Holly Hotel Restoration Progress - March 6, 2023
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HOLLY, MICH.---It has been ten months since a fire swept through downtown Holly, destroying the Historic Holly Hotel in the process.
Since that fire, repairing and restoring the building began almost immediately with it continuing even now.
Monday, workers from Swank Builders Inc. restored the roof on the hotel which was destroyed during the fire in June of last year.
One of the managers, Brian McIsaac tells Mid- Michigan Now's Chloe Godbold. Although they are still in the beginning stages of rebuilding, they're finally seeing progress.
McIsaac says, "as the months progressed, we've begin to see the progress of the demolition on the inside and rebuilding. It's brought a new light of hope to everybody here at the Holly Hotel and the community, which is great."
When Mid- Michigan Now's Chloe Godbold was last in the hotel back in December. Godbold says, the hotel looked unrecognizable, with the roof on part of the building gone.
Yet, fast forward to Monday. McIsaac says along with the roof being rebuilt, shingles are now on the hotel.
"We had the entire westward wall rebuilt from the ground up," says McIsaac. "That includes the basement, the first floor, second floor and third floor to the attic."
McIsaac says throughout this process, support from the community has been overwhelming.
"We had a lot people reach out, see if they can help donate anything," says McIsaac. "Antique wise or donating any hands to help. It's been a really nice good feeling that the community's had open arms for us."
From devastation to hope, says Nick Klempp, The Director of Holly's Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
"It was devastating for the community. If you were down here, you saw people crying and upset. We're such a tight knit community," says Klempp. "Business wise, places like the hotel, Andy's place, Moose Lodge, antique store and Creative Fashions. They drive our downtown and our small businesses, so it's affected our small businesses here in town. To be able to see that rebuilding and reopening starting to take place is awesome! People are commenting and talking about how they are excited about each of them opening up."
McIsaac says they are working as quickly as possible to get the hotel back up and running so that it can be open to the public soon.
He says they are expecting it to be back open June 21st, which is the anniversary of the Holly Hotel Fire.
