The Torch is Coming to Downtown Ludington

[XLFD]

As revealed last night at the Ludington City Council by board members Vic Burwell and Dr. Bill Anderson at the Ludington City Council meeting, the Mason County Sports Hall of Fame (MCSHOF)(whose logo prominently features a torch) is moving from its current 'hidden' location at White Pine Village to the old PNC bank building on the southwest corner of Harrison and Ludington Avenue. 

The MCSHOF looks to add another cultural destination for the Ludington tourism industry, which has seen the Ludington Area Center for the Arts, the Sandcastles Museum, crop up in recent years in the same area downtown.  Unlike the soon to be added maritime museum being developed at the old Ludington Coast Guard Station the Hall looks as if it will be capable of self-sustainability without government grants thanks to the assistance of donors. 

An anonymous donor has made the old bank facility available; city assessing records show that a firm called National Tax Search LLC and GE Capital IT Solutions, two Chicago-based companies had ownership of that property.  Volunteers, visitor contributions, and other voluntary donations will maintain the facility.   Both Vic Burwell (pictured below) and Dr. Anderson have plans to make the exhibits interesting and interactive, to draw people there and make them interested in returning and telling others about the experience.  Rob Alway supplies the narrative from the MCP.

LUDINGTON — The Mason County Sports Hall of Fame, currently located at Historic White Pine Village in Pere Marquette Township, will be moving to the former PNC Bank building at 130 E. Ludington Ave, the southwest corner of Ludington Avenue and Harrison Street in downtown Ludington.

Members of the MCSHF board spoke Monday during the regular meeting of the Ludington City Council.

“The board is extremely proud of what has been accomplished in the past through the recognition of individuals and teams who have contributed to the history of local athletes,” MCSHF President Vic Burwell said. “With the acquisition of the new facility we will now have the opportunity to greatly expand our ability to recognize our athletic heritage, preserve our legacy and celebrate the positive influence that athletics have on our daily lives — and do it in a fun way.”

The former PNC building was made possible through an anonymous donor. The new facility will include the MCSHF and many other attractions with elements designed to educate and entertain visitors.

The new museum will be located across the street from Sandcastles Children’s Museum and less than a block from the Ludington Area Center for the Arts.

Burwell said the museum will include interactive exhibits with the goals to “preserve, educate and inspire.”

“We are aware that this new project is a significant undertaking,” Burwell said. “We will be involved in a major fundraising effort that will pay for the conversion of the interior of the building into a facility that can tell the important story of athletics while offering a great visitor experience. It will take a generous amount of money and the help of a lot of good people. Lucky for us, Mason County has a lot of good people.”

The MCSHF was founded in 2004. “It was founded to honor both the individuals and teams who have inspired us through their athletic achievements,” Burwell said. The 11th class of  hall of fame inductees will be celebrated on June 20.

http://www.masoncountypress.com/2015/04/27/sports-hall-of-fame-movi...

[AQUAMAN]

Nice update, I wish them well for this worthy project, for a change. Of course this is privately funded, so it has to be quite worthy of the locals and their generous nature. Better by far than looking at another vacant Lud. Ave. building imho. Where's the DDA on ideas like this? Out to lunch methinks....hmmm.

[XLFD]

Your reference to the DDA, Aquaman, reminded me that at the last two meetings of the DDA a committee that was set up to look at revising the drive-thru ordinances (Ludington's prior DDAs previously made some onerous rules against drive-thru businesses in the downtown, no doubt to try and get people out of their cars) and mentioned this property and its potential as a future drive-thru business. 

It is unlikely that a sports hall of fame will want a drive-thru, but the work on the ordinance without reference to the MCSHOF means that this deal flew under the radar of those authorities until at least after their early April meeting.

[Willy]

It's nice that Ludington will have this downtown but I doubt it will be a cause for people to come to town. Fudgies might peak in and see what it's all about but once locals see it, my guess is that repeat visits will only be when new sports figures are inducted.

[XLFD]

I had the same impression.  I wish them the best of luck, but a regional sports hall of fame, unless exceptional in some way, can only draw so much interest from someone from out of the area, and limited interest from the area unless the inductees  are widely known and special. 

Working against them also is that the most special athletes from the area are already in the hall.  The relocation falls conveniently within the area's 'cultural economic development plan', however, so there will only be official acceptance of this even if it gets to the point where the MCSHOF has to get subsidized with public money, like the Jaycee's golf course might be.

[stump]

I have lived in Ludington for over 35 years and I can say that it won't be a destination I'll be stopping at. I didn't do sports when I was in school, I don't watch it on TV and could care less who the pass and future sports heros are. I do know that when I was in high school the guy's that were into sports didn't even talk to you if you were not on the team. The funniest thing happened back a few years ago at class reunion. This well known sports jock came up to me , called me by my name probably because I had a name tag on and proceeded to tell me all about his life, it was like we had been good buddies in high school. First time he had ever said anything to me, what a fake. I suppose there are people interested in things like that , but what I see is people who use the government hand outs and citizens money to support themselves.

[AQUAMAN]

Well, I do think it will be more of a local attraction for the Ludingtonians, than the tourists. That's a plus in my book. Looking back in the 60's-70's, we had a lot of athletes that were supreme in quality. In most sports while at LHS, we were district, regional, and semi-finalists in almost every major sport. Toward the end, we even added  wrestling, golf, and volleyball. For me anyhow, it would be nice to go somewhere downtown, and actually meet up with some of the locals that made this happen, instead of a bunch of Detroiters that dominate the entire landscape. Better than what it has been of recent, and is now anyhow.