Entries by Tracy Willis

Proposed Mixed-Use Development in Roseville Brings Hope and Criticism

Hawasli Homes is planning a multi-story, mixed-use development on a 1.2-acre vacant site on Utica Road. The site once held the Tip-Top Bar. While unanimously approved by the Roseville City  Council on Tuesday, the plan is not without controversy. Neighborhood residents say the 81,000-square-foot building will be too out-of-place in the residential area. They want […]

Regional Home Sales Decline Despite Interest Rate Drop

Regional home sales declined into the double digits in November, but prices remained high. RealComp and RE/MAX of Southeastern Michigan released reports on Tuesday confirming that buyers won’t have any price relief when compared to last year. The two separate reports reveal that the number of home sales in Southeast Michigan dropped by more than […]

Developer Pitches 57-Apartment Plan For Downtown Grand Rapids

W&S Development LLC, a Bazzani Building Company affiliate, is pursuing tax incentives for a proposed mixed-use development in downtown Grand Rapids. The Grand Rapids City Commission set a public meeting for January 24 to hear feedback on the application for a Brownfield Plan Amendment and a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone. The developer plans to build two […]

Builders Reuse, Recycle and Repurpose

Bazzani Building Company completed the 730 Leonard Project last year in Grand Rapids. The project is a prime example of adaptive reuse. Renovating existing buildings into new housing is a growing trend. Over the last two years in the U.S., adaptive reuse apartments increased by 25%. Empty office buildings, dilapidated factories, vacant healthcare buildings and […]

Grand Rapids Booms With New Projects

Grand Rapids is close to a achieving a record number of new developments. Despite supply chain issues, inflated costs and interest rates, and labor shortages, the city reported big numbers for new private investment in 2021. According the Grand Rapid’s Economic Development Director, it’s set to outpace 2021’s record again this year. Although its 2022 […]

Gilbert Trades Out Brokerage Firms On Hudson’s Project

Billionaire Dan Gilbert has hired the local office of New York City-based brokerage house Newmark to attract tenants to the new office space he’s building at Woodward and East Grand River avenues. The move marks a switch from the brokerage he had retained previously. The $1.4 billion Hudson’s site project is probably the highest and […]

Kent County Housing Snags Millions In American Rescue Plan Funds

Kent County housing is in line for almost $20 million by way of American Rescue Plan funds. The Kent County Revolving Housing Fund will receive $17.3 million, and an additional $500,000 is allotted to Housing Kent for the Kent County Equitable Housing Initiative. The funds represent one of the most significant investments in affordable housing […]

Petoskey Home Projects Step Toward More Affordable Housing

Northern Homes Community Development Corporation began construction on two homes near downtown Petoskey. The projects received funding from Charlevoix State Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis. According to Northern Homes Executive Director Jane Mackenzie, making the homes affordable for local residents is a tricky endeavor. Households earning less than 80% of the […]

Washtenaw County Purchases Conservation Property

Washtenaw County’s Parks and Recreation Commission closed on the purchase of  the Maisel property in Northfield Township on December 1. The purchase increases the county’s system of parks and nature preserves by about 220 acres. The $1.44-million conservation purchase will become one of the largest publicly accessible sites in the Ann Arbor area. Ann Arbor’s […]