By Scott Sullivan
Editor
It’s moving week for Douglas. The city is relocating police, city hall and public works offices into what has long been called the old hospital building at 415 Wiley Road.
Friday, Nov. 14 was Doulas’s last day of business at its longtime 86 W. Center St. city hall and 47 Center St. police station.
Officials expect the municipal complex to be fully open for business Monday, Nov. 24.
The move has been long coming. City officials have for years sought to consolidate municipal services in a more modern and spacious structure than its hall in the 1875-built former Dutcher Lodge and downtown police station.
City engineers in 2023 estimated the old hall needed $1.4 million in renovations to meet modern standards. The more recently-built one-story brick police station grew overcrowded and lacked garage space for its fleet of vehicles.
The city Aug. 1, 2023 bought the 7.8-acre commercial parcel, which rings the 18,000-square-foot single-story brick former hospital/Douglas Professional Building for $1.5 million with plans to pay off its purchase and refurbishing via sale of now-surplus properties.
In April 2024 Douglas hired low bidder Carbon 6 Construction to design and build the revamped facility for an estimated $4 million. Last Dec. 2 council finalized issuing $3.23 million in capital improvement bonds for the 415 Wiley project without need of raising taxes.
“This project,” said mayor Cathy North, “will bring several benefits to the community, including a larger space for public meetings and events. Additionally, it will transform a long-vacant building into a functional and valuable city asset.”
As for recouping costs, Douglas last December accepted a $225,000 bid to sell 9.59 acres, once eyed for a new public works site, at 291 66th St.
Council agreed April 24 this year to sell its 1870s-built former church, most recently used by the Saugatuck-Douglas District Library, at 130 Center St. to Ox-Bow Art School for $430,000. The office, exhibit and events space is now called the Ox-Bow House.
Douglas in July this year sold the police station building to Ufuk Turan for $452,000. The city June 2 further signed a nonbinding letter of intent with the fire district to allow the latter to occupy the southern 5,200-square-foot portion of the Wiley building as a second fire station.
The STFD, which will maintain its current station at 3342 Blue Star Hwy., plans to add a 3-bay, 6-vehicle garage attached by a breezeway to the building space last occupied by Holland Hospital and Dr. Jason Myers offices. Work on that transformation too is now underway.
In July council tabled selling its old city hall for $650,000 to Worth Strategies, LLC, after the prospective buyer voiced late concerns and sought to take a deeper dive into looking at the building.
Douglas has since placed covenant restrictions meant to ensure the property, which is on Michigan’s Register of Historic Places, maintains its essential appearance. The old hall remains listed for $599,000 with city realtor Bernie Merkle of Coldwell Banker Woodland-Schmidt.
Council Aug. 18 approved a nonbinding 6-month memorandum of understanding with Mosaic Development to create attainable housing on 17 acres at 6825 Wiley Road once home of the Miro Golf Course. No further decisions have been made on that parcel yet.
So ring in the new! City mailing addresses will not change during this transition; city hall/DPW at PO Box 757 and the police department at PO Box 815, both Douglas, MI 49406.
For assistance, call city hall at (269) 857-1438, police at (269) 857-4339 for non-emergency dispatch, public works at (269) 857-2763 or for emergencies.
The clerk’s office and polling location for all future elections will be at 415 W Wiley Road, Suite 103. The election drop box will also be outside by the front sidewalk at suite 103. New voter ID cards will be mailed out reflecting the polling location address change.
