New Flint hotel would require building demolition, alley reconfiguration

FLINT, MI — Two buildings could be demolished and Buckham Alley reconfigured to facilitate the building of a new Hilton hotel.
A proposal requesting two permits to renovate the long-vacant Genesee County State Savings Bank into a Hilton Garden Inn on Saginaw Street and reconfigure Buckham Alley was presented at an April 24 Flint Planning Commission meeting.
One permit allowing the reconfiguration of Buckham Alley into an “L” shape was approved by the planning commission and will be voted on by the Flint City Council, said city Lead Planner Kevin Schronce. The permit requests the section of Buckham Alley behind the existing bank be widened and transformed into a “L” shape, which would allow for access to the Hilton Garden Inn.
A vote on the second permit, a site plan approval permit, requesting the bank be renovated into a 100-room hotel and full-service restaurant was postponed by the planning board. The vote was postponed due to a lack of details for a proposed green space, Schronce said. Two buildings behind the bank would be demolished in order for the green space to be developed. Schronce said the board had questions regarding the landscaping of the green space, which weren’t answered at the meeting. The vote has been postponed to May 22 where updated plans for the renovation of the bank will be presented to the board.
If approved by the planning commission, the Hilton Garden Inn would feature a green space, first-floor restaurant and a rooftop bar, according to plans submitted to the Flint Planning Commission. The entrance to the restaurant would be facing Saginaw street and the entrance to the Hilton would be across from the reconfigured Buckham Alley. The alley will still be open to public use following the reconfiguration.
Construction of the hotel would begin following the site plan permit approval by the planning commission board, Schronce said. The project is headed by Uptown Development in collaboration with Giffles Webster, a Detroit architectural and interior design group.

Plans for the Hilton Garden Inn were first introduced in a city council meeting on Sept. 20. The proposal was introduced in hopes of council passing a resolution to set aside parcels of land at the site of the old bank on the corner of Saginaw and Kearsley streets.
Officials with Uptown could not be reached for comment.

By Zahra Ahmad zahmad@mlive.com