By Michael Busch
WEST BRANCH- In case you haven’t noticed, West Branch township has two new landmarks.
The first is the renovated West Branch Steel building located on M-76 near Cook Rd. The second is the rebranded water tower next to the West Branch Outlet Shops.
The West Branch Steel Commons, as the project is known, started in October 2024 and is on track to finish by October 2025. The building sat vacant for 20 years until the township decided to repurpose the property. Because of its historical significance, iconic appeal, and sound structure, the building was thought to be valuable enough to convert to a community space.
Historical records indicated the building was at least 90 years old, dating back to 1935 when West Branch Steel operated as a business.
The renovation is like other Ogemaw County projects over the past few years that involved repurposing existing buildings, such as the old Kmart site (McLaren Outpatient and Emergency Department), Ogemaw County Title & Escrow Agency, and West Branch train depot (Chamber of Commerce).
Jeremy Hickmott, West Branch township clerk, said the purpose of the project is to “turn the entire site, which is about 3-4 acres, into a large-scale community use space.”
In addition to using the building for meetings and events, there will be two new fire pits, a large-scale outdoor pavilion at the back of the property, and an open-air market.
The initial idea for the project came while Hickmott was mowing the grass at the site. The old brown brick building reminded him of his visit to the Cadillac Commons site in Cadillac that features an open-air market, concert pavilion, city park, and trailhead extension for the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park.
“Once you start looking around, you start envisioning things,” he said.
He went home and used a map and colored pencils to sketch ideas for the property. coming up with different ideas. He talked to a friend who was an engineer and improved his ideas.
Eventually, he proposed the idea to the township board, and they approved it. Engineers from Lapham Associates inspected the site and found that the building was structurally sound.
Hickott said, “It was in better shape than most people thought and certainly much better shape than it looked from the road. From the road it looked rough.”
Hickmott believed retaining the structure was a cost saving measure because the alternative would have required paying for demolition. Contractors hired for the project were able to save the large wooden trusses and original bricks, saving money on masonry. He observed that “It’s better to keep something original there than something new that might not have fit in.
The total cost for the project is expected to be around $2.8 million with grant funding coming from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Revitalization and Placemaking Program. According to the MEDC website, the program’s goals are to “rehabilitate vacant and blighted buildings and historic structures,” such as the West Branch Steel property.
The township’s second new landmark, the water tower, has been repainted in blue and rebranded with the township’s logo. It also received needed maintenance. Hickmott said the last time it was inspected was 10 years ago.
PIC: The renovation of the West Branch Steel building underway.
