MANISTEE--“It’s been empty for so long it’s just kind of been a blight on the very first thing you see when you come downtown,”
The blight Manistee business owner Kirk Tompke is talking about resides on the corner of Division and River Street and us 31.
It’s an open plot of land that has been barren with the hopes of bringing a new development to downtown Manistee.
Halted due to rising construction costs, the 78-million-dollar project is now a go.
It will be done in two phases by economic development agency Little River Holdings and is dubbed The Gateway Project. “I’m excited about The Gateway Project, obviously, as a business owner downtown, it’s exciting to see the new life coming into a place that’s empty right now, kind of in a in-between place,” said The piping Plover owner Lauren Carlson. ” So I think it’ll be really cool to have more places for people to stay and things for people to do all year round.”
The Gateway Project will develop 47 apartments, two retail spaces, a hotel with a 150-person capacity conference center and parking for over 200 cars. It will also include a rooftop pool with a bar.
“The views going to be spectacular, you’ll be able to see Lake Michigan and it’s going to give Manistee maybe a bit of a big city feel when you’re up on the roof, when you’re having a drink.”
Manistee resident Elliott Kamaloski said with Manistee being voted as having the number one beach in Michigan, the development is much needed.
“The reality of Manistee is that we are a tourist town, for sure. Whether it’s good or bad doesn’t matter per se' and just having a place to put these people throughout the years is definitely a good thing, definitely a benefit. The community can provide jobs which we need in Manistee, which we need as a town.”
The Gateway Project is set to begin construction this summer.