Cheboygan Commons

11/13/2025

A series of unpaid bills continues to follow the former Great Lakes Tissue Company, even years after the paper mill's closure. See link below ⬇️
bit.ly/3JvilFa

07/21/2025

Sharing to support community awareness about more factors still surfacing surrounding the plant in recent years. This is specific to employee insurance premiums that were apparently collected, yet company non-payment caused cancellation. The BCBS statement and action to support the employee/victims in our community left with health care collection issues is commendable.

Former employees of the mill are relieved after Blue Cross Blue Shield determined Tissue Depot was responsible for unpaid bills.

07/11/2025

You may be noticing some activity on the warehouse portion of the site. The existing property owner/entity has been requested to move the fencing in order to get the sidewalk opened back up.

We thank the city and the chief of police for enforcing/requiring/requesting this action to allow citizens to safely walk along that roadway section.

06/05/2025

Brief update:

With the completion of the DNR lock and dam project, you will continue seeing the contractor dismantle and remove the crane that has been on-site. Once a full clean-up of their easement to the DNR property is finished, they will be fully gone from the plant property.

There are no new community updates regarding the property's legal issues, although public record shows a motion hearing seems to be scheduled for June 16th here in our Circuit Court.

05/08/2025

More is surfacing about the disturbing legal mess surrounding the plant.

The entire Commons team and its contract partners still believe in the vision, and they believe in Cheboygan. Hopefully things will get sorted out as swiftly as possible. The site continuing to spiral into greater decline is not good.

Kyle Konwinski of Grand Rapids-based Varnum LLP said Hom Paper XI, LLC, controlled by Thomas Homco, is now the only defendant in the lawsuit.

04/22/2025

Update:

Continuing the dedication to communicating with the community about the project's pre-development efforts, successes, and challenges...we share the following update.

Due to The Commons exercising its right to withdraw from the purchase agreement, the project has been dismissed with prejudice from the law suit filed by Cheboygan Hydro Services. However, the complex legal proceedings and many challenges of this site that would derail this/any development are absolutely not resolved.

The Team will remain hopeful that matters will ultimately be settled. The Cheboygan community deserves this site to be properly demolished, environmentally remediated, and to be a healthy asset to the community instead of the dangerous blight it is today.

04/09/2025

After a 2023 fire destroyed a warehouse across from the paper mill, it never resumed operations.

04/09/2025

CHEBOYGAN, Mich. — The development of Cheboygan Commons has been suspended due to a lawsuit involving the developers, the seller, and the city.The project, set

04/03/2025

Update: Forced Pause!

In the interest of continuing to be transparent with the community on the Cheboygan Commons project, we are greatly disturbed to inform the public that plans have been paused. A lawsuit naming 3 defendants has been filed by a previous tenent of the property who alleges to own and has the right to operate the hydro electric generator/facility. The Commons is one of the lawsuit victims.

Until these matters are fully resolved, the project is stepping back and will not launch such a positive/impactful vision for the community from a courtroom.

In the meantime, the serious concern in the team's opinion is the continued rapid decline of this increasingly dangerous site that could potentially pose a threat to public health, safety and the environment.

The project Team will continue to keep the public informed as things progress. As always, respectful comments/questions are welcome.

We have not given up hope - and don't want the community to either!

info@cheboygancommons.

An important aside!!!
The Team's thoughts are with our fellow community members as we all navigate the effects of this catastrophic ice storm. 'Together we are aways better and stronger'. The messages being seen on social media detailing neighbors helping neighbors, the Herculean efforts of the linemen/women, round the clock dedication of emergency response teams, and so much more detail the tenacity and grit of our area.

03/17/2025

Environmental Update:

One of the most difficult things about working to reinvent this site has been uncovering/exposing the decades (decades!) long decline of conditions and the mess left behind.

The project Team would like to thank the Cheboygan County Board of Commissioners again for their support and application to EGLE for BSA funds (Brownfield Site Assessment). Thanks to their concern for the property and support of the project vision, THIS WEEK on the WAREHOUSE SITE you will see environmental specialists taking critical samples.

We would also thank the NLEA (Northern Lakes Economic Alliance) for their assistance in the application process and the current property owner group for agreeing to the BSA activities.

Many folks are rightfully concerned about any possible environmental concerns on the property. Many folks are justifiably calling for a comprehensive 'clean-up' effort to address the gross conditions of the property. This week's sampling and the plan developed by EGLE and the environmental firm FISHBECK are the necessary first steps in the right direction. It is a challenging process!

After this critical testing, the plan will be refined further to remediate any identified concerns. Then, and only then, does new development possibly begin to occur.

The Commons Team would like to thank those who understand the complexity of this opportunity and for their patience and strong support as we work through the process.

We continue to say over and over again...nothing about this site is 'normal or easy'. Respectful/thoughtful comments/questions are aways welcome and we urge folks to like/follow/share our page Cheboygan Commons to stay factually informed.

[email protected]

03/05/2025

Taking a break from the challenges and the ton of hard work to think about some of the fun and beautiful opportunities the site offers!

This huge retaining wall (photos taken from a boat on the river) absolutely must stay in place ... but it doesn't have to stay ugly! Wouldn't it be amazing to have a professional muralist transform this crusty canvas into something beautiful?

Both Rogers City and Alpena are doing some incredible large scale public murals with artists from around the country (check out Murals On Main - Rogers City to see some inspiring examples)...We think this would be a perfect spot to do something similar! What do you think?