Feasibility study for hotel, conference center in the works

ST. CLAIR SHORES — At the State of Lake St. Clair address on July 31, the idea of a potential hotel and conference center along the coast of Macomb County was again floated.

Officials say these plans are still in their beginning phases.

The idea first surfaced at the State of the Lake event in 2023.

Gerard Santoro, Macomb County Parks and Natural Resources program director, said in 2023 they completed a Lake St. Clair coastal study. In the study, they looked at items relating to the county’s “blue economy.”

“Any part of the economy that would create businesses and quality of life associated with the water,” Santoro said. “Lake St. Clair in Macomb County scored really high at every level except for lodging.”

The plans for a possible hotel and conference center along the shores of Lake St. Clair in Macomb County are still in their early stages. Santoro said they just signed a contract with JLL, a broker and advisor company, for a feasibility study a week before the interview.

“We’re glad to announce that we got this far because it took several months to assemble the means to pay for the study,” Santoro said. “So that’s what I’ve been working on through our Planning and Economic Development department.”

Santoro said the option for lodging came out of the study as a “potential high-value opportunity.”

“Not just for Macomb County, but for the entire region to have a small to medium size hotel and conferencing center,” Santoro said. “Because those are utilized actually quite more oftenly than even a larger hotel or conference center.”

He went on to say more diverse groups can use a smaller center than other bigger centers in the region.

Working with the Macomb Chamber of Commerce, the feasibility study and a location analysis were done with the cooperation of Visit Detroit. Santoro said the lodging would have a lake view or would be located right on the lake.

“What we hope is that our findings will show us where the best locations might be and then it would be up to developers and hoteliers to sort of collaborate on potentially developing something as a second phase,” Santoro said.

Santoro said the probable recommendation for the building is a multiuse facility with restaurant and retail options. They hope to have a walkable district around it with possible lake accessibility and lake views.

“We’ll be looking at all of that and we’ll be working with our local governments along the coast and hopefully we’ll find some suitable locations that we would be able to have the developers and hoteliers do a second phase site analysis,” Santoro said.

This proposed building could be anywhere along the coast of Macomb County.

“Most of it’s private land so you would have to have willing sellers,” Santoro said. “And you’d also have to have a zoning district in a master-planned area that a local government would say, ‘This fits our master plan,’ so that it could move forward. We’re going to be looking at all of that from a planning perspective.”

Santoro said the local governments were informed of plans and are willing to work with them. The communities are even participating in the feasibility study and location analysis. The feasibility study is estimated to take around three to six months.

Macomb County hosts a lot of major bass tournaments, Santoro said.

“Lake St. Clair is perhaps one of the most preferred lakes for these professional anglers of anywhere in North America,” Santoro said. “It’s already got a reputation that precedes it with the visitor’s bureau.”

Santoro said hotel and conference center use during the winter months will be evaluated.

“The whole world of hotels and conferencing centers is evolving and a lot of times it’s associated with place. Place-making,” Santoro said.

He brought up the Nautical Mile and Harrison Township as places offering great restaurants, walkable districts and other amenities. He stated all of those factors will be looked at when considering a place.

They will also look at monetizable seasonal events such as ice sculpture festivals and sports that can be hosted indoors such as hockey.

Macomb County Department of Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller said she is very supportive of the proposed building.

“That’s something that we do lack here in Macomb County,” Miller said. “And yet we have some great potential sites for some sort of a small convention center. Certainly some sort of waterfront accommodations.”

Miller went on to say if the land can be put together, developers will be interested.

“There’s a huge need and the county has already done the study of really looking at the void that we have of having something like that on the shores of Lake St. Clair,” Miller said.

She said a lot of people who come to the area would like to stay there as well.

“It would be a huge driver for the economy as well,” Miller said.