The new owners have completed their acquisition of the Hotel Northland and plan to undertake a variety of improvements and renovations to the historic property.
The Iconic Hotel Northland LLC, a subsidiary of Tertium Development, on July 31 purchased the 102-year-old downtown Green Bay hotel for almost $20.9 million, according to state property transaction records.
Iowa-based Tertium completed the purchase just 10 days after the Green Bay City Council agreed to take over paying off a $2.6 million federal loan to help complete the sale and avoid foreclosure on the hotel. Octagon Credit Partners, the hotel’s sellers, will pay the city $1 million from the proceeds of the hotel sale to offset some of the remaining loan balance.
Tertium Development is based in Dubuque, Iowa, and looks for properties and buildings that traditional investment firms tend to overlook or undervalue. The company’s focus started in Dubuque, but now extends throughout the Midwest.
Blake Malecha, Tertium’s co-founder and chief information officer, told the Press-Gazette the Hotel Northland fits the mold for what he and co-founder Matt Tompkins look for in a property. He said it’s the kind of property they want to be a part of in a community with a lot of activities and new development happening.
“We are looking for what we call iconic properties,” Malecha said. “In our mind, (the Northland) competes with some other hotels in the market, but this is the only asset in Green Bay that has a rich history, has the unique façade and can be that property people tell stories about.”
Downtown Green Bay Inc. Executive Director Jeff Mirkes said he’s already hearing good things about First Hospitality, the company Tertium hired to manage the Northland. First Hospitality has 13 different job openings at the Northland currently listed on its website. Mirkes said a solid management company and ownership is important to keeping the Northland “vital, open and an integral part of our downtown.”
While improvements lie ahead, Malecha said one thing that will not change about the Hotel Northland is its affiliation. He said it will remain a Marriott Autograph Collection property.
It will take time to implement some of the improvements Tertium plans, but Malecha laid out several things the company wants to do to the Hotel Northland with an overall goal to reactivate the property, expand community engagement and tie into downtown’s events and activities.
Here’s what to know.
Hotel Northland’s restaurants will get refreshes, with one resuming dinner service
The Hotel Northland’s two restaurants, The Walnut Room and Poke The Bear, are both in for a refresh of different sorts, Malecha said.
The Walnut Room was focused on fine dining when the hotel reopened in February 2019 following a $55 million renovation of the historic property. But as of late, the restaurant has only served breakfast and hosted private events. Malecha said Tertium plans to resume dinner service in the restaurant.
He also said Poke the Bear, a sports bar and restaurant along North Adams Street, is in for a refresh, as well.
The Hotel Northland’s little-known bowling alley will be open to the public more often
One of the Northland’s more unique features is The Alley, a basement space that includes a bar, two-lane bowling alley, pool table and other spaces. Since the hotel reopened in 2019, The Alley has largely been open only for private parties.
Malecha said the group plans to open up The Alley to the public during busier times of the year or when large events are happening in downtown. He said it won’t have regular, public hours, but the hope is to activate it more often and bring more people into the hotel.
Gravel lot will be turned into a tailgate, outdoor event/gathering space
One of the less utilized elements of the Hotel Northland site is the unpaved gravel lot north of the building that clashes just a bit with the hotel’s century-old Tudor Revival façade.
Malecha said the lot will be paved as quickly as possible, but it won’t be for parking.
Instead, he said the lot will become an flexible activity space of sorts, a “hub of activity rather than … an eyesore gravel lot.” Examples include a tailgate prior to a Green Bay Packers game, live music on big weekends or food trucks.
Hotel Northland will get general improvements inside and out
The Hotel Northland also will undergo a general renovation focused on the building’s “public-facing” spaces and a few touch-ups to the hotel rooms themselves, Malecha said. The hotel opened seven years ago and in general hotels refresh elements like carpet or bedding every three to seven years.
Malechal also said the building’s historic exterior will get a few touch-ups and repairs as well.
Contact business reporter Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X at @JeffBollier.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Iowa-based group completes Hotel Northland sale, pivots to upgrades
Reporting by Jeff Bollier and Jesse Lin, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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By Jeff Bollier and Jesse Lin, Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
