Travelers Club International Restaurant & Tuba Museum demolished

Former Bottoms Up, Okemos Ace Hardware locations scheduled for demolition next week

TUESDAY, Jan. 5 — As part of Meridian Township’s Village of Okemos Project, the Travelers Club International Restaurant & Tuba Museum has undergone demolition. A nearby block, the former home of Bottoms Up Lingerie and Okemos Ace Hardware, is scheduled for demolition next week.

The demolitions are part of the Village of Okemos Project, a mixed-use development plan that has been in the works in various forms for several years that will transform two full blocks along the west side of Okemos Road between Clinton and Methodist Streets, with Hamilton becoming a “focal point for street trees flanking quaint shopping and eating offerings,” according to the project’s official website. You can view photos and videos of the Travelers Club demolition via a digital photo gallery posted by Meridian Township. 

“Environmental work was the necessary first step of the project to mitigate the toxic soils left by three defunct gas stations and a dry cleaner site. The holes left by this fall excavation will become the foundation for seven buildings to be built on the two-block site,” reads a press release from Meridan Township.

“Throughout 2020 residents will see the construction of over 200 luxury living units and over 50,000 square feet of leasable space for commercial operations. Douglas J will occupy a significant portion of the southern block’s commercial space. During this time, significant road improvements and traffic flow enhancements will ensure that when occupied in mid/late 2022, the Village will be a calm and accessible Prime area.”

For more information about the demolitions and the Village of Okemos Project, visit Meridian Township’s website.