Future Still Uncertain For Site Of Former Village Inn Apartments

Crews have been working at the site where the Village Inn Apartments once stood the past few weeks, clearing what's left of the complex that was destroyed by a massive fire last summer.

The city of Battle Creek says there are currently no future construction plans for the site located on Riverside Drive near Dickman Road. The owner of the property is reportedly not planning on rebuilding and there is no timetable for what might happen there next. All that remains at this point is a parking structure on a side street above where the apartment building once stood. The structure, which was condemned almost immediately after the fire, is now completely gone.

On July 22, 2018, firefighters from several Battle Creek area departments responded to Village Inn Apartments. In the aftermath, nearly 80 residents were left without a home and many lost most, if not all, of their personal property. In the following days, weeks and months, several fundraising efforts were held to help the victims.

There were no injuries in the fire. It was later determined by investigators that the blaze was drug related as a person was reportedly trying to manufacture hash oil by using butane in one of the units.