome, regardless of some of the potential uses, is that it will be a year-round publicly accessible, economically productive landmark,” Dotson said. “Our plan balances preservation with viable adaptive reuse. And because we are taking advantage of historic tax credits, all the work done will adhere to the secretary of the interior’s standards for rehabilitation.”
The total private investment is estimated at $1,047,129.
“We essentially are in it deep at this point and it’s going to be an adventure for sure,” Dotson said. “But the local ownership, I think, is a unique situation for the sake of rehabilitating such an interesting structure. It was on the market for quite some time before this because not a lot of people were willing to take on the task.”
What is OPRA?
The applicant, Great Lakes Housing Preservation LLC, will request to begin the OPRA application process for a 12-year abatement for the Belle Tower project.
According to the state of Michigan, the Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act provides property tax exemptions for commercial and commercial housing properties that are rehabilitated. Properties must meet eligibility requirements, including a statement of obsolescence by the local assessor. Exemptions are approved for a term of one to 12 years, as determined by the local unit of government, in this case the Petoskey City Council.
If approved, the taxable value is frozen for the duration of the exemption.
OPRA “will be one of the many tools that hopefully come to the table that will help us preserve the historic integrity and encourage the small scale local redevelopment,” Dotson said.
“It aligns with the public benefit that the building will present as far as adding life and more things to do in town and supporting local artists and musicians and lots and lots of good things,” she added.
Next steps
The Dec. 15 presentation was to provide the council with general information about the project. No decision was made about an OPRA application.
City Manager Shane Horn said the process usually takes a few meetings. For the next presentation, the council will receive more detailed financial information and reasoning for the proposed 12-year span.
“I just want to applaud your courage for taking this on,” council member Derek Shiels said. “And recognize the very clear benefits to our residents and public for seeing that space brought back to use. I didn’t realize the history of that, so it’s fascinating.”
More information about the Belle Tower project can be found at gdplacemaking.wixsite.com/belle-tower.
— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey council hears OPRA presentation for Belle Tower project
Reporting by Jillian Fellows, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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