Hinman helps keep the momentum up in Battle Creek

Scenes of bulldozers moving dirt and construction workers putting up walls have been rare in cities throughout Michigan since the economy headed south.

So, it was a pleasant surprise when a building formerly owned by National City Bank on Capital Avenue SW in Battle Creek came down to make way for a new 12,000-square-foot retail center developed by the Kalamazoo-based Hinman Company.

The building officially opened for business in March and its tenants include Raymond James Financial Services and First Community Federal Credit Union. Anmar Atchu, vice president of Marketing and Leasing for the Hinman Co., says he expects the space to be fully occupied by the end of summer.

"I've always liked that site," Atchu says. "When we bought it, that's when the retail sector went in a different direction." Rather than rushing into construction, company officials decided to wait out the downturn -- a formula that has worked very well for company founder Roger Hinman over the years.

"Roger's depth of knowledge has certainly helped us to weather a lot of the storms others haven't been fortunate enough to weather," Atchu says.

The newest Hinman development at 2550 Capital Ave. SW, joins a portfolio of properties in Battle Creek owned by the company. The most recognizable is the iconic Battle Creek Tower, formerly owned by Transamerica, a very visible part of the downtown's cityscape.

Atchu says he thinks Battle Creek is on the "cusp of doing some neat things" downtown. The relocation of the Kellogg Co. footprint and the addition of Covance have made a major impact on the city's streetscape. It's hoped the recent acquisition of Pringle's by Kellogg will further that impact, he says.

"The momentum is certainly there," he says.

The Hinman Co. is partly responsible for that momentum, says Battle Creek City Manager Ken Tsuchiyama. Hinman's leadership has taken the time to understand the city's vision for both the downtown and Beckley Road/Capital Avenue area and has continued to seek ways of being part of making that vision a reality, he says.

"The Hinman Company has been a key player in the redevelopment efforts under way in Battle Creek, with major projects not only in the Beckley Road/Capital Avenue area, but also as part of our community's Downtown Transformation effort," Tsuchiyama says.

"Hinman has successful office and residential developments in downtown Battle Creek and as we pursue more mixed-use developments downtown, we expect Hinman will continue to be a key player in downtown redevelopment."

Atchu says much of the Hinman Co. success may be traced back to Roger Hinman's intentional decision to remain diversified and focus on office, retail and residential rather than on one sector of the development and real estate market. This enables the company to expand despite a slowdown in one sector.

Another key to Hinman's success is placing a priority on maintaining the properties it already owns. Atchu says hundreds of thousands of dollars are reinvested into both the visible and not-so-visible areas of properties.

"What we do a good job on, long-term, is putting a focus in-house on owning, managing and leasing," he says. "It's hard to put a price tag on service."

In addition to the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo markets, the Hinman Co. owns property and/or land in Adrian; Bolingbrook, Ill.; the state of Connecticut; Grandville; Grand Rapids; East Lansing; Livonia; Portage; Muskegon and South Bend, Ind.

"We currently have approximately 55 commercial buildings and quite a bit of scattered land throughout the portfolio," Atchu says. The company's residential portfolio is just shy of 700 units, all of them located in the Kalamazoo area with the exception of 23 located in Battle Creek at the Battle Creek Tower.

Director of Commercial Development for Battle Creek Unlimited Cheryl Beard says the Hinman Co. is easily the largest real estate development company in the Battle Creek area and their expertise is appreciated.

"They bring a lot to the table in terms of bringing best practices from other areas where they do business," Beard says. "They share with us what works and what fails.

"They have a variety of experience. It's important in the downtown area to have a presence in office as well as retail development, especially when the focus is on downtown development."

About 70 percent of the Hinman Co.'s focus now is on office development. Atchu says another 25 percent is on the retail component with the remainder on residential – rentals not homes.

"We will continue to grow those retail opportunities as we continue to develop relationships with national retailers," Atchu says.

Those relationships are a big plus, say Beard and Tsuchiyama.

"Since the early 1980s, the Beckley Road/Capital Avenue area has been Battle Creek's primary retail ‘neighborhood,' but in recent years new private investment in this area has been very limited," Tsuchiyama says. "The Hinman development was the first significant indication that the local economy was turning around and since then we've been seeing more investment, including the announcement of the construction of a major medical facility on Capital Avenue SW just south of I-94 by Borgess Health and the construction of a Buffalo Wild Wings at the Lakeview Square Mall."

During the recent International Council of Shopping Centers Convention in Las Vegas, Atchu says, those in attendance said they were feeling much more positive about the potential for growth than they were two or three years ago.

Atchu says he thinks as people begin to look at the reinvestment programs happening in Battle Creek -- particularly in the city's downtown area -- their pride in ownership will continue to grow.

"We'd like to be part of that redevelopment," Atchu says. "If we can get more of a commitment to live, work and play in Battle Creek, the trickle effect is going to be huge."

Jane C. Parikh is a freelance reporter and writer with more than 20 years of experience and also is the owner of In So Many Words based in Battle Creek.

Photos by Erik Holladay.