New life for G.R.'s second oldest building | News

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - There is a new occupant for an iconic downtown building. The law firm, Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday morning for their new office in the Flat Iron Building.

The landmark, triangular-shaped building at the corner of Ottawa and Monroe Center NW was built in 1860 and is the second oldest building in Grand Rapids.

The law firm and its partners teamed up with a developer to restore the building, parts of which have not been occupied since the 1940s. In addition to a fresh look inside, the Flat Iron Building is now LEED-certified.

Craig Noland of Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge jokes, "I haven't seen any ghosts yet, but we're getting a good vibe here for sure."

During the Civil War, the Flat Iron Building housed retail stores and a bank on the first floor, as well as offices and a boarding house upstairs.