Banquet facility latest revival component

January 12, 2008
By Dave Alexander
Muskegon Chronicle Business Editor

A condominium developer and two leading restaurateurs are impressed with the recent developments in downtown Muskegon and are planning to pitch in with their own new offering.

Moses Gross, developer of the WaterMark Center, and Frank and Gina Lister will join forces to contribute a 500-seat banquet facility to the evolving downtown.

Tentatively named WaterMark 920, the banquet facility is slated to be developed in the second phase of the WaterMark Center -- a condominium commercial redevelopment in the former Shaw-Walker Co. office furniture manufacturing plant on the downtown shoreline's western edge.

WaterMark 920 could be open for operations by mid-year, said Gross, a Brooklyn, N.Y. developer who has specialized in renovations of older buildings.

"There is a lot of things happening in Muskegon ... it's phenomenal," Gross said, pointing to downtown efforts such as the "city center" redevelopment of the former Muskegon Mall site. "I came to Muskegon when it was at a low point," Gross said of his launch of the WaterMark redevelopment in 2002. "There was only one way for Muskegon to go -- up."

The Listers have developed and operated some of Muskegon's leading independent restaurants over the past decades from their base at the Hearthstone Bistro, 3350 Glade.

The couple also has developed Hearthstone Catering, which will manage WaterMark 920 and be the facility's exclusive caterer.

"This is a win-win situation," Frank Lister said. "They have a problem filling their new commercial space and I can help them solve that. This is something that is needed and necessary to be able to put that many people under one roof."

The 500-seat WaterMark 920 would be one of the largest banquet facilities along the lakeshore. The largest in Muskegon is the 1,000 seats at the city's L.C. Walker Arena Annex.

Other options currently in the Muskegon area include the Fruitport Golf Club with 300 seats, Holiday Inn Muskegon Harbor with 400, Muskegon Country Club with 250, Grand Haven Golf Club with 300, Harbour Towne Yacht Club with 240 and in Ferrysburg Trillium Banquet and Conference Center offering 600, among others.

"The new WaterMark facility will help us with efforts to market events for meetings and seminars," said Sam Wendling, head of the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau. "It will be a great option for larger groups needing more space."

Gross said his company already has had discussions with the downtown Holiday Inn to partner in attracting out-of-town groups that would need overnight accommodations.

WaterMark 920 is being built in an 11,000-square-foot commercial wing of the building on the corner of Division Street and Washington Avenue. The commercial space was initially developed in the loading dock area of the old furniture factory when the first 53 condominiums were completed in 2005.

"The banquet facility will be very 'WaterMarkish' in that will be modern with clean lines," said WaterMark project manager Sarah Rooks about the loft design of the development so far. "The Listers bring a high level of sophistication and style that fits us well."

WaterMark 920 will be designed by Gary Breen of Concept Design Studio in Norton Shores. WaterMark developer ANM Real Estate Group will be seeking construction bids this month, Gross said.

The facility will be designed to provide rooms for smaller meetings or parties. WaterMark 920 will feature the latest in digital technology to provide audio-visual services to customers, Rooks said.

The Listers will provide food services from hors d'oeurves to multi-course meals. ANM has secured a liquor license for the facility but still needs to have the license transferred.

"This will bring new people to the downtown and it is a tremendous deal for the WaterMark project," Gross said. "It should create a lot of traffic."

The WaterMark already has limited parking directly in front of WaterMark 920 along with limited on-street parking. ANM has received city approval to build a parking lot for the WaterMark across Division Street for an additional 125 vehicles.

The WaterMark has sold an initial 20 units of the first phase of 53 condominiums, Gross said. With the development of the WaterMark 920, ANM will step back and re-evaluate where it is heading with the remainder of the nearly 1 million square feet in the former Shaw-Walker building.

"We are committed to move this project forward as we feel very strongly about the development of Muskegon," Gross said. "We are reworking our development plans for the future."