Downtown Muskegon has undergone a transformation in the past 10 years, and as fast-paced development continues, the need for downtown housing has grown. The Highpoint Flats Apartments project involved a renovation of an existing 100-year-old structure, previously the Hackley Union National Bank Building. The program called for apartments, retail space, and office space.
We closely collaborated with the client to understand their desired aesthetics, unit sizes, and floor plans (of which there are 14), working meticulously to fit the number of desired apartments into the space, accommodate existing conditions, and apply current code to a historic building. Due to the client's desire to leave some of the original building features untouched, our team evaluated existing construction to determine what could be left exposed, and reviewed code and sound transmission requirements to allow for high ceilings.
Our team provided modern apartment units with today's desired amenities in a historic structure with a design that exposed some of the original construction, including brick walls, cement beams, pillars, and floors. Each of the 47 apartment units feature high ceilings and expansive picture windows with views of the lakeshore. The ninth floor has a bar / clubhouse with rooftop deck access. This building was Michigan's first "skyscraper" 100 years ago, and its rooftop remains the highest manmade point in Muskegon, inspiring the name "Highpoint Flats".