Alan Hooper is an Old Town man, through and through. His business,
Triterra (an environmental consulting and Brownfield development firm), is located on Center Street in Old Town. Beyond that, he also owns other property in Old Town; he is married to Jamie Schriner-Hooper, who headed up the Old Town Commercial Association before becoming director of the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) ... Oh, and his sister-in-law, Summer Schriner, owns Grace Boutique.
Hooper is a key player in Old Town’s revitalization, but Triterra's president and principal geologist doesn’t consider himself an environmentalist.
“When people first hear about us, their reaction is, ‘Oh, you're an environmentalist,’” he explains. “I always say, ‘No, I’m an environmental consultant.’ We're not an activist organization, we're a business. We were formed to help other businesses with environmental risks, responsibilities and opportunities.”
What does this mean? “Everyone understands that, for example, a petroleum distribution business deals with the risk of spilling petroleum and the responsibility to clean it up if they do,” he explains. “A lot of our work involves customers who face these situations. When we started the business, we also recognized that ‘the environment’ also represented some amazing opportunities to improve profit margins. Brownfield development has been a great opportunity. We believe very strongly in reusing and redeveloping buildings and infrastructure as good development principles. The falling real estate prices, abundance of vacant properties and strong incentives have also made it a great investment opportunity. We not only help our clients with these projects, but also invest in them ourselves.”
Hooper likes how there’s no such thing as a typical day for him. “I think that’s what I enjoy most about the business I’m in. I've been in all sorts of old buildings throughout the Midwest, worked behind drilling rigs and alongside all sorts of construction equipment. I'm pretty happy with the balance I have right now between being out at job sites and back at the office. I'm not very good at building things with my hands, but I'm pretty handy with spreadsheets and financial projections.”
It’s clear that Hooper loves old buildings. He and some partners bought Old Town’s iconic, 14,500-square-foot Temple Club in 2009. “We're vigorously pursuing financing for an exciting project in that space,” he says. “Obtaining financing for a startup business is difficult right now.”
Last spring he added the former Ramon's/South Town building in REO Town to the list of properties he owns. “We're working hard to bring that building back to life,” he explains. “It was full of water, mold, asbestos, raccoon droppings and fleas. I'm pleased with the way it’s shaping up so far. REO Town is a real gem with a great ‘main street feel’ to it.”
Hooper thinks the site’s ideal for retail shops, restaurants, office incubator space, or even a coffee shop. I ask, doesn’t Lansing have enough coffee shops? “I don't know,” he answers. “I guess it depends on where you're usually at when your travel mug is empty.”
When asked to share his vision for Lansing, he doesn’t hesitate. “I'd like to see us keep our unique history and cultural heritage as we continue to develop and grow the city. One of the most appealing things about the city is its unique architecture and appeal that just isn't replicated in suburban settings. I really like that Lansing has different areas that all have their own identity: Old Town, downtown, REO Town, the Eastside, the Stadium District, the Westside, the Southside. There's a tremendous amount of diversity in Lansing. I hope that continues to grow and each area continues to develop its own identity.”
He also sees a future in which public transportation will play a larger role in our lives. “Over time I think we will see more utilization of public transportation or at least less non-carpool, single passenger trips in our own cars,” he predicts. “At some point, rising energy prices will hit us all in the wallet and change how we go from place to place. It's also going to change where we choose to live relative to where we work and our children go to school. It amazes me to see people inconvenience themselves by waiting for 30 minutes to fill up on gasoline that is ten cents cheaper than the station down the road. They’re saving roughly two dollars on a 20-gallon tank fill up. If they get 20 miles to the gallon and drive 100 miles a week to work and back, they could save two and a half gallons or at least eight dollars just by carpooling with one other person.”
Hooper grew up on a farm near Deckerville, a small village in the “thumb,” and came to Greater Lansing to study at Michigan State University. What does he like most about this community? “Lansing is a great Midwestern city,” he says. “We have world-class hospitals, a university, law schools, medical school, community colleges. This is where the whole state comes to do business. With everything that we have, I like the most that it still feels like a small town. It's easy to get to know people here.”
When he’s not serving his clients, buying and renovating buildings and enhancing the community, Hooper serves on the board of the
Oldham Project, a nonprofit organization that provides free professional portrait sessions to those with life-threatening or terminal illnesses. Alan lost his first wife, Mel, to breast cancer. And he’s raising a son, Jack, a high school sophomore.
He and Jamie made a deal when they were married. “She would move out to Laingsburg so that Jack could finish school there,” he says. “When he graduates, we’ll find an old home to fix up somewhere around Old Town.” Just a few more years before Alan Hooper becomes completely immersed.
Patrick Diehl is a freelancer writer for Capital Gains.
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of
Trumpie Photography.
Photos: Alan Hooper
Photos ©
Dave Trumpie