MARQUETTE, MI – The final stage of the renovation of Marquette’s historic First National Bank building is underway. Marquette-based real estate developer, the Veridea Group, has enlisted to perform a comprehensive renovation and cleaning of the building’s exterior. This is the last component of the $10 million renovation of the 4 buildings comprising the Kaufman Block that were acquired by the Veridea Group in 2021.
Northern Restoration, a Traverse City based company specializing in historic building renovation, is completing the work, which will include cleaning, sealing, and repair of the historic limestone structures and the cleaning and polishing of the historic brass doors and fixtures. Northern Restoration was the contractor of record on the last façade cleaning, more than 50 years ago.
“These limestone buildings are nearly 100 years old, and they need to be rejuvenated every 40-50 years to maintain the beauty and integrity of the architecture,” said Veridea Director of Commercial Real Estate Development Michele Thomas. “This exterior cleaning was part of our original plan when we purchased the complex in 2021. It’s an integral part of the restoration of the entire complex, and we are thrilled to see it happening.”
When Veridea acquired the property, it was nearly vacant and hadn’t seen any interior upgrades in over 20 years. Veridea began an immediate property renovation lasting two years and resulting in the property being fully leased to 11 different tenants including Flagstar Bank, Travel Marquette, Lilly Dermatology, Northern Michigan University, InvestUP, Innovate Marquette, the Lake Superior Community Partnership, Northern Initiatives, CoLab, Northcross Group, and the Social Security Administration.
Headquartered in Marquette, Veridea Group is an integrated commercial real estate and hospitality development company focused on rural metropolitan markets in the Upper Great Lakes and Mountain West. Veridea brings a 30-year history and over $400 million of award-winning development and management to its projects.
