Abandoned Genesee County Savings Bank Before 2019 Renovations
The Genesee County Savings Bank office building has a rich history in Flint, Michigan.
This building, at the corner of Saginaw and Kearsley Street in Flint, has a very rich history...pun intended. What is now the Hilton Garden Inn was first built as the headquarters for Genesee County Savings Bank.
First founded in 1872, the Genesee County Savings Bank saw fast growth in its early days. By 1915, a new building was opened to serve as its headquarters in Flint. After consolidating with First National Bank of Flint, this new office building was constructed in 1919 to serve as its new headquarters.
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Unfortunately, after a number of mergers and eventually renaming itself to the First National Bank and Trust Company, the bank suffered during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Eventually, the bank ended up in receivership and all assets, including this building, were liquidated by 1940.
After sitting abandoned for many years, renovations began in 2019 after the Uptown Development Corporation decided to redevelop the building into a 100-room hotel. The building lives on and is now the Hilton Garden Inn Flint Downtown.
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The hotel itself is beautiful. I had the chance to check it out a couple of years ago when my sister was in town and stayed there. If you get a chance, definitely stop in to check it out. Sauce Italian American Kitchen is located on the first floor.
The building location is smack-dab in the middle of the downtown Flint area. The Flint Weather Ball is located on the same block and the University of Michigan - Flint Campus is directly across the street.
Source: Detroit Unseen & Hilton Garden Inn Flint