Ludington expected to approve Red Door Gallery property purchase

By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief.

LUDINGTON — The City of Ludington is selling a small, unused portion of land it owns to a local business. The Red Door Gallery is currently located on West Ludington Avenue. Owners Nathan and Amanda St. Hilaire-Grubich recently purchased the building located at 416 S. James St. and plan to move their business there. The building is currently houses a pet grooming business.

The city owns a small piece of land immediately to the south of the building at 420 S. James St. During its regular meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. the city council is expected to pass a resolution waiving the bidding and appraisal process and sell the property to Sweetwater Holdings, LLC (the Red Door’s parent company) for $5,000. In exchange, the new owners will agree to preserve the south 23-feet of the property in a restrictive covenant creating a green space.

The city owned lot is considered “surplus property.” The resolution states that by placing the property back into private hands, it would thus add the property back to the tax rolls.

City council meets at city hall, 400 S. Harrison St.