Developers gear up for opening of The Morton in heart of downtown Grand Rapids

With only one month until The Morton’s official opening date, Rockford Construction’s Vice President of Real Estate Development Mike Mraz says he looks forward to the project’s completion as the last piece of the puzzle for downtown Grand Rapids’ core redevelopment. 

“We’ve been active in downtown real estate redevelopment for over 15 years and to see the vast number of changes that have occurred in the city center in that time period is really remarkable, especially with a recession in the middle of that,” says Mraz, whose firm began initial cleanup work on the building in December 2013.

Originally opened in 1972 as the Morton Hotel after the former National Hotel was destroyed by a fire, the hotel was remodeled in the 1970s to become the 220-unit Morton House Apartments, which closed in 2011.

The developers bought the 170,000-square-foot building at the end of 2011 for $5.8 million, receiving funding in part from the Downtown Development Authority, who awarded Rockford Construction Co. with a $50,000 building reuse grant for the renovation of the facade, a $35,000 grant to help fill the areaway, and another $35,000 grant for a new sidewalk and streetscape work along Ionia Avenue.

Additionally, the DDA agreed to reimburse Rockford partners 75 percent of the tax revenue the building will generate, which over the next decade totals out at $1.5 million. The Brownfield Redevelopment Authority also chipped in, providing a no-interest loan of $400,000 for the remediation work — asbestos removal and other cleanup — from its U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated Revolving Loan Fund.

With a fourth floor outdoor courtyard and an approximately 500-square-foot indoor space for residents to exercise and bathe their pets, The Morton will also feature amenities like a 24-hour fitness center and an exclusive discounted membership to the nearby MVP.

Originally 13 stories, Rockford Construction developers added a 14th floor to house luxury condominiums, with the lower levels featuring 25,000 square feet of commercial space and the second floor a handful of apartment units and other building amenities. The third floor has 15,000 square feet of commercial office space, and the remaining floors are all reserved for residential units. 

“There’s an indoor community room so people can host an event or a birthday party or anything there and that’s coordinated through our staff.” Mraz says. “We have the indoor pet play area and wash area and I think that’s going to be really popular. We’re attracting people with pets already and that was quite a nice amenity they mentioned by name and partially the reason they wanted to live there.”

Expected to draw 175-200 new residents who will live, dine, and shop at The Morton, Mraz says the new mixed-use is the perfect topper to a decade of redevelopment that is dramatically changing the city’s urban core. 

“So, seeing this building’s redevelopment as really the last piece of the puzzle — it’s not only just a building, but it’s more than that. It’s bringing that level of critical mass that is needed to keep a street like Monroe Center active and engaged,” he says.

For more information on The Morton, or to see floor plans for specific apartment styles, visit www.themortongr.com or visit The Morton on Facebook.

Written by Anya Zentmeyer, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of Rockford Construction Co. 

www.rockfordconstruction.com
http://www.themortongr.com/