Anton closed the deal with previous owners Jill and Danny Rye in early September. They had owned it since 1985. Tom Earl and his wife, Missy Smithwick, have been hired to be live-in managers. Earl said the original house was built by the Capone family and the site was one of many rural getaways he had in northern Michigan and Wisconsin. He said the resort has been well kept over the years and its trade is about 90 percent repeat business, including families who have been returning over the last 30 years.
Most guests come from southern Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
Anton said he bought the property as a long-term investment prospect and that it may be several years before he considers any major changes there. Northport Bay, built several years ago, is finally turning the corner and will break even after its best year so far, he said. The encouraging thing about that project, he said, is the business is 80 percent bookings by people who had been there before and wanted to return. That is a good base to build on, he said. He and his partners earlier this year completed development of the 310 West Front Street office building in downtown Traverse City and are still working to get it filled up.