henryspaintingcontract hhpaintingco.com

Community Pride
Renovating a run-down motel for low-income residents

In progress, as the building is being brought back to life.

In business for over 90 Years, H&H Painting has long been a part of the community in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and recently had the honor of participating in a city-wide project to help provide affordable housing for the homeless.

“An organization called The Lift Foundation has been addressing this issue since 1966 and has established over 600 affordable units in Kalamazoo County, actively trying to provide homeless individuals with affordable living,” explained Keagan Sisco, project manager with H&H. “In early 2021 the Foundation came together to completely transform the old Knights Inn Motel into a 60-unit one- or two-person studio style apartment complex. This renovated motel, now called the Lodgehouse, gives individuals a fair and equal opportunity for affordable living regardless of their history.” The plan was to completely renovate the property, giving the outmoded motel a new and vibrant appearance.

It was a gut renovation, with H&H tapped for an interior and exterior repaint. But it didn’t come without its challenges; the crew had to remove quite a bit of loose existing exterior paint to provide a sound surface for the new gallons. “We spent countless hours scraping paint and prepping to ensure the new paint bonded and adhered correctly,” said Sisco. “Also, a compressed schedule made hitting job deadlines a tough challenge. As we are all aware, it’s rare to get through a job start to finish without any hiccups. This job had to be managed to make sure that everything was complete on time and on budget.”

They made it happen by working closely together, planning as much as three weeks out, and spending their labor hours as productively as possible.

The renovated interior will provide a clean and safe space for previously homeless tenants. APC