Tara Hampton, an entrepreneur with a track record of getting things done, has taken on the redevelopment of 32 West Michigan property in downtown Battle Creek. Locals know it as 28 W. Michigan Ave.
Hampton has acquired the property with plans to give it a $1.3 million renovation. The work is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
When completed, the building will be the new location for the Battle Creek Community Foundation, the primary anchor for the building. The Battle Creek Community Foundation will occupy 8,900 square feet, a portion of the first floor and the entire second floor.
“The Battle Creek Community Foundation has outgrown its current location at Riverwalk Centre,” says Brenda Hunt, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “This development provides an opportunity for us to construct an environment that provides optimum interaction among our staff and guests."
There also will be four or five office or retail spaces. These spaces could range in size from 333 to 1,340 square feet.
As the Battle Creek Community Foundation leaves the Riverwalk Centre there will be an opportunity for organizations that are the right size for the suites in that building and which have collaborative energy, says Hunt.
“I’m proud to be part of a catalytic example for downtown development by demonstrating how partnerships can work successfully between public and private entities,” says Hampton.
Battle Creek Unlimited acquired the building in 2009 as part of the Downtown Transformation Initiative and listed the property for sale in November 2011 through the Building Momentum program. This program offered several downtown buildings for the cost of title transfer in exchange for development projects demonstrating the ability to provide substantial economic impact downtown.
Source: Alyssa Jones, Battle Creek Unlimited
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