BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Calhoun County Treasurer Brian Wensauer announced Wednesday that the site of the former Village Inn Apartments, which is now home to a large Black Lives Matter mural, will be transferred to the City of Battle Creek.
This comes after the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority has conducted an environmental assessment of the site. The property was foreclosed on in July and transferred to the Treasurer’s Office.
“I want to ensure these powerful murals will have a lasting impact on the Battle Creek community, which is why I will eventually be transferring the property to the city so it can be properly maintained for future generations to appreciate,” Calhoun County Treasurer Brian Wensauer said.
The mural is being restored by community members after being vandalized earlier this week.
“I want to thank everyone who rallied together to help restore this important community art installation,” Wensauer said. “More than a dozen artists poured their hearts and souls into their murals and its heartwarming to see the outpouring of support for cleaning them up.”
City Manager Rebecca Fleury thanked Wensauer for his pledge to transfer the property to the city, and for the community’s efforts to help restore the murals.
“We were disheartened that someone chose to deface some of our community’s wonderful murals,” Fleury said. “The overwhelming support from groups throughout Battle Creek show how important these murals — and their messages — are to our community.”
In June, more than a dozen artists collaborated on a large mural bringing attention to the Black Lives Matter movement. The murals extend a full city block along East Dickman Road near Riverside Drive in Battle Creek.
The Village Inn Apartments were destroyed by a fire in the summer of 2018.
