Deborah Johnson Wood
Rumor has it that over the years five Muskegon mayors have lived at the historic Hamilton Apartments. After some troubled times and issues with unreliable tenants, the century old building at 81 Hamilton is a shining face in the neighborhood.
David Gregersen, 60, and Blake Hotz, 46, bought it last year for $325,000 and expect to put $200,000 into it by the time the renovations wrap up.
A new exterior and landscaping invite visitors inside where seven of the 23 apartments have received complete overhauls. Hardwood floors, plaster walls and arches give the spacious apartments character. Six of the seven are available for lease, as well as some of the apartments still awaiting renovation.
"It was originally designed as a co-op for residents to buy shares in the ownership of the building, I was told," Gregersen says. "We're only the third owners. It's a rare opportunity to get a great building, a huge value in Muskegon."
Gregersen says the brick structure features 14 inches of concrete between floors and cement block walls between apartments.
One testament to the building's structural integrity is the Air Raid Shelter sign on the façade, a holdover from the 1960s, says Gregersen.
The main floor features a renovated lobby and a marble terrazzo staircase that's open to the third floor. The skylights above the top of the stair are original.
"One of the most unique things is that the building has seven studio apartments," Gregersen says. "Most of them feature three panel doors lined up side-by-side along a wall just off the living room; the middle door pivots and folds down into a Murphy bed.
"Muskegon is a huge value for land values," he says. "The Pere Marquette beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Michigan and there's a deep-water harbor. That water is what will bring the community back."
Source: David Gregersen, Hamilton Apartments
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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