Battle Creek’s ‘Record Box’ Gets $415,000 From State of Michigan

An effort to revitalize a downtown Battle Creek building is getting another infusion of cash from Michigan’s marketing and development arm.

On Wednesday, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced three grants for various projects across the state, including one for the Record Box here in Battle Creek. The MEDC will be giving a $415,000 performance-based grant to the project, from the Michigan Community Revitalization Program. All told, the effort has received $1.8 million in capital investments.

The Record Box is located at 15 Carlyle St facing the Battle Creek River; the historic building was built in 1902, and originally produced packaging for breakfast foods. It’s been vacant since the early 2000’s. The Record Box, which is being redeveloped by Restore (269), will feature a craft brewery and restaurant, office space, and a multi-purpose event space.

The initial schedule when the project was announced last year was for a Fall 2019 opening, although it's not clear if that's still on track.

Other MEDC grants announced on Wednesday include $350,000 for an auto supplier in Auburn Hills, and $220,000 for the rehabilitation of a vacant Detroit building.