PORTAGE, MI – The Beacon Club, a private club that operated for more than 70 years, has closed its doors due to dwindling membership.

The club was originally established on New Year’s Eve in 1947 by 60 founding members. During the 1970s and 80s, it grew to a membership of more than 300, according to the club’s website.

In recent years, the club served as a private dining service that allowed members to book private rooms for corporate meetings and meals. Located at 5830 Portage Road, near the Air Zoo and the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport, the historic building has multiple meeting rooms and often hosted events.

The decision to close was made by the club’s board of directors last month, club member Donald Sappanos said. The Beacon Club officially closed on Thursday, June 27.

“The membership has been dwindling for years,” said Sappanos, a local attorney who also owns the property on Portage Road. “As you know, private clubs are a thing of the past. They are very hard to support.”

The Beacon Club had not been able sustain itself for years, Sappanos said. In recent years, he said, the club lost more members than it gained.

“It had got to the point where there were very few members left, and even fewer that used the club,” Sappanos said.

The Beacon Club’s members were not alerted when it closed in June, former member Don Bement said.

Bement paid his annual dues in the spring and received a letter from the club in return with dinner coupons and information about upcoming events. Soon after, he heard rumors the club had closed.

Though surprised to learn of the closure so soon after renewing his membership, Bement said his primary concern is the loss of a community asset.

“It’s not about the money,” Bement said. “The Beacon Club had a strong positive reputation.

“The history of the club is unique. It’s really a shame.”

The club’s board is composing a letter to send to each former member that had stayed with the club until its closing, Sappanos said.

The property owner is looking for someone to come with a new plan for the property, whether to keep operating it as a private club or convert to a restaurant that is open to the public.

“I would hope that someone in the community that wants to see The Beacon Club continue approaches me about taking it over,” Sappanos said.

He said he may need to sell the property if that hope is not realized.

“We loved our time at the Beacon Club,” Sappanos said. “It’s hard to get a blend of new members and old members. We were never able to generate enough business to satisfy everyone.”