By Ralph Echtinaw

An Alma College alumni plans to transform the southeast corner of M46 and Alger Road with a $10-million hotel and restaurant.

“It’s all a work in progress,” said Pine River Township Supervisor Kevin Beeson via email. “We’ve been working on this in the background for the past three or four months. There’s a lot of moving pieces, but it’ll be a wonderful addition to Pine River Township and Gratiot County in general to have a hotel that has national connections.”

The alumni is Greg Hatcher, Class of 1983 and current Alma College trustee. He is the CEO of The Hatcher Agency, the largest health insurance agency in Arkansas. 

Hatcher bought the former hotel, the former restaurant and the former bowling alley that sit on 8.86 acres just north of Garr Tool for at least $635,000 last July.

“Pine River Township is working on a Brownfield and a Community Redevelopment Act declaration to provide cleanup incentives for his planned redevelopment,” Beeson said.

Hatcher has also been a generous donor to Alma College, where he was a nine-time letter winner, one of the last athletes to play three varsity sports for four years and was named All-MIAA in wrestling for the 1982-83 season. He was a member of three Hall of Fame wrestling teams, a member of two Hall of Fame baseball teams and played on six MIAA Championship teams. Hatcher also participated in soccer for four years. He is a member of the Alma College Athletics Hall of Fame.

Hatcher announced a $10 million gift of an athletic complex to Alma College a week ago. Plans for the indoor facility include a track, turf infield, coaches’ offices, locker rooms, athletic training space and a weight room. Construction is expected to begin next year.

The Sentinel reached out to Hatcher (by email) for comment, but he has not yet responded.