In February 2025, the City of Macomb used Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funding totaling $215,000 to purchase the former Randolph House, which once was a storied hotel in which Abraham Lincoln stayed twice. Since that time, the city has been planning to transform the historic building back to its original grandeur that's suitable for modern times.
A LIDAR (or Light Detection and Ranging) scan, which uses laser pulses to measure distances and map 3D spaces, was completed last year, and the city has the full report of the entire interior and exterior. A preliminary design has been completed, and a hotel study will be finalized in the near future, reported Macomb Mayor Mike Inman. Once those pieces are in place, they'll help the city provide more information to potential developers, he added.
'We anticipate a Request for Qualifications to go out in early 2027 for a master developer for this property,' Inman explained. 'The project is progressing as planned.'
The City of Macomb purchased the historic downtown building as part of its downtown revitalization efforts. The Randolph House Hotel was considered to be one of the best hotels between Chicago and St. Louis back in the day, and it's where Lincoln stayed on Aug. 25, 1858 and a few months later on Oct. 25, when he was stumping for Senate against his rival, Stephen Douglas. The site also became a place for mourners to pay their respects following Lincoln's assassination. The two businesses currently in the space – Spellbound Stories and The Nail Salon – will continue to reside in their respective spaces, paying rent to the City of Macomb until a developer takes over and decides what to do with the building.
The initial process began a few years ago under then-Community Development Coordinator John Bannon, who began exploring options for the city to purchase The Randolph House to keep it from falling into disrepair. He worked with a consultant who has experience in historic buildings and redeveloping the structures.
The City of Macomb General Operating Fund is not impacted by this development, the mayor pointed out. In addition to TIF funds used to purchase the property, that funding source will also be used to pay for additional consultants and the hotel study/ survey. The project is also in the city's Business Development District (BDD).
