To the dismay of Northern Michigan recreationalists, Lake Charlevoix’s, ”The Landing” dockside restaurant was slated for demolition and replacement by an RV park a few years ago.  The loss would have been devastating to the boating culture, as very few opportunities for dockside family fun and nightlife exist.

In 2014, an inspired local businessman/philanthropist stepped in to save this critical thread of the community’s fabric. Many people have been wondering about the bustle of construction on the previous site of The Landing.  On March 4th, 2016 the now complete, bigger, better and reconstructed dockside destination held a private reception for all of the local contractors and suppliers who helped resurrect “The Landing”. “The Landing” on Lake Charlevoix will re-open to the public in the spring of 2016.

This effort is a very significant Northern Michigan success story. The site not only avoided conversion to an RV park, but the “new” restaurant also avoided the “developer” urge to become a survey-tested national “Boat-Themed” implant business.  Authentic regionalism is alive and well at The Landing, inspired by contractors, suppliers, designers and products from the neighborhood. In fact, the dedication to staying local is the lifeblood of The Landing’s personality.  The owner’s trust in local talent and love for the area actually promoted a type of spontaneity during construction that cannot be duplicated or experienced anywhere except The Landing.  On the evening of March 4th, these individuals that crafted the return of The Landing were given gratitude for their efforts.

Among the guests in attendance was the influential Architect raised on Lake Charlevoix, Justin Roberts of Designhaus Architecture. Under his creative advisement and deep understanding of the local context, the interior layout, color palette, lighting and materiality coalesce to leave patrons the strongest of impressions of what Northern Michigan is all about.  Working with Andre Poineau, of Poineau Woodworking, and general contractor Rick Roberts of Rick Roberts Building, The Landing stayed true to Northern Michigan’s Cottage styling and details. Both gentlemen were on hand to talk about the uniqueness of the project. Michigan is not known for commercial kitchen equipment, but The Landing defiantly found and installed a real beast by a local company, GrillWorks Inc out of Atwood, MI.

Of particular interest to the owner was to prove that a project can be cutting edge and “Made in Northern Michigan”.  Among cutting edge technologies are Michigan-made Tarnow motorized retractable insect screens that help discourage the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like Zika virus.  Many other material and product choices were scrutinized and studied in the effort to be on the forefront of emerging ideas. The environmentally friendly, underappreciated construction material know as hemp (non-hallucinogenic cannabis plant) was selected and used throughout the project. Designhaus Architecture researched and found a way to construct cabinets, tiles and concrete walls using the extraordinary hemp plant. The hemp-panel cabinets were, in fact, produced and installed by Charlevoix resident Shane McClure of MAC Construction. The wood docks are sealed and finished with hemp seed oil. Also included on the menu are recipes with, you guessed it, hemp; which is considered a “super-food” due to its high protein and fiber content.

The Landing is located at 10231 Ferry Rd., Charlevoix, MI 49720 and can be reached at (231)547-9036.