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West Michigan Projects Receive Rehabilitation Grants

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Multiple projects in West Michigan have received almost $19 million in placemaking and real estate rehab grants from the state. The Right Place, the city of Grand Rapids and city of Muskegon were awarded $18,991,166. Twenty-two grants totaling $83.8 million were approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund board. The grants are part of the Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) incentive program created to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan. The program grants up to $5 million per project for real estate rehabilitation and development and up to $1 million per project for public space improvements.  Up to $20 million can go to local or regional partners who develop a coordinated subgrant program.

 

 

The Gillespie Group to Transform Lansing’s Former Sears Location

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The Gillespie Group is looking to transform a major business corridor in Lansing, Michigan by developing a former Sears location. Located at 3131 E. Michigan Ave., the property is being marketed as ROECO as a tribute to Sears Roebuck.  Gillespie Group’s project aims to transform the property into a mixed-use entertainment destination. It has already hooked the attention of local and national investors. The new development would come to be as thousands of new housing units are being built across the Lansing area. ROECO is situated in the heart of the region and across the street from new dining, housing and hotel rooms. The timeline and and final product of the project will be in flux as the Gillespie Group continues to find new partners.

 

Ann Arbor’s Former Lucky’s Market Is Repurposed

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The company, Venue, is bringing a 15-minute neighborhood concept to the former Lucky’s Market space in Ann Arbor. Located at 1919 S. Industrial Highway, Venue is the sister location to Prentice4M, a coworking and co-living space. Venue is slated to open on Friday, August 26, but its coworking space will open on September 1. The 30,000-square-foot location will feature five menus, shared coworking space, a bar, a coffee shop, a market and private office rental space. Venue also hosts a podcast studio, telephone booths and conference rooms. It has partnered with an autonomous vehicle ride-sharing system, as a drop-off and pick-up location for May Mobility’s  A2GO service.

Pilot Program Pays Storefront Owners to Renovate Upstairs Apartments

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Southwest Detroit Business Association’s pilot program grants $8,500 per unit to renovate apartments above commercial spaces. In an effort to expand the number of affordable homes and apartments for city residents, empty and derelict second-floor units are an untapped market. According to Elaina Peterson, a program analyst on the policy and implementation team for the city’s housing and revitalization department, there could be as many as 12,000 unoccupied apartments above stores and restaurants in Detroit. If they were updated and made livable, they would make a huge impact on the number of affordable apartments as rents and sale prices continue to increase. The program is one part of a $203 million housing plan that intends to create new rental housing, help renters to become homeowners, and improve the quality of existing rental units.

 

 

MI-HQ Plans New Life Sciences Place in Ypsilanti

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Ann Arbor’s Michigan Innovation Headquarters (MI-HQ) has announced that it entered into a purchase agreement to acquire Eastern Michigan University’s former College of Business headquarters in downtown Ypsilanti. It plans to purchase the building for $2.6 million, and with an additional $10 million, renovate it to build shared workspace for STEM companies. The deal will put 130,000-square-foot building on the city’s tax rolls, generating more than $1.1 million of net benefits over a 10-year span. It promises to create 300 jobs.

 

Long Awaited Demolition on Detroit Building Begins

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The Gateway Center building, across from the Westin Book Cadillac hotel, is being demolished. Plans for the demolition have been known as far back as 2016.  The upper exterior on its western side was removed by Thursday afternoon. The demolition is expected to be finished by August. Owner Richard Karp indicated that he wanted to do a mixed-use development back in 2016. He declined to comment on the recent activity. Entities linked to Karp’s Lansing-based Karp and Associates development firm paid $700,000 for the building in 2013.

 

5-Story Building Planned For Downtown Birmingham

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Birmingham-based developer, Surnow Co., has submitted plans for an 80-foot high, 53,000-square-foot building on the rear of the post office building parking lot. The developer currently has its offices in the redeveloped post office property at 329 Martin St. The building will include 5,400 square-feet of first-floor retail space, about 19,200 square feet of office space on the second and third floors, and six residential units on the fourth and fifth floors. It will also include underground parking with an automated parking system. The project is still in the planning stages.

 

Ilitch And Ross Release Detroit Center Renderings

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Stephen Ross and the Ilitch organization have released conceptual renderings showing new retail, housing and office developments in Detroit’s sports venue district.  The projects include new construction, as well as reuse of existing buildings. The renderings show a future hotel on Henry Street, an office tower with ground-floor retail space along Woodward Avenue next to Comerica Park, a residential, retail and office development on Park Street, and office, retail and residential development along Columbia Street. Ross and Ilitch are collaborating on the University of Michigan’s planned Detroit Center for Innovation.  They expect to break ground on the project in 2023.

 

 

 

Birmingham’s Downtown Transformation Continues

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Birmingham’s downtown transformation continues with the four-story building planned at 294 E. Brown. Part of the development will house a new, multi-story RH showroom. The building with include office and residential space, underground parking, and rooftop use that will include a pool. The Birmingham planning board reviewed and recommended the final site plan for approval at its April 27 meeting. Some residents are concerned about the development’s spread into their residential neighborhood.

 

Building Permit Issued For Former Joe Louis Arena Site

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A building permit has been issued for the planned apartment tower on the former Joe Louis Arena site.  A large office tower is also planned. Crews have been on the property since winter. The apartment building construction is expected to be complete within the next two years. There has been talk of building two hotels with about 750 rooms each.  A 20-story office tower of 150,000-300,00 square feet is planned for the northern portion of the property. The construction timelines for the office and hotel buildings is unknown. A building permit was issued Wednesday for the apartment tower planned for the former Joe Louis Arena site in downtown Detroit.