[JonathanGRR]

McKay Tower in Grand Rapids undergoes renovation
December 19, 2012 | Modified: December 19, 2012 at 11:33 am

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Chaundra Derks has had the keys to McKay Tower for several months, but she's still discovering hidden nooks and crannies.

The building, which has more than a dozen bank vaults stashed here and there, is in the midst of an upgrade project being undertaken by its new owners, Steadfast Property Holdings Inc., of which Derks is director of operations.

"I love the history behind this building," she said. "I love walking through here and finding things like safes and boarded-up elevator shafts in the closet."

Steadfast, owned by Jonathan Borisch, founder of Borisch Manufacturing of Kentwood (now Amphenol Borisch Technologies), has been busy resealing windows, fixing the façade and making other internal upgrades to the grand dame of Grand Rapids skyscrapers since purchasing the building for $10.5 million in May.

The largest of those upgrades is a renovation project to the old second story bank lobby, which is being converted to a ballroom event space for wedding receptions, business meetings, holiday parties and banquets of up to 250 people.

The soaring space has been vacant since 2010, when tenant Structure Interactive, an information technology firm that specialized in Internet marketing, folded after the 2008 economic downturn.

The 18-story McKay Tower has been a city landmark since the first two stories were built as the Grand Rapids National Bank in 1915. The tower was finished in 1925 and an additional two mechanical floors, plus a lighted beacon, topped the building in the early 1940s.

...

http://washingtonexaminer.com/mckay-...stom_click=rss

This is a nice update. There are lots of renovation details in the article. Does anyone know what the building will be used for, offices or residential?

Renders were also released for the Great Hall expansion at Ford International. I like the idea of expansion, but I wonder if all food/retail will be behind security checkpoints. What about those waiting for family members to get on or off a plane?


http://photos.mlive.com/grandrapidsp..._for_fo_2.html