Walk Through Time: Old Morton Hotel Rooms Uncovered After Decades

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (April 1, 2014) Its like walking through time. Rooms that havent been seen in decades inside the old Morton Hotel in Downtown Grand Rapids are now being revealed as Rockford Construction works to turn the old building into new apartments and retail space.

Developers took media through a tour, Tuesday, of the original public areas of the Morton Hotel.

The 13-story building was built back in the early 1800s. After a fire, the New Morton Hotel opened on Monroe Avenue in 1923.

The Saperstein family bought the hotel in 1971 and converted it into the Morton House Apartments. Through the years, to save on heating costs, many parts of the building were completely closed off. Residents were relocated once a U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development contract expired, and Rockford Construction bought the building with plans to create 100 market-rate apartments and retail space.

The tour uncovered rooms that havent been seen by the public in decades, including stairways, old restaurants and bars.

Work will continue renovating and bringing the building up to code. The apartments are expected to be ready in Spring of 2015, with additional floors of retail space opening after.

Apartment rates have not yet been determined.

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Walk Through Time: Old Morton Hotel Rooms Uncovered After Decades