The building, hereafter referred to as the "Building" or "The Old Cheboygan Courthouse”, is located at 229 Court Street, at the southeast corner of South Huron and Court Streets in the City of Cheboygan and is owned by the City of Cheboygan. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The City of Cheboygan is seeking qualified developers to submit proposals for the development of the Bodman Building, a key property located in downtown Cheboygan. The purpose is to solicit innovative and economically feasible development plans that align with the City’s vision for the community. 

The Old Cheboygan Courthouse was constructed  in 1869 by J. F. Watson and functioned as the Cheboygan County Courthouse until 1899 when a new courthouse was built across Court Street. That courthouse was demolished in the early 1970s and replaced by the present Cheboygan County Courthouse.

Since 1900, the Building has served various purposes: as firehouse, DAV hall, several churches, a community center, Boys' Club, Scouting meeting place, boxing center, Red Cross facility, City of Cheboygan storage, and from 1984 to October 2023, as a law office.

In 1983, the Building was leased to James Conboy, who completely renovated it. The renovation involved moving the Building offsite onto the adjoining parking lot to allow contractors to excavate  a basement, replace rotted sill plates with new timbers, and replace the then-crumbling stone foundation with a cement block foundation. The original stone foundation was attached to the new foundation to preserve the appearance of the old foundation. The ground floor, second floor, and basement of the Building all contain office space. The first and second floors are heated with separate gas forced-air furnaces and cooled with AC. The basement area has electric heat with  thermostats in each office.

Detailed information for each floor is as follows:

Basement (aka Garden Level):
    4 Offices
    Conference room
    Large secretarial  room
    Bathroom
    Furnace, water heater, and exit room
    Large storage area with shelves
1st  Floor:
    Waiting  area
    4 Offices
    Conference room
    Secretarial area
    Kitchen
    Two bathrooms, one with a shower
2nd Floor:
    7 Offices
    Furnace room
    Two secretarial
The building's parking lot is located adjacent to the rear of the building.

The City is accepting bids for this property until February 15. Call or email for full bid package and details. Website link above to full text of RFP. Abbreviated RFP details listed below. 

Scope of Work

The City envisions the development project to include but not be limited to:

• Preservation of the building and surrounding grounds.
• Reuse of the building that may be mixed-use development (residential, commercial, or a combination).
• Compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations.
• Sustainable and energy-efficient design practices.
• Integration with surrounding community.

Interested developers must submit a comprehensive proposal that includes the following
elements:

1. Executive Summary
2. Developer Information
3. Development Plan
4. Financial Plan
5. Community Impact
6. Regulatory Compliance

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Vision and creativity of the development plan.
• Experience and qualifications of the development team.
• Financial viability and sustainability of the project.
• Community impact and alignment with the City’s goals.
• Feasibility and timeline of the proposed plan.