A massive state mental hospital operated for more than a century a half-mile from downtown Traverse City, Mich., and its popular Lake Michigan waterfront. It closed in 1989, and the stately but dilapidated buildings seemed destined for the wrecking ball.
But Raymond Minervini and his fledgling development company had a vision of transforming the faded landmark into a modern, mixed-used neighborhood while retaining its historic character. That vision has become a reality.
The 480-acre campus, which once also housed a farm and dairy run by the hospital's patients, is now the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, and comprises shops, restaurants, offices and housing amid spacious lawns connected to nearby hiking and biking trails.
Raymond Minervini II, the founder's son and business partner, noted that the hospital was built at a time when mental health professionals believed attractive surroundings and fresh air were the best treatment. “The word 'asylum' is perceived very negatively these days,” Minervini said. “We'd like to take it back. It actually meant 'sanctuary,' a beautiful and noble intent to take care of our fellow human beings.”
The Village's centerpiece is the former hospital residential and administration building, still known simply as Building 50. Its inelegant moniker may be the only unspectacular thing about the five-story structure. Constructed with more than 8 million white bricks, and a quarter-mile long, its Victorian-Italianate architecture features high ceilings, large windows and red rooftop spires.
The basement level, an afterthought during the hospital era, is now the Village's commercial hub. Labeled the Mercato (Italian for “marketplace”), its twisting hallways are meant to resemble an old-world street scene. Locally owned shops offer artwork, books, clothing and antique furniture.
A variety of eateries are also available, including stylish restaurants, a coffeehouse, bakery and winery. And a botanic garden is under development in an area of the campus where hospital residents once grew vegetables and milked cows.
