By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Muskegon developer Gary Post’s original vision for the Russell Block Building, also known as the Daniels Building, at 360 W. Western Ave. was to renovate the circa 1890 structure into artists’ studios and galleries. Then he visited his son, Matthew, a partner in the development and a Navy man who is stationed in Seattle, Wash.
Post went to the renowned Pike Place Market where some 240 businesses and restaurants sell all manner of goods to nine million visitors annually, and his vision for his building changed.
“I want to create a Muskegon-sized open-air indoor market, The Russell Block Market,” Post says. “I’m looking at it as an incubator type service, for people who don’t need 1,000 square feet for their business.”
The three-story building has 20,000 square feet of usable space plus a basement for storage. Post envisions up to 40 upscale businesses in the market, each with its own space but with very few solid walls.
“I have six businesses that have basically committed,” Post adds. “A coffee shop, a candy store, an ice cream store, a shop for handcrafted bags and accessories, a specialty children’s toys start-up and an established business who wants a space for apparel and gifts.”
Outside, a small courtyard will offer seating, a stage for performances, and walk-up windows to the ice cream and candy shops.
Crews gutted the building last year, preserving the original wood floors and the 16-foot ceiling heights on the first level. The back of the building has a newly-constructed stair tower providing access to all four levels.
“The goal is to start the rest of the construction,” Post adds, “but right now we’re busy doing the marketing.”
Source: Gary Post, Port City Construction & Development Services, LLC
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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