Lakeshore Developer Relocates From Grand Haven To Tap Muskegon County Growth

Cherette Group LLC is constructing a roughly 10,000-square-foot office building next to its ongoing development of the 92-unit Summit at Harvey Townhomes project. Both projects are under construction at 6420 S. Harvey St., where the driving range associated with the former Fruitport Golf Club operated. Cherette Group previously redeveloped the golf course into housing and later sold to other developers and operators.

“This location was really intentional because the Harvey corridor and Fruitport Township have been growing just explosively over the last five to 10 years,” John Cherette, director of development at Cherette Group, told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business. “This is a commitment to our belief in Fruitport Township and Muskegon County.”

Cherette Group has been headquartered in downtown Grand Haven in neighboring Ottawa County since it was founded in 2012 by Denny Cherette, who has worked in real estate since 1977. The firm’s offices are at 333 Washington Ave. in Grand Haven, on the entire second floor of the building.

The company sold its Grand Haven building to a company affiliated with a Muskegon doctor’s office in August 2024 for $2.7 million, but has continued leasing space there while the Fruitport Township project is completed.

Executives aim to relocate to the new offices by the end of 2026, Cherette said. Cherette Group will take up a little more than half the office building, and plans to lease the remainder to another tenant.

“What we’re really doing is filling a need for Class A office space in that area and in Muskegon County,” Cherette said. “But also, when you look at the lakeshore of Muskegon Lake, it’s gorgeous and I think that Muskegon is going to continue to grow and flourish. We want to be a part of that.”

Muskegon County had a 4.8% average vacancy rate across its office market as of June 18, according to a West Michigan office report from Colliers. The average office market vacancy rate throughout West Michigan was at 8.9% during the same time. By comparison, Grand Rapids’ downtown posted a 10.3% office vacancy rate.

No new office construction took place throughout the second quarter of 2026, according to the Colliers report, a steady trend over the past couple of years.

The Cherette Group is talking to potential tenants for the building, which would most likely be some kind of high-end professional office user, Cherette said.

Trevor Friedeberg, president and CEO of Greater Muskegon Economic Development, agreed with the notion that the county is lacking in Class A office space — and the kinds of jobs that fill those buildings.

“It’s clear that Muskegon is becoming a place where companies choose to grow and establish themselves. It’s about where they see their future and demonstrating a willingness to call Muskegon County home,” Friedeberg said, noting that offices are “the kind of investment we want to see.”

Horizon Building Group is constructing the project, and Ghafari Associates LLC is the architect. The site is an outlot on the former driving range property that Cherette Group acquired in October 2024.

The work that Cherette Group has done to redevelop the 115-acre, former Fruitport Golf Club was expansive, and included selling 32 acres of the property to Costco Wholesale Corp., developing 217 apartment units on site, and selling land to single-family home developer JTB Homes to construct 188 homes on the property.

Cherette Group also sold property that included the former clubhouse of the golf course to Genesis Church.

“When you have national brands like Costco moving in, it really shows Muskegon County is growing and ready to support a business like that,” Cherette said.

Friedeberg called Cherette Group’s developments and office project “an incredible vote of confidence” for the community.

“They wouldn’t be investing there if they didn’t think it was a good long-term play to move their headquarters to Muskegon County,” Friedeberg said.

The move from downtown Grand Haven will “definitely be a change,” but the future Cherette offices are only 6 miles away, Cherette said.

“The significance of the address changing isn’t necessarily that we’re leaving Grand Haven, but more so that we’re coming to join and really continue to be part of Fruitport Township and Muskegon County,” Cherette said.