Historic hotel building in Benton Harbor to be purchased, renovated

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. -- A long-abandoned structure in Benton Harbor will soon be under new ownership and under construction.

The official name of the building at the corner of Wall Street and Colfax Avenue is Mary's City of David Hotel, but many people refer to it as Mary's Fireproof Hotel due to its solid stone construction.

It is likely to have a new name soon, as House of David historian and real estate broker Chris Siriano says a potential buyer has signed an agreement to purchase the property, but the name of the buyer is not being released until after official closing of the sale which is expected to come as soon as Nov. 1.

The property has been on the market for over a dozen years and the current buyer is meeting the full asking price of $545,000.

The hotel originally opened in 1931.