A Former Asylum Is Now A Bustling Village In Traverse City

Over the weekend, I took a trip to Traverse City to see the beautiful fall foliage and visit a few of the many wineries & breweries in the area. As a history nerd, I saw the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone when I learned about a tour of some awesome steam tunnels under an old hospital, followed by a beer & two wine tastings for $50.

Whoever thought of that idea, I salute you.

But what shocked me was that this was not a tour of an abandoned hospital as I had thought (clearly, I did not do a morsel of research). When I pulled up, the entire complex was packed. I knew I was about to learn some truly fascinating information.

As it turns out, the hospital went from being nearly demolished to sitting vacant for more than a decade, and then was transformed into an entire village, just as the name implies: The Village at Grand Traverse Commons.

It has transformed the former Traverse City State Hospital/Northern Michigan Asylum, converting former patient rooms and buildings into modern apartments and condos, leasing office space, and adding restaurants, shops, galleries, and event spaces for weddings and other special occasions.

All the former buildings have been painstakingly revitalized to modernize their utilities and rooms while preserving the original "Victorian-Italianate architecture", resulting in one of the most significant state-funded restoration projects in the country. 

Work is still being done inside The Village, but even in its current form, it serves as living proof that buildings do not need to be demolished to give old buildings new life. Next time you're in Traverse City, take a tour or do some shopping at the Village.