SAGINAW, MI -- Bright sunlight, filtered through 12-foot-high floor-to-ceiling windows, reflects off the freshly-polished wood floor of a room directly above the entrance to Jake's Old City Grill in Old Town Saginaw.

The Hamilton Street sign is nearly within reach from the corner window.

In the long-vacant floors above the restaurant, in the building at 100 S. Hamilton, most of the floors are rough and dull, and in places the ceiling is caving in.

But the building's owner, Hall Commercial Properties, has begun to unfurl a vision to renovate the property and install chic luxury loft homes in the heart of what was once downtown Saginaw, in the days before Saginaw City and East Saginaw became one in 1889.

Hall Commercial Properties owns a string of buildings along the south side of Court Street, from Hamilton to Niagara. I

n June, a spokesperson for the company announced it is exploring the idea of spending millions of dollars to renovate the buildings and turn them into residential space.

Kevin Camese, a development partner on the project, took a small group of local leaders on a tour through the building Oct. 22.

"We would like you to see the space in its original form so you can appreciate the renovation," Camese said.

The project, which has been tentatively dubbed "West Bank Lofts," sets its sights on developing a dozen or more condominiums or apartments in the group of buildings, though the developer is

starting with just one.

T

he plan, Camese said, is to build a single 1,463-square-foot loft on the second floor of the building as a model to show to local residents.

A potential floor plan shows one idea for one of the six residential units that local developer Hall Commercial Properties hopes to install on the second and third floors of the Jake's Old City Grill building at 100 S. Hamilton.

He admitted that building a single model unit before tackling the rest of the project is not a typical strategy for developers.

"It's not normal," Camese said. "But we're not doing a normal project. Exposing the area to this in this way is definitely a unique solution to a unique problem."

He explained that the idea behind the single-unit model is to probe the community for feedback.

"Our market study has shown interest in residential lofts in Old Town, but we feel an actual example of what we envision is necessary to be confident about moving forward," Camese said. "Design has started in the other areas of the building, but public support and feedback will determine the final concept."

The historic corner building stands on the site where Fort Saginaw once commanded the western bank of the Saginaw River. Fort Saginaw's walls enclosed Saginaw County's oldest homestead, the Cushway Home, until it was moved in 1867.

The building has been home to Miller Braley Bank and upper floors have hosted a variety of offices. On the third floor, looking out over Hamilton Street, is a majestic ballroom with 16-foot-high ceilings, though Camese said historians are stumped as to how the room was historically used.

With its high ceilings, some adorned with beautifully intricate tin plates and the large windows overlooking Old Town, Camese said he is excited about the final product of renovation.

One thing that has yet to be decided, he said, is whether the units will be rented as apartments or sold as condominiums.

"Whether we sell them or rent them is going to be based on public opinion," Camese said.

He said there will likely be six units on the second and third floors of the Jake's building. In all three of the buildings Hall Commercial Properties plans to develop along Court, the developer hopes to create 12 to 24 total units.

Contractors have installed a new roof on the corner building, which Camese said was sorely needed to prevent further water damage to the floors below. Next up, he said, are structural and masonry repairs.

"These repairs were needed to secure the future of the buildings," Camese said. "Serious deterioration has occurred over the years, complicating the renovation budget."

Jon D. Hall, the founder of commercial bar equipment company Glastender Inc. based in Kochville Township, created Hall Commercial Properties LLC with his five children in 2008.

In 2009, the company purchased the properties at 100 S. Hamilton (Jake's Old City Grill) and two vacant buildings to the east, at 311 and 315 Court. The former location of Ewald's Bar, at 301 Court, was purchased by the company May 31. E

wald's Bar

.

Jake's Old City Grill, on the first floor of 100 S. Hamilton, would not be impacted by the planned residential development.

In July, Saginaw City Council granted the developer an Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act designation, which freezes the property's taxable value for a period of up to 12 years.

Though the developer was considering only residential uses for the buildings, Camese said the option for a mixed-use development with both residential lofts and commercial space now is under serious consideration.

The developer hopes to show off the sample unit to the public sometime early in 2014. Camese said a completion date for the entire project is a "moving target."

Mark Tower covers local government for MLive/The Saginaw News. Contact him at 989-284-4807, by email at mtower@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.