COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The future of two downtown buildings which used to be the location of funeral homes came up for discussion during Wednesday’s Downtown Development Authority meeting.
Economic Development Assistant Audrey Tappenden pointed out the former Putnam Funeral Home building was recently purchased by the City of Coldwater.
The city bought so it could keep the building from deteriorating further and to find a new use for it. One of the improvements to the Putnams building is the installation of a new roof.
Meanwhile, Kerr Building owner Jennifer Wingard indicated she was interested in the former Gillespie Funeral Home building which was almost torn down in 2016 but Lisa Miller from the Branch County Economic Growth Alliance said they have been working for over two years on a project for that building.
Southern Michigan Bank and Trust currently owns the former Gillespie building. There were plans by the bank to put a park on the property but the Coldwater Historic District Commission voted 3-3 in April of 2016 on a motion to demolish the empty building.
The City should give the project to Ms. Windgard. She did a great job with the Kerr Building and thing like this are always better done by private investors. Lisa Lair Bowers Miller was out of line to interfere with her interests. The city and county need to encourage private development and stop taking the opportunities from them.