While looking forward to continued redevelopment, Grand Traverse Commons will honor its former incarnation as the State Hospital through a new museum on the Commons campus. The museum is set to open by Memorial Day weekend.

The idea came not from businesses or individuals associated with the Commons, but from visitors. Tours of the grounds have become increasingly popular, and the response from those taking the tours has been a request for more: more photos, more stories, more history.

“The feedback is people would love to see a museum,” says Krystal Fluette, office manager for the Minervini Group, which owns and is overseeing the renovation of the property.

Some artifacts are already on display at B50 The Village Store, but a significant expansion is planned. Displays will be created in in three connected rooms next to the gift shop. Though the museum could limit potential income from the leasable space, Fluette says, “we met and talked it out, (and decided) this is something we want and need to do.”

“Each will tell a story, with photo images and information paired up with artifacts we do have,” Fluette says. On display outside the rooms will be a timeline, showing the history of the grounds and facility.

Assisting in the process is the Traverse Area Historical Society (TAHS). TAHS Marketing Chair Matt Groleau says the group entered into discussions about the proposed museum when Fluette asked for input.

Groleau says he is one of three TAHS volunteers working on different facets of the endeavor, with Groleau serving as project manager.

“They’re doing a lot of the meat-and-potatoes work,” says Fluette of the partnership.

One of the primary challenges is that there’s a limited number of actual artifacts on-site. An auction took place after the hospital closed in 1989, and by the time Ray Minervini took over in 2002, most everything was gone.  The hope is that materials in private hands could find their way back so the public can see and appreciate them. “One approach is doing some outreach to the community, get some artifacts from people, things they have that we could put on display,” says Groleau.

“Anybody who has artifacts or things they’ve got … they could donate back,” Fluette adds. Donations and loans of material are welcome.

Northern Michigan Asylum was established on the property in 1881, expanded, later became Traverse City State Hospital, closed in 1989, and was finally purchased and is being redeveloped by the Minervini Group. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Michigan State Historic Site.

Eventually a permanent Commons museum could be housed in one of the other buildings, perhaps one of the cottages once they’re fully renovated. “As additional renovation takes place we could expand it, house it in one of the cottages,” says Groleau.

“We want to start here, start small. We’re still putting it all together,” says Fluette.