The Neahtawanta Inn, is located on Neahtawanta Point on a high bluff overlooking the Grand Travese Bay of Lake Michigan. The Inn has a long history of being a resort location for people from down state Michigan. The current Inn has a core that was constructed in the 1980's?; it has been added on to several times over the intervening years. An old kitchen addition, unheated and in poor condition, was removed. The footprint of the new structure matched that of the old due to zoning requirements.

The inn keepers, Sally Van Vlek and Bob Russell, desired to bring the first floor of the Inn into compliance with the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Inn now offers an ADA Bedroom and adjoining, but separate, ADA bathroom. Doorways were widened to allow access to the great room, library, and office.

Rear of Inn Before Construction

Lastly, the design of the addition provides for a formal and functional entry to the Inn, something which it lacked. The air-lock vestibule provides an area for guests to remove boots and outer clotheing in the winter, and a spot to place luggage while arriving and departing the Inn. A landscaped ADA entry ramp integrates the numerous pathways on that side of the building; parking on the opposite side of the road, the new entry vestibule, the external stair connecting all floors, the stair to the yoga room, and the new service entry.

A refurbished and propane powered Garland Stove became the centerpiece of the new country kitchen on the first floor, a much needed improvement to meet the demands of increasing clientel. The 2nd floor laundry was moved to a utility room with a recylcing center adjacent to the new service entry. The building is a timber frame structure with foam insulation filled stressed skin panels for walls and roof. The exposed stucture provides guests the feeling that the kitchen is an older, long standing part of the Inn. The entire second floor, with cathedral ceiling and exposed timber trusses, has become the yoga room which is used for numerous and varied classes, meetings, and gatherings at the Inn. The yoga room is provided with skylights and windows for ample daylight and dimmable efficienct fluorescent cove lighting for evening use.

The project included structural improvements and better insulation to the shallow foundation on the north side of the building. The heating plant was updated to a new oil boiler to work better with the wood boiler used during the middle fo winter. And the two electric water heaters were replaced with one propane heater.