By Ehren Wynder
mlive.com
FENNVILLE, Mich. — The revitalization of a boutique hotel in Fennville received nearly $1 million in support from Michigan’s Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) program.
Steven’s Hotel in Fennville was one of two historic hotels in West Michigan that received a combined $2.5 million in RAP grants, according to a release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office.
The two projects are expected to generate a total capital investment of over $9.9 million while activating vacant properties and creating residential density in the communities.
“Across Michigan, we are building affordable housing, revitalizing communities, and investing in people, places and projects,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Today’s announcement will build on that progress, create good-paying jobs, and revitalize vacant properties in Manistee and Fennville.”
Developer Dori DePree is working to transform the former Steven’s Hotel at 312 E. Main Street in downtown Fennville into a $4.8 million, 12,366-square-foot boutique hotel and restaurant.
The new hotel is being built to accommodate the growing agritourism sector in Fennville — which includes Virtue Cider, Palazzolo’s Artisan and Crane Orchards — and meet the needs of visitors looking to stay in the community while supporting downtown merchants.
“We are thrilled to be working with the MEDC to restore Fennville’s iconic historic hotel and bar/restaurant,” DePree said in a statement. “The regeneration project will provide new jobs and tourism, boosting the local economy and helping to support Fennville as a premier West Michigan destination.”
The two-story hotel will include nine standard rooms and two longer-stay suites, one being a one-bedroom suite and the second a two-bedroom suite. The first floor will include a bar and restaurant, and the lower level will host a speakeasy-style bar, according to a memo from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
The building has sat vacant since 2020 after the previous owners closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The restoration of the historic hotel and bar and restaurant includes bringing back many of the original features dating back to 1910, DePree said.
Construction is expected to begin later this summer, and DePree aims to have the hotel open by next summer.
The RAP grant adds to other recent MEDC-supported placemaking efforts in Fennville. A crowdfunding campaign through the Public Spaces Community Places program will help transform a vacant lot in downtown Fennville into City Square Park .
The new park will include an amphitheater, splash pad and outdoor fireplace, thanks in part to a $50,000 matching grant from the MEDC.
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