PARK TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The late winter sun shone down on the partially rebuilt Ottawa Beach General Store, reminding bundled-up beachgoers that the store — and summer — would soon return.
"We're working to create something new," said Matt Zimmerman, senior project manager for First Companies. "Replace what was existing but keep the same character."
For the past few months, Zimmerman and First Companies have worked to replicate the building's beloved, original design.
"Keep some of those memories alive," Zimmerman said, referencing the generations served by the summertime staple, a short drive from Lake Michigan. "Make this last for the next 90 years."
In late September, the store was demolished due to a deteriorating foundation.
READ MORE: Ottawa Beach General Store says goodbye to historic building
“It was a sad day," said Linda Dykert, the longtime store manager, "but bittersweet because we knew it would be rebuilt.”
Collaborating with First Companies and Dixon Architecture, Dykert ensured the building's layout and iconic elements — including its old wooden counter and red-white-and-blue signs — would be preserved.
“You kind of start from scratch," said Zimmerman, mentioning that — in some cases — his team took a tape measure to the building, making sure its original design could be carried over during construction.
"I do see the General Store," Dykert said.
Standing on its own with windows installed and a front porch poured, the building still needs a deck, siding, signs and a coat of classic red paint, among other items.
"It's been little by little," Dykert said.
The red paint and other details should come in time for a grand reopening during the summer season, Zimmerman says, because what's a cool night in June or a hot day in July without a cone from the General Store?
"It's an honor," Zimmerman said, “to bring something like that back to the community, to be a part of a project that has so many great memories for so many people."
