Oakland County
Lake Orion DDA Transforming Former Lumberyard into Community Space
Lake Orion DDA transforms former Houtwerf into neighborhood area
(Orion acquired and Crystal Proxmire, September 15, 2025)
Lake Orion, Mi – What began as a bit of actual property with overgrown vegetation and collapsed outdated buildings, lastly takes form whereas the Lake Orion Downtown Growth Authority is enhancing the previous possession of Lake Orion Lumber.
The DDA, a company that has been established to re -invest a part of the expansion of actual property tax that will in any other case be handed on to different entities, such because the state and the province, when making enhancements and sustaining the liveliness of town heart. Managing organizations within the metropolis heart that funds for the collective advantage of the areas they serve, supply help for native corporations, placemaking capabilities, promotions and occasions to draw buyers and dinners to the realm, improvement help for attracting new corporations and strategic investments as made on the possession of the Houthof. With out this neighborhood -driven buying energy, the property would in all probability have been bought to a non-public developer.
The property was bought in 2022, with the intention that members of the neighborhood would take the time to think about prospects for what may very well be carried out there. For the mission, $ 5 million in bonds was issued, which the DDA pays again via their tax discount course of. After a number of conferences and charettes for public enter, the sawmill area is lastly beginning to form. The identify that has been chosen for the mission is a tribute to the trail that runs alongside the again of the constructing – Houtzager in Paint Creek.
DDA director Matt Gibb gave Oakland County Instances a tour of the constructing earlier this 12 months. He did it too A video tour With Orion Township Treasurer Matt Pfeiffer, produced by Orion acquired. There may be additionally A page on the website of the DDA that shares documents Associated to the mission, together with updates on the highway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpuja_OXAQ8
“That is the gateway to the middle of Lake Orion, and we actually rejected it as an area that the neighborhood can use and revel in,” Gibb informed Oakland County Instances.
Essentially the most outstanding perform is the big barn utilized by the Houtwerf. The barn is transformed into an occasion room. There might be free public occasions and the chance to lease out the area for weddings and different conferences.
As a result of the actual property has housed a sawmill, most of the supplies wanted to restore the shed are already on website. Superbly outdated plates are used to resolve holes in essentially the most outstanding locations, in order that the country look of the room is retained. Native artwork may even fill the partitions.
It took months to scrub up the shed and to entry the required repairs. A important wall in the back of the barn has many gaps, so Gibb and his group result in it seems to be like with massive home windows. Architects are at present engaged on how they will greatest obtain that.
Varied gigantic barn doorways are restored, in order that a part of the barn can have an open air if the climate is correct. It’s also anticipated that it’s a small espresso store and a spot to open conventional beer throughout occasions within the barn.
Along with the barn, a protracted pavilion that has as soon as housed completely different lengths and sorts of wooden. The construction is split into sections, which is able to quickly mark sections for vendor cubicles that arrange in area for particular occasions and probably a farmers market.
A path via the middle of the constructing provides entry to a playground, with gear donated by Clawson faculties. The trail additionally connects with the Paint Creek Path in the back of the constructing. An outdated storage constructing will supply a picturesque and sensible place for cyclists to relaxation and restore their journeys.
Nearer to Broadway, corporations are available in, together with a bakery that’s anticipated to occupy one constructing that might be restored on the important entrance of the constructing. The facade has been restored to attraction from the Nineteen Twenties, with a brand new layer of soppy inexperienced paint and new home windows, the work is coming. A historic characteristic has been preserved for the constructing – an enormous scale that was as soon as used to weigh coal.
And naturally parking is a vital a part of the plan. A part of the property might be used so as to add greater than 100 areas, in addition to a loading space for suppliers and people who use the sanding and market stalls.
A lot of the previous 12 months has been spent on getting required testing and permits for the location, eradicating dilapidated buildings and cleansing up waste. Greater than 113 waste containers of the industrial dimension have been crammed up to now. Six semi -freight trailers have been eliminated. And 2500 liters of paint in containers of all sorts of sizes needed to be nicely eliminated.
However they not solely eliminated every part; They’ve fastidiously checked out what might be saved and reused. This contains fastidiously wanting on the 14 buildings that needed to be eliminated and use strategic supplies. 4 further buildings may very well be saved and reused.
“We saved materials,” mentioned Gibb within the Gedourtour. “As an alternative of bringing in a bulldozer and this complete website in bull bins like most builders would do, we mentioned:” What can we save that’s 100 years outdated and to make use of it once more within the historical past of the location. “
Treasurer Pfeiffer added: “This can be a historic mission. That is actually the place Lake Orion begins and the thought to save lots of every bit that may be saved and reused is tremendous cool. I believe the residents actually recognize that further degree of effort and element.”
Now that the property is deleted and the buildings that may proceed to be established, the DDA goes via the planning means of the location that have to be accepted by the village. They continue to be open to public enter and concepts. “The extra enter we get, the higher the outcomes might be,” mentioned Pfeiffer.
In depth info and get in touch with particulars can be found on the Lake Orion DDA website.
