A mockup, using Google Earth, of the college’s plans to acquire parts of East Galloway Drive and Summit Street. Measurements not to scale. City News Staff | Collegian

The Dow Hotel will expand onto parts of East Galloway Drive and Summit Street

The Hillsdale City Council approved Hillsdale College’s plan to acquire sections of East Galloway Drive and Summit Street after a public hearing Tuesday night.

The expansion project will permanently close a block of East Galloway Drive and 203 feet of Summit Street.

The college agreed to place $1.7 million in the Hillsdale County Community Foundation, as well as pay the city $300,000 in increments of $100,000 for essential city services upon approval of the plan. But several Hillsdale residents who spoke at the public hearing Tuesday night said the college is not giving enough to the City of Hillsdale. 

“It’s been that way for many years — and that’s a complaint of most of the citizens of this town that I hear repeatedly. It is a massive conflict of interest, and with the college, everything’s a free ride,” said former Hillsdale fire chief and attendee Kevin Pauken.

Hillsdale Mayor Adam Stockford said the $2 million that the city will receive shows that the college is not simply taking the streets it needs for the hotel.

Stockford also said he believes the college’s hotel expansion will help the city fix several streets in poor condition.

“Summit Street is in horrendous shape and when this came up, I thought this could lead to some attention being brought to Summit Street because why would you want to be driving up to a five-star hotel on a street in bad condition,” Stockford said.

Hillsdale resident Megan Angell said she was concerned that the college had yet to submit a site plan.

According to Hillsdale City Manager David Mackie, the college does not have to submit an official site plan until after it receives approval to carry out the closing of the respective portions of East Galloway Drive and Summit Street.

“Typically one does not do a site plan until they know they can do what they are asking to do,” Mackie said. “If they are turned down they would have wasted a substantial amount of money to do that. So that would be something that would be done once the vacation process is done, which has to go to the local court as well.”

The decision to place $1.7 million of the total $2 million into an account with the Hillsdale County Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization that offers grants, support, and education to local groups, is meant to increase long-term economic benefit for the city.

“The idea with the community foundation was to set up a perpetual revenue stream that could be added to in the future,” Mackie said. “So others could contribute money, whether it be another business or the college at a future time.”

Councilmember Tony Vear said he hopes the endowment started by the college will become a large portion of where the city’s funds are drawn from.

The interest that accumulates from the investment will be earmarked for essential city services, at least at first, according to Mackie.

“The idea behind that is that it would be set up to provide support for essential city services, which were deemed to be police, fire, and roads at this point,” he said.

Traffic, water drainage, and a white-oak tree along East Galloway Drive were among other citizen concerns.

The council voted 5-0 to allow the college to proceed with its plan to expand the Dow Hotel and Conference Center. Councilmembers Gary Wolfram and Joshua Paladino abstained from the vote.

According to Vear, the project will provide the city with economic opportunities.

“I think in the end, it’s going to be a good thing for the residents of Hillsdale,” Vear said.