The Milton mezzanine opens to the public in Battle Creek
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — A community staple is back open in Battle Creek.
The Milton, formerly known as Heritage Tower, has been under construction since 2018. The mezzanine level inside the building will open for the public to see for the first time since the remodel.
The Battle Creek Community Foundation teamed up with developer Mark Harmsen and other community partners to restore the building to its original glory.
"This room right here specifically has a lot of history with the community. People had their proms here, their weddings here, life happening here," said Clovis Bordeaux, senior marketing and strategy officer for the foundation.
The iconic building was built in 1931. At 238.5 feet tall, it's the tallest building in the city. It is 115,000 square feet with a 55 foot dome.
The building had fallen to disrepair and there were multiple attempts to try and restore the building in the past.
MDH Development is the first to be successful and rebranded the building The Milton.
The Milton has 19 floors, with a 20th floor housing the building's mechanical equipment.
The Milton currently serves as an apartment building, the first residents moved in January 2020.
There are 85 apartments in the building and all units are currently full.
With a generous donation from Robert and Shirley McFee, the community foundation will be able to open the mezzanine level to the public for the month of December.
"What we want to do is to open back up to the community and let them come not only relive memories but create new memories here," Bordeaux said.
BCCF has future plans to offer the mezzanine as an event space for the community.
There are also plans to add a fresh marketplace on the first floor.
The mezzanine will be open Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the community to come in and view the restoration.
For the rest of the month of December, it will be open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for people to come in and enjoy refreshments and visit for free.
BCCF will close the mezzanine to the public on Jan. 1 for the foundation to discuss future programming.
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