One Water is the brainchild of developer and Charlevoix resident Glen Catt. Owner of Gaylord-based Catt Development, Catt has strong family ties to Northern Michigan. His great-grandfather helped build U.S. Hwy. 131, and his grandfather ran a thriving chain of local grocery stores (Glen’s Markets). While Catt has successful projects throughout Northern Michigan, he has a special affinity for the One Water development.
When he bought the One Water property in March 2008, Catt voiced his determination to stay true to the community’s character. That determination won praise from residents and business owners alike throughout the project’s lengthy—yet relatively smooth—approval process. Catt received the final green light from city and county officials in early July 2009, paving the way for a July 30, 2009, groundbreaking.
While the timing of a $12 million project is curious to some (considering the current economic conditions in Michigan), Catt feels strongly that the Boyne City community is a great investment.
Q: With the current state of the economy, why did you pick now to develop One Water while many others are pulling back and waiting to see what happens?
A: From the start, I’ve said that to make this project happen I would need to surround myself with a great team of people, recruit world-class partners, and enlist community involvement and support. All of those things have gotten us to where we are today. As for why we chose One Water, I think Lake Charlevoix will continue to be a popular destination because of its access to Lake Michigan. And Boyne City is the perfect resort town to capture all four seasons. I like the close proximity to Boyne Mountain and the fact that One Water is within walking distance of downtown. That’s very attractive to people who lead an active lifestyle.
Q: How important is it to maintain the natural beauty of Northern Michigan while also working to provide a strong economic base? Is it possible to balance those two things?
A: Balance is the key word. Our biggest strengths in Northern Michigan are our natural beauty and natural resources. I believe those are also the keys to our future economic base – our quality of life and the responsible utilization of our natural resources.
Q: What do you think One Water will bring to the community?
A: There isn’t a lot of investment in Michigan right now – let alone Northern Michigan. I think this is a perfect ‘stimulus’ project. Obviously, as the developer we are bearing the brunt of the [financial] risk, but because we are capturing future state and local new taxes to assist in the clean up of this site, it really becomes a community project. We’re using only Northern Michigan contractors for the cleanup and construction phases of the project as much as possible, and I have seen them take ownership – which I think is great. We’ve also made a real effort to incorporate Boyne City’s charm into our project design and marketing efforts, and I think that will add even more pride in the project from the community. This is the best community I have ever worked with. They are very excited about the influx of jobs this project is going to bring to Boyne City.
Q: Who are some of the local contractors who will be involved?
A: Integrity Construction Services in Gaylord, Kidd & Leavy Real Estate and Shoreline Architects – both in Petoskey – and Performance Engineers out of Charlevoix are a few of our partners. Also, Gibson Consulting in Boyne City, Sagasser & Assoc. in Gaylord, and A-1 Sanitation/American Waste in Kalkaska and Charlevoix are helping with site cleanup and remediation.
Q: What is your timetable for the project’s completion?
A: Our initial phase will include 6,500 sq. ft. of restaurant and retail space, and we’re planning to have that completed by late spring 2010. Construction for the 3.5 story, 37-room hotel is scheduled to start in the spring of 2010 and should be ready for occupancy early summer 2011. Finally, One Water’s 24-slip marina and yacht club are scheduled for completion in time for the 2010 boating season.