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Historic rehabs could get grant funding

HANCOCK – A building on Quincy Street in Hancock, which has been unoccupied for almost two years, has a new owner, and another historic building a block away is getting a renovation, both of which please Glenn Anderson.

Anderson, who is Hancock city manager, said the building on the corner of Reservation and Quincy streets, now known as the Wisti-Lawton building, was recently sold, and the new owners are renovating the four apartments on the third floor.

The Wisti-Lawton building was constructed in 1888 as the First National Bank. It now houses the law offices of Daniel Wisti and Thrivent Financial on the ground floor. The second floor contains the software company of the new owners, Jim Northey and Sonia Goltz. On the third floor, the plan is to renovate up to four apartments using a $188,000 Michigan State Housing Development Authority Rental Rehab Grant, the application for which the Hancock City Council approved at its Nov. 18 regular meeting.

Anderson said he thinks it should be known in the next two months if the MSHDA grant application is accepted, but he’s confident it will because MSHDA officials have funded several projects in the city.

The other Quincy Street building set for improvements is on the corner of Tezcuco Street, which most recently housed the Michigan Department of Human Services. The building was constructed as the D&N Bank building in 1939. The state moved the DHS to the Copper Country Mall in early 2014, and it has been unused since.

Anderson said the D&N building was purchased from Houghton County, which owned it. The new owner, Jim Hwang, will house his Evergreen Technology, Inc. company in the building. It will include offices and labs.

Anderson said although downtown businesses have missed the DHS employees who would shop downtown, he’s glad the D &N building is being put to use again.

“It was vacant for a couple years,” he said. “It’s on the tax roll again. We’re very pleased the county could find a buyer.”

Anderson said he appreciates that the owners of the Wisti-Lawton building are confident about investing in downtown Hancock.

“We’re very pleased both owners want to restore the building to its historic grandeur,” he said.

The owners of the D 7 N and Wisti-Lawton buildings aren’t too concerned about the reconstruction of and streetscape work for Quincy Street planned by the Michigan Department of Transportation in summer 2016, Anderson said.

“Part of their reason for proceeding is the work we’re putting in (downtown),” he said.

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