HOLLY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — The owners of the Holly Hotel have posted on the restaurant's Facebook account that they are selling the property.
The hotel has been closed since June of 2022 when a large fire in Holly damaged the historic building.
The nearby Battle Alley Arcade Antiques Mall was also damaged in the fire, forcing it to permanently close. Since then, a dispute over the property line has prevented the hotel from being rebuilt and reopening.
The hotel quickly started the reconstruction process but during the rebuilding of the west wall and the roof, the owner says it was discovered that a wall was encroaching by 6 inches.
One of the owners of the hotel, George Kutlenios, told 7 News Detroit that at the time of the discovery in 2022, the antique store's owner gave them permission to go ahead with the reconstruction, as per the original blueprint.
But early in 2023, Kutlenios was hit with bad news when they got a call from the new owner of the land.
“He wanted us to correct this defect and said that we had to fix the problem or part of our wall being on his property and the eaves at the top on the roof that extended over into what he called his air space about 14 inches,” Kutlenios told 7 News Detroit in August 2023.
The Detroit Investor Club is the new owner of the former Battle Alley Arcade Antiques Mall property. It’s a business that's a stone's throw away from the Holly Hotel and managed by Jeremiah Roberts.
"It's the foundation. It's why people come to downtown Holly,” longtime Holly resident Sherlynn Everly said of the Holly Hotel. "It's our history.”
Everly says the two years that the hotel has been closed have been tough for the downtown area.
“It’s been a huge detriment to the businesses down here,” Everly said. “These poor new businesses, we kept telling them well when the hotel opens back up, trust us it’s going to get better. Now what?”
Due to the court battle, the Holly Hotel owner declined to comment on the story and Roberts did not respond to our request, but residents have followed the case closely.
“It's sad. I mean, the whole thing that's going on with the overhang? It's really ridiculous," longtime Holly resident Jim Ridgway said. "It's just sad to see. It's been a staple in this town forever.”
“It's sad," downtown resident Joshua Murphy added. "The whole thing is just sad.”
The owner says the legal fight is part of the reason he’s now listing the historic building for sale. The asking price is $899,000.
"I was sick to my stomach," Everly said of when she learned it was for sale. "I just couldn't stand the fact we couldn't come to some agreement.“
With the future of the building still up in the air, residents continue to hold hope that one day the local landmark will reopen its doors.
“I hope somebody from around here who knows the history buys it and restores it and keeps it as it was,” Ridgway said.
“If the right person comes in with the right attitude, this village will stand behind them," Everly said. "We want the hotel to be successful.”
