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Eloise to be transformed into a hotel, bar, and restaurant

By Sarah Shurge haunted and paranormal tours are
Michigan gained a new haunted offered throughout the year.
house when Eloise Asylum opened a Jay Kays, Eloise Haunted Attrac-
walkthrough immersive horror expe- tion Operations Manager, explained
rience in 2021. The 30,000-square- that much of Eloise Asylum’s
foot state-of-the-art haunted haunted attraction was designed to
experience opened Friday, October 1, mimic the history that happened in
2021. the historic building.
Then Eloise announced its In 1839, the Kay Beard Building
newest addition, Escape the Asylum, started as a poor house and farm
a new escape room that opened Fri- house. It eventually was developed
day, May 13, 2022. into an asylum, sanitarium, and hos-
Now Eloise is once again under- pital. One of the other buildings still
going some major changes. standing on the property is the old
Thanks to funding from The commissary, which is currently
Michigan Department of Environ- being used as a shelter for families
ment, Great Lakes and Energy struggling with homelessness.
(EGLE), the Eloise property will be A portion of the proceeds from
transformed into a hotel, restau- ticket sales for Eloise Asylum’s
rant/bar, and expanded haunted at- haunted attraction were donated to
traction in a massive $4 million the homeless shelter on campus.
renovation project. When the new project is com-
EGLE will provide a $695,000 pleted, the transformation will create
brownfield grant to help remove sev- several hundred jobs and a sizable
eral blighted structures from the City of Westland teaming up with ings over 902 acres. boost in Eloise’s taxable value.
grounds and clean up the petroleum- 30712 Michigan Avenue LLC to rede- The Kay Beard Building is one of Eloise is located at 30712 Michi-
related contamination on the prop- velop the historic site. only five structures that remain of gan Ave in Westland and is open se-
erty. At one point, the Eloise Hospital, the complex and was used for Wayne lect dates and times. For more
The brownfield grant is just a por- Infirmary, and Sanatorium was the County administration until it closed information or to buy tickets, visit
tion of Eloise’s overall $4 million ren- largest psychiatric facility in the in 2016. But its doors didn’t close of- eloiseasylum.com or call (618) 719-
ovation plan, which also includes the United States, consisting of 78 build- ficially. The building is said to be 5615.

8 · February 2023 · The Wayne Dispatch