The former Klein Tools Factory in downtown Jonesville will transform into storefronts, in an agreement the Jonesville City Council approved on March 16.
“There is a huge opportunity there for additional retail and other commercial uses to support our downtown,” Jonesville City Manager Jeff Gray said.
Under the agreement DH Roberts Construction will purchase the property, which has been vacant since 2008. DH Roberts will have six months to finish its redevelopment plans.
DH Roberts is a Jonesville-based, family-owned construction company. It was one of two bidders for the property at 121 Water St.
Built in 1884, the building has served multiple purposes throughout its history, ranging from an automobile tools manufacturer to the village fire station to a gas station. In 2010, Jonesville acquired the property.
In a 2019 poll, residents said finding a use for the Klein Tools Factory was the city’s top priority, Gray said. The city created a review board made up of members of the city council, the planning commission, and the Downtown Development Authority to oversee the effort.
“At that point, we put a majority of our resources into getting a reuse of the building,” Gray said. “It’s deceiving how big this building is.”
Victor Face, the owner of DH Roberts Construction, said the company wants to develop the property to draw people to visit and live in downtown Jonesville.
“We feel by improving this building site it will make Jonesville look much more attractive for potential employees to enjoyable live in the same locale as they work,” Face said in an email.
Additionally, Face said he hopes to generate revenue by fixing up the building and inviting tenants to live and work in it.
DH Roberts will study the property’s environment and the feasibility of different uses for the building throughout the six-month period before finalizing the purchase. Additional considerations include demand for residential apartments or condominiums and parking availability, according to Face.
“We don’t have any specific plans for development at this time, as we feel like it is a blank canvas right now,” Face said. “With that being said, we are considering restaurants, condos, community center, church usage, business offices. The cost for development hasn’t been totaled up yet.”
Both the city and DH Roberts see the agreement as an opportunity to grow and expand downtown Jonesville.
“We see this as an investment opportunity for us, but also as an opportunity to bring resources into downtown Jonesville,” said Dan Loew, a project manager at DH Roberts Construction. “We are looking forward to working with the city.”
Downtown Development Authority Chairman and Review Board Member Don Toffolo said the city succeeded in finding a developer who shared respect for community values.
“We aren’t recommending it because it’s the only legitimate proposal that we had, it is the one that I would have picked,” Toffolo said. “It goes back to what we were looking for in the first place, something that added to the downtown and someone with the ability to pull it off. We found them.”
Gray said the city looks forward to working with a family-owned business local to Jonesville with an established reputation in the community.
“We’re very excited to have the opportunity to work with DH Roberts in this partnership to bring forward the community’s vision,” Gray said.
According to a city press release, the city estimates negotiations for a final sale will take place after the concept plan is completed. DH Roberts anticipates the development of the site to take place in the next three to five years.
