Exchange Building renovation complete in downtown Farmington

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned facelift to bring back that youthful glow. Unless, of course, you’re Joan Rivers. For vintage buildings, however, it can mean the difference between decrepit and aesthetically appealing.

That’s the case with the Exchange Building, 33314 Grand River Ave., in downtown Farmington. Workers have just finished replacing the façade of the old home to the Farmington Downtown Development Authority. The new face is now more in line with the building’s late 19th Century origins.

“It looks pretty good,” says Steven Schneemann, owner of S3 Architecture, the firm that designed the project. “It’s a great addition to the downtown.”

The downtown Farmington-based architecture firm used historic photographs and reclaimed brick in the facadectomy. However, the new face isn’t everything that it seems because it makes the one-story building look like it has two stories. The second story of the former Farmington Exchange Bank is just a façade where office space might eventually be added behind it.

The developer renovated the 1,500-square-foot building inside and out and is looking to lease the available office space.

Source: Steven Schneemann, owner S3 Architecture
Writer: Jon Zemke