MUSKEGON, MI — Developer Troy Wasserman’s vision for the old Lumberman’s Bank building at 221 W Webster Ave. is quickly taking shape. Plans call for the building to be ready for customers in October.

A lot has happened since Core Plaza, the future home of the Lumberman’s Vault food hall, signed its first tenant, soul food catering company Soul Filled, in March.

Wasserman, a partner in Core Plaza, told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle that the $8 million multi-use project also recently signed deals with Mexican restaurant Casa Casos and Thai fusion restaurant and juice bar Up Leaf Café.

Lumberman’s Vault is aiming to open in October, but the timing is subject to city approval.

RELATED: See the inside of the Muskegon Food Hall, which is being built in a historic bank building

Building permits have been granted for the first, second and basement floors, but the tenants themselves are at different stages of completing their respective apartments.

“I expect that thanks to our partners and our connections with the city, we can probably move it forward,” Wasserman said.

The third through sixth floors of the building are currently occupied by office tenants, including Core Realty Partners, all of which are open.

Since signing her contract for the Vault in March, Soul Filled owner LaKisha Harris and her large social media following have been the face of Core Plaza’s recruitment drive to fill the four spots on the Vault’s ground floor.

The booths range in size from 168 to 615 square feet, and tenants pay $17 per square foot for the kitchen and seating area. Monthly rents range from $600 to $2,200.

Within the common seating area is the “Liquid Assets” bar, the central element of which is one of the old bank’s 3,050 kilogram vault doors.

The black epoxy floor and the 46 ceiling lights painted in the shape of the moon give the dining hall a special atmosphere. Once completed, it will have 120 to 130 seats.

The dining hall will also feature an adjacent lounge area and several large-screen televisions on the walls.

Liquid Assets also has a license that allows customers to take their drinks to the building’s sidewalk along West Webster Avenue. There will be outdoor seating and lighting for that purpose, Wasserman said.

The Vault also recently applied for a license that would allow customers to take their drinks to the second-floor mezzanine.

The mezzanine level overlooking the bar features seven retail spaces, three of which are still available for lease. Wasserman said he has already secured the Alchemy Salon hair salon from the Barber’s Daughter and the Gathering Room, a rentable event space from Montague-based retailer Home and Gather.

The retail spaces range in size from 288 to 628 square feet and cost at least $25 per square foot. Wasserman said he hopes to have the second floor ready to welcome new tenants next week.

The basement vault, which is to be converted into a meeting room, contains a treasure trove of old bank memorabilia such as gates and safe deposit boxes that Wasserman hopes to reclaim.

“I have a guy who might build us some furniture. He was here the other day and said, ‘Don’t throw that stuff away,'” Wasserman said. “I don’t want that!”

The basement also offers storage space for grocery tenants and a fully equipped gym with restrooms and showers.

The redevelopment breathes new life into a building that has sat vacant for over a decade. Wasserman told MLive in March that the project will make room for new entrepreneurs and a new direction for the city.

Wasserman also has strong personal ties to the area. His family owns Muskegon’s oldest business, the 144-year-old Wasserman Flowers and Gifts.

The name Lumberman’s Vault pays homage to the building’s history. Originally built in 1962 as the National Lumberman’s Bank of Muskegon, the building was once considered the city’s most prominent bank and even became the state’s first rooftop helipad in 1965.

Wasserman called the old Lumberman building a “destination” because it “stands on its own.”

The Lumberman’s redevelopment is part of a renaissance of historic building renovations in Muskegon, in addition to the redevelopment of 794 NorthTown in Core Plaza and the Bernhardt family’s conversion of the former Muskegon Central United Methodist Church into a mixed-use retail and event venue.

The WheelFish Group also recently began converting the historic Hackley Administration Building into a hotel and nearby apartment complex.

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