Niles’ historic buildings all hold storied pasts that must be protected and preserved for the years to come. The former Four Flags Hotel at 404 Main St., is one such example.
The Four Flags Hotel was built in the 1920s and is listed on Michigan’s Registry of Historic Places. It only takes a brief stroll through the halls to picture some of the hotel’s most legendary guests, such as Al Capone, Eleanor Roosevelt, Knute Rockne and Truman Capote, who may have sipped cocktails along the wooden bar or danced in the ballroom.
To the chagrin of both the Historic District Commission and the historic building owners who invest in the buildings, conflict can arise when the process for making changes takes too long or when both sides have to work hard to communicate. In this case, the building sits in limbo.
Susan Sakara has been part owner of the former Four Flags Hotel building for 12 years. She bought the property to run her business, Lipstick Jungle Spa, which eventually would house Kintsukuri Institute of Cosmetology. She shares ownership of the building with Brian Shier, of Niles, who is a licensed contractor.
“The bottom line is it would have been boarded up and an eye sore if we had not done what we had done with it,” Sakara said. “And to not get the support of our historic commission is really just disappointing.”
In addition to investing in the building, which over the years included replacing a boiler and beautifying the building inside and out, she said she also feels that she has made a worthy investment in Niles when she opened a beauty school in the building this past year that has attracted 50 high school students.
“We have added jobs to this community,” Sakara said. “We have added revenue. We have 50 students that come here every single day that go out and eat lunch here.”
This summer she made plans to replace windows and install a door, in addition to fixing minor siding work so that the Main St. side of the building matches the Fourth St. side. Sakara said the work was estimated to cost around $12,000.
After removing some of the outside material near an entrance, she was asked to submit an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness to the Historic District Commission before continuing with the construction.
Chair of the Historic District Wendy Halder said she understands the level of frustration that many historic building owners go through, especially when they want or need to make changes as fast as possible. However, she said the process is not meant to be difficult and seeks to assure that the proper precautions to protect the building are being completed.
“I can understand the level of frustration for people who buy a [historic] building,” Halder said. “It is a matter of going through the steps. I don’t think we are trying to make it very complicated.”
With Shier’s help, Sakara submitted the first application Aug. 16. Since then, the business owner alleges that she has faced challenges working with the commission to get approval.
In 2010, she said the commission did approve the installation of a triple set of windows. In an email, she said she doesn’t understand why these changes have been so much more difficult to get approved.
“Not sure why it is so difficult when we have done this to one side of the building and just want to improve the other side to match,” Sakara said.
Halder said the system is supposed to work with building owners, not against them.
“We are wanting to try to help people through the process,” Halder said. “We have very rarely not ever approved the work. It is just finding the right way for the work to be done.”
When the Historic District Commission made the decision to table the application that was submitted on Aug. 16 for construction, Halder said it was because some of the information regarding changes looked vague.
In the recorded minutes for the Aug. 22 meeting the commission cited several concerns that the application for a Certificate of Appropriateness brought up. Most notably that:
1. “The applicant had checked not applicable in response to the box indicating that fire detection equipment meets state code requirements,” stated the document.
2. The photos and drawings submitted were indicated to not be appropriate in describing the work done and there was no sampling of materials to be used.
3. “Commissioners had questions regarding whether these designation impose additional requirements,” stated the document.”
A second application with the included revisions was submitted for approval on Sept. 8.
The Historic District Commission responded Sept. 21 via email to Shier.
In the email, Lisa Croteau, of Niles Main Street, said that the exact materials were not included in the application.
“What they are looking for is exact details of the materials you will be using,” Croteau said. “They have also asked that you research and see if you can find closer what the original Transom material was.”
The commission had also advised Debra Johnson from the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office to examine the renovation proposal when the second application was submitted.
The minutes state that Johnson said, “It is a prominent and important building in Downtown Niles Historic District and that future work should restore the historic look of the building.”
The decision was again tabled.
In the weeks ahead, Halder said they would wait for submission of a still less vague application. Until then Halder said the commission hopes to help ease the process.
“We are willing to sit down with them and talk them through,” Halder said.
For Sakara, she said it has meant boarding up the exposed insulation.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Shier said he had been in contact with a licensed architect and historic architect and said he hoped that there would be some more advisory.