Eroding culvert originally installed as part of Giantway expansion project in 1971

CADILLAC — An aging culvert in downtown Cadillac that is in danger of collapsing into the Clam River was installed more than 50 years ago to create one of the largest parking lots in the city.

According to Cadillac News archives, the culvert’s installation was part of an expansion project undertaken by Giantway, the grocery store that used to exist at the present-day location of Save-A-Lot and Family Dollar.

The Giantway grocery store chain’s history at the location dates back to 1950, when the first Giant Super Market was built at the site.

The store opened to much fanfare, as it featured a number of novel features not before seen in the city, including a “giant neon sign,” a distinctive store-front made almost exclusively of plate glass windows and a “frez-o-mat,” which was a device that packaged frozen fruits and vegetables in a separate compartment, “requiring but the opening of a door to release the desired item to the customer.”

Giant Super Market was also the first store in Cadillac to feature “magic eye” doors that automatically opened for customers.

“The ‘magic’ is worked by the crossing of a light beam activating a photo-electric cell,” the Cadillac Evening News reported. “Cutting off of the beam in turn activates a compressing unit which swings open the door.”

In order to provide access to parking at the store, which was built near the Clam River, the Cadillac City Commission had to approve a request by Giant food stores president Lloyd Walton to cut the North Mitchell Street curb from River Street to the Clam River Bridge.

Years before Giantway built a store there, the location was used as a football field for kids, and for “tabernacle meetings and tent shows.” There was swimming in the nearby Clam River in the summer and skating on it in the winter. One longtime resident remembered that the city sewer once ran down the center of the river in a wooden box.

In 1964, Giantway built another building on the east side of the old building. The new building became the super market and the Giantway Department Store opened in the old building.

With the Cadillac area continuing to grow, Giantway officials in 1971 announced their plans to enlarge the Giantway Department Store and Giant Super Market into the “Giantway Plaza.” The project called for the expansion of the present two stores into a single 55,000-square-foot building with the two stores having a central common entrance.

Along with the expanded building, the project called for the creation of a larger parking lot with space for more than 300 automobiles.

In order to accomplish this expansion, Giantway entered into an agreement with the owner of Midget Market, which at the time was located right in the middle of the what was to become the new parking area. Pictures on the Wexford County Historical Society website show the Midget Market before it relocated a few yards north. The pictures show the Clam River next to it, uncovered and bordered by a guardrail.

In the agreement, Midget Market owner Bud Skinner gave up his old store at 822 North Mitchell St. in return for a new, larger store a few yards to the north. The agreement also allowed his customers to park in the huge plaza parking area if necessary.

A photograph printed in the July 27, 1971 edition of the Cadillac Evening News shows the installation of culverts under the pavement as part of the expansion.

The caption reads: “The expansion program of Giantway Discount Department Store and Giant Super Market is continuing. Here, a heavy equipment operator uses a crane to good advantage in installing huge pipes in the Clam River completely covered, but the water will continue to run — through the pipes.”

The Giantway Plaza held its grand opening in December of 1971. The plaza was reported to be six times the size of Giantway’s two existing facilities, employing four times as many people (around 125).

City engineer Connie Boice, with Prien and Newhof, said a project of this type likely wouldn’t have been permitted following the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972. Prior to that, Boice said municipal officials were more apt to permit private developers to deal with public waterways as they saw fit.

The consequences of that philosophy are being experienced today, as the culvert underneath the Save-A-Lot and Wexford Jewelers parking lots is failing in multiple places, creating large holes in the asphalt above.

If the culvert were to collapse, Boice said they believe water from the Clam River would back up and flow into an old railroad grade nearby, which would take it north across Mitchell Street and into the neighborhood near Lincoln Elementary School. This would be a worst-case scenario, as it likely would lead to the neighborhood being flooded.

Boice said the culvert would be particularly vulnerable to damage and potential collapse in the event of a “100-year storm.” She said anytime there are heavy rains, she and other city officials keep a close eye on the area.

In the event of a collapse, Boice said they’ve come up with a plan to redirect the water so it doesn’t damage nearby homes and businesses. She said the plan is to use pump trucks to divert the water from the site of the collapse back into the Clam River on the other side of the culvert. In theory, Boice said this should buy them enough time to remove the debris and get the water flowing normally again.

At this point, most of culvert deterioration has occurred on the southwest side of Mitchell Street, near Wexford Jewelers but there has also been some damage on the northeast side of Mitchell Street, where the culvert runs underneath the Save-A-Lot parking lot. No damage has occurred underneath Mitchell Street because it is held up by a bridge, not the culvert.

Boice said they believe the culvert underneath the Save-A-Lot parking lot is about five years behind the culvert underneath the Wexford Jewelers parking lot, in terms of deterioration, but both sides will need to be addressed soon.

It is not clear from the Cadillac News archives if the culvert near Wexford Jewelers was installed at the same time as the one near Save-A-Lot, or at a different time.

It is worth noting, however, that an aerial photograph that appears to have been taken sometime in the 1970s shows the river covered up on both sides of Mitchell Street.

Cadillac City Manager Marcus Peccia said one of the complications of dealing with the culverts is that they can’t locate any title work associated with them, which means that on paper, they don’t exist. Figuring out a way to convey the property to the appropriate entity in order to remedy the situation is something they’re currently working on.

Boice said it would cost between $1 million and $2 million to install a new culvert but this is something the Michigan Department of Great Lakes and Energy likely wouldn’t sign off on, as it’s better for the environment and wildlife for the river to be exposed.

Boice said she’s developed a plan that would expose the Clam River and make use of several vehicle and pedestrian bridges.

The only catch is the much higher price tag — around $15 million.

Peccia said they’ve been in contact with area lawmakers and made them aware of the situation. They’ve also requested that state funds be allocated to the project.

Keep reading the Cadillac News for continuing coverage on this developing story.

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