Agents are seeing action on the commercial real estate side right now in the county, including brand new property listings and sales of long-established Leelanau businesses. Here’s the latest look at some of the deals underway from Empire to Northport.

Bahle Farms has a potential new owner with Leelanau ties
General manager at Bahle Farms, Erik Bahle, tells the Leelanau Ticker that the 200-acre golf course property is now under contract, with the identity of the buyer remaining private until the deal is finalized. What he can share now: “the potential new owner is a young, energetic person with family connections to Leelanau County and is excited to be coming back to the area.”

Members of the Bahle family announced that they were ready to sell as the public course entered its 20th year of operation in Suttons Bay last fall. Cory Beuerle of Century 21 Northland is representing the Bahles in their goal to “transition to new ownership with the same ambition of fostering and supporting our community.”

Says Bahle, who has worked at Bahle Farms since its opening day, “I’ll be proud to introduce this person to our customers and have great confidence [the new owner] will take what’s here now and refine it, grow it, and make it flourish.”

Bahle says the intention is to welcome back all current staff, adding, “what made the course great was the staff members and the customers — many of whom we knew before there ever was a golf course — and many who came here as their first introduction to Leelanau County.” 

Built on land farmed by the family since the mid 1940’s, the golf course shares its acreage with cherry orchards and hardwood forest. The business, both Class C Liquor and banquet licenses, equipment, as well as a farmhouse and pole building were included with the asking price of $3.25 million.

Bahle says the new owner indicated the fruit-growing operations would continue on the property, including those cherry orchards currently farmed under contract with Cherry Bay Orchards. He will remain on as a resource and managing consultant to ensure a seamless transition as the golf course kicks off the 2021 season.

The Red Barn re-envisioned
Real estate agent Ron Raymond of Serbin Real Estate in Glen Arbor confirms that the historical landmark best known as the “Red Barn” on M-72 has a buyer and is awaiting entrepreneurial endeavors to come late this spring.

Broker Tom Krause of Krause Realty Solutions is the purchaser and developer, currently seeking interested parties to lease commercial space in the 1889-era barn. Krause tells the Leelanau Ticker, “We have a restaurant that is interested and a bakery that is interested — nothing is finalized yet.”

He says an established restaurateur from Traverse City’s east side hopes to open a Mexican restaurant in the space, dependent on workforce availability. A local baker would potentially take over the lower level of the barn to open a second storefront.

Krause says he should have commitment from both the restaurant and bakery owner this month but is keeping possibilities open. “We are seeking creative, cool tenants,” he says. “It’s a gorgeous, landmark building situated 20 minutes from Lake Ann, Glen Arbor, Empire, Frankfort, and Maple City.”

Meanwhile, “We are in the process of doing some site plan work, elevations and drawings that would include firepits, tables, and outside seating.”

Raymond says the Red Barn’s square 10-acre parcel at the border of Kasson and Empire townships allows for an appropriately sized septic field for an array of uses.

More commercial real estate dealings across the county
The 9,260 square-foot commercial space on the corner of Waukazoo and Nagonaba in the heart of Northport is listed for $1.2 million with Dan Stiebel of Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors. The upper floor of the iconic building has been restored and converted into a nine-room inn. He tells the Leelanau Ticker that because the property would easily accommodate an owner occupying one or more of the units, “This is a unique opportunity for someone who wants to live in a quaint yet sophisticated northern Michigan town and take advantage of our thriving hospitality market.”

Of the main floor, he adds, “a new owner may want to create a high-end residential unit to live in or rent out, a restaurant, a retail store or just continue leasing the space to the creative community of Northport residents.”

The three main-floor tenants — a real estate office, Northport Fitness, and The Union event space — would remain through their lease terms.

In Cedar, renovations of the former CHASE bank building are nearing the finish line, with Cedar River Coffee Company owner Cindy Gale telling the Leelanau Ticker that she’s aiming for an April 10 grand opening. “This is still not firm — COVID is giving us some issues — but construction is moving along.” The building’s owner, real estate agent Lisa Rossi-Brett, says her five-member real estate team will also set up shop in the downtown Cedar digs at 9104 South Kasson Street starting in early April. The agents’ move from Traverse City to the county coincides with a name change: “we changed brokerages last week so we’re now The Leelanau Group - Five Star Realty Leaders.”    

Rossi-Brett listed Sugarfoot Saloon — also in Cedar — in mid-February. The Mexican-American eatery and brew pub owned for three decades by Pete and Karen Bardenhagen went under contract within three weeks. She says the deal is moving forward with the potential buyer, who will make an announcement about his plans — “definitely to continue on as a food and beverage establishment”— in the coming days.

Finally, some breaking news with the 1890-era Little Traverse Inn and Gastro Pub in the heart of Leelanau County (149 East Harbor Hwy, Maple City), which was just listed for $1.9 million on Friday morning. The listing agent, Nicole Anderson of Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors, says Graeme Leask, proprietor for the last decade, accepted an offer late Sunday evening. He plans for the dining, live music, and B&B destination to stay open throughout the selling process. Ultimately he and life and business partner Michelle Schulte will relocate to be closer to his parents, who reside in England. 

Pictured: Hole 13 at Bahle Farms Golf Course