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The dispute between the owner of the Hall Building in downtown Houghton and the developers who hope to construct a new building next door may be far from over…
Building owner Ed “Bud” Cole maintains that the new structure will damage his property by limiting the view of its historic facade.
Hall Building tenants include RE/MAX Douglass Real Estate and the Frank A. Douglass Insurance Agency. The site in question is just to the east.
Houghton County Circuit Court Judge Charles Goodman this week ruled that the city planning commission had acted legally in approving a site plan for the new building planned by local developer Julien Properties.
Co-owner Jen Julien told us the ruling was expected…
Houghton city manager Eric Waara said Goodman’s decision confirmed the city’s procedure… [WAARA A].
Cole maintains the planning commission should have considered more than just the basic rules…
He thinks history will prove him right…
What’s planned is a five-story building, with retail on the lower levels, and professional apartments on the upper floors. Julien says the planned building will fit in with the character of downtown, while enhancing a forgotten space…
While Cole has not yet filed an appeal to Goodman’s decision, there are a couple of lawsuits still pending. One is against the city for abandoning an easement between Shelden Avenue and the current parking deck, which is scheduled to be torn down this spring. A hearing on that suit is scheduled for Wednesday.
