Delamar Traverse City partners George Cochran and Charles Mallory have announced plans to break ground in September on a new luxury residential development next to Sunset Park. Delamar Residences, which will contain 14 units starting at $2.4 million, will have a new public full-service spa – with the partners also planning to pursue a marina for the Delamar property.

In other hotel news, a “reimagined” Dexter Hotel opened Tuesday in Elk Rapids following extensive renovations with Executive Chef John Korycki – formerly of Black Star Farms – set to oversee a new food program at the hotel’s Noble Lounge.

Delamar Residences
Plans that have been “on the drawing board” since George Cochran and Charles Mallory acquired the Delamar property in late 2018 – then a Holiday Inn Resort – to develop both the east and west sides of the property are moving forward, Cochran says.

The partners plan to break ground right after Labor Day on the new Delamar Residences, a luxury residential complex designed by local architect Ray Kendra on the east side of the site next to Sunset Park (pictured, rendering). The 14 homes, which will include two- and three-bedroom configurations and range from 1,660 to 2,080 square feet, will have a shared rooftop, water and park views, private outdoor space, ground-floor parking, and upscale amenities. The building will have a commercial office space and a full-service spa – something Delamar has long sought to incorporate into the hotel and will be open to the public, Cochran tells The Ticker.

Crossover between the hotel and residences is a key part of the development plan. Owners of the new units will have hotel privileges, including access to the indoor and outdoor pools and concierge-style support. “Branded residences are a very popular concept across the world,” says Cochran. “You will see them from the Ritz, Four Seasons, all the top names in hospitality. People gravitate toward having all the amenities of a luxury hotel and restaurant and being able to be right on the water…without all the upkeep of a big lake house.”

Units will start at $2.4 million and go on sale June 1. Construction requires a tricky balance to not disrupt hotel guests during the peak summer season – hence the September groundbreaking, Cochran says. The goal is to get the new building enclosed before next Memorial Day so that work can move inside next summer, with a planned fall 2027 opening. Cochran anticipates some units will be second homes or investment purchases, though he notes owners won’t be able to use them for short-term rentals themselves. If interested, they can put them into a rental pool that will be managed exclusively by Delamar, he says.

The owners are also continuing to pursue plans for a marina on the property. Delamar sought a zoning change in 2023 that would have allowed marinas and boat liveries to operate in the city’s HR (hotel resort) district. Delamar has a seasonal dock it installs, which is a legal nonconforming use, and sought zoning clarification around that continued use as well as the future installation of another dock. City Planning Director Shawn Winter noted at the time that no privately owned properties are in city zoning districts that allow marinas, essentially meaning only public marinas can operate in TC.

City commissioners were divided on the zoning proposal. Some were happy to have the city’s only marinas be public ones; others pointed to the local demand for slips (most area marinas have a 5-15-year waiting list) and noted any proposals would still have to go through extensive city, state, and federal reviews even if allowed. Commissioners ultimately took no action on the zoning request, causing it to stall. Cochran says the Delamar partners are “still committed and working diligently on everything that would allow a marina to be there…it’s something I’ve committed to making happen, because I think the city needs it.”

Dexter Hotel
After extensive renovations, the “reimagined” Dexter Hotel opened its doors Tuesday on Dexter Street in Elk Rapids.

Created by the former creative director of Shinola and built by Shore North Development in collaboration with Kinship Hospitality founders Daniel Caudill and Kamron Bijeh-Apple, the hotel now features 29 rooms with a “modern, sophisticated aesthetic rooted in place through carefully sourced materials, custom fabrication by Michigan makers, and curated vintage furniture that honors the state’s design legacy,” according to a hotel release. The rooms have been designed to feel like “warm, peaceful apartments” with custom furniture, lighting manufactured by Britten, and drapery sewn by a Traverse City seamstress.

"We approached this project by asking whether every element – every piece of furniture, every ceramic, every fixture – could be created by Michigan makers,” says Caudill. Art on the hotel walls comes from Michigan artists including Martyna Alexander, Pier Wright, and Jesse Hickman. Bowls, trays, cups, plates, soap dishes, and lamps were sourced from Traverse City ceramicists. The hotel also features custom millwork on the handcrafted reception desk and in Noble Lounge, Dexter’s restaurant and bar.

The kitchen at Noble Lounge will now be overseen by a new face – though one familiar to many Traverse City and Leelanau foodies. Executive Chef John Korycki, a veteran of Black Star Farms and frequent culinary instructor at NMC’s Extended Education program, will launch a new menu in mid-June featuring 9-12 seasonal small plates. Ingredients will be “sourced from celebrated local farms and artisans, including internationally award-winning cheesemakers from Suttons Bay and Northport,” according to the release. In a Facebook post, Korycki called Noble Lounge a “new creative challenge.”

“Stay tuned for a small plate menu featuring my handmade Italian pastas, Polish-inspired dishes, and seasonal Mediterranean flavors – all to be enjoyed with craft cocktails and great bottles of wine,” he wrote. The bar program will be headed up Anthony “Tony” DiMaria, formerly of Detroit’s Sugar House and Otis Harbor Spring, with a focus on “molecular mixology techniques,” an opening menu of 6-7 cocktails, and a “robust non-alcoholic program,” according to the hotel.