Big changes planned for Pentwater office buildings.

The Pentwater Village Hall, which also houses the Pentwater Township offices, will eventually be demolished.

Big changes planned for Pentwater office buildings; Township and village offices to move; Spectrum Health offices to consolidate with Hart office.

#OceanaCounty

By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.

PENTWATER — There are some big changes in store for offices in Pentwater, including the future demolition of the village hall on Hancock Street.

The two-story brick building, which is over 100 years old, contains asbestos contamination; the foundation is crumbling; and a wall is buckling, said Pentwater Village Manager Chris Brown. It would cost $3 million to fix the building.

The village offices will move into the former Huntington Bank building. The Pentwater Police Department may also be housed in this building.

Both the Pentwater village and township offices are located in the building, and both entities are moving out. The village office will relocate down the street in the former Huntington Bank building, which is currently vacant. The township will move to the Spectrum Health office at 500 N. Hancock Street.

Spectrum is moving out of the Pentwater office due to an office consolidation in Oceana County. Pentwater patients will receive care at the Hart office.

The Pentwater Township office will move into the Spectrum Health Office in Pentwater.

The Pentwater Police Department, located across the street from the village hall, will likely move in with the village offices if an expansion occurs.

“We will hopefully have the plans completed by the end of March,” said Brown. Remodeling of the 2,500-square-foot building would take place, and if the village council approves a “build out,” the office would include the police department.

The move will more than double the village’s office space, he said. Currently, the village has a 900-square-foot portion of the village hall.

The Pentwater Police Deaprtment is located across the street from the village hall. It may eventually be housed in the same building as the village offices.

After the village hall is demolished, the site could be used as a Brownfield Redevelopment District, the city manager said.

“The village has a lot of latitude of what they would like to see here,” Brown said. “We would like to see something that is a 12-month entity that employs people.”

The village used general fund dollars to purchase the building for $350,000 at no additional cost to tax payers through a 15-year installment purchase agreement financed through Shelby State Bank, Brown said.

The village is hoping to move by fall. The ATM will stay in the building, he said.

Pentwater Township Supervisor David Spitler said the township purchased the Spectrum office building last July. There are two closings, and the final one is July 1. Remodeling will begin then.

The Pentwater Village Hall.

Like the village, Spitler said the township will also double its current space with the move. The building was purchased for $330,000 with funds from its existing fund balance. “There is no increase in taxes and mortgage,” he said. “It’s all paid for.”

The township is currently in the design phase of the project with Jeremy Horton, owner/professional engineer of Harbor Design & Construction, handling the renovations.

Spitler said there will be “minimal renovations” of the approximate 15-year-old structure.

“Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital Pentwater will be seeing their last patients, April 9,” said Chief Operating Officer and Interim Regional Market Leader Helen Johnson.

“Many patients and staff have been using both the Spectrum Health Hart and Spectrum Health Pentwater office for the last few years,” Johnson said. “Throughout its service area, Spectrum Health has been developing integrated care sites where multiple services are available to patients all in the same location. This maximizes convenience for patients and allows them to access multiple services all under the same roof and often during the same time as their primary care appointment. We are transitioning to this model in Oceana County and combining our two primary care clinics — located less than 10 miles apart — into one location in Hart.”

The office has been a part of the Spectrum Health organization since 2013. It serves approximately 1,000 patients.

Employees in the Pentwater office also work in the Hart office. “All staff and providers will keep their positions at Spectrum Health,” she said.

Providers include Allen Nelson, MD; Renita Diehlman, FNP; and Jordan Maccoux, PA-C.

“Patients will be able to schedule with any provider in Spectrum Health,” Johnson said. “We are aware many patients live north of Pentwater and will be able to choose a primary care provider of their liking as we understand travel may be an issue for some patients. Our schedulers are able to schedule for any of the family practice and internal medicine office in the Ludington area.”

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