(CBS DETROIT) – The site of a vacant building in Detroit’s North End is among those that will be redeveloped through the help of a state of Michigan financing program.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made the announcement Monday on two projects, one each in Detroit and city of Alma in Gratiot County, that will receive support from the state’s Revitalization and Placemaking program known as RAP. Both projects also have been approved for other grants and financing.
The two projects will create a combined 19 residential units and generate over $6.2 million in capital investment, the press release said.
“These investments show how we’re improving quality of life for Michiganders by replacing old, abandoned buildings with new ones that give more Michiganders an affordable place to live or start or grow their own business,” Whitmer said in the announcement.
“We look forward to seeing how these projects bring new life to vacant buildings while improving Detroit and downtown Alma for their communities and residents,” Michele Wildman, Chief Place Officer at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, said in the announcement.
Descriptions of the projects are as follows:
North End of Detroit
An empty and deteriorating century-old structure situated at 9301 Oakland Avenue in Detroit’s North End will be transformed into 10 housing units and 5,200 square feet of retail space. The building of historical significance will undergo renovation.
According to state officials, the housing development prioritizes walkability and access to the adjacent commercial zone.
The company Stafford House Inc. has previously engaged in the rehabilitation and sale of multiple single-family homes in the area. This particular project has received approval for various local and state financial resources, including grants, matching funds, and a PA 210 tax abatement from the City of Detroit, which will supplement the RAP grant of $507,713.
“This project will eradicate neighborhood decay and tackle the lack of affordable housing,” stated Lendon Crosby, chairman and president of Stafford House.
Downtown Alma
In mid-Michigan, the state grant package revealed on Monday will assist in the creation of nine new housing units by renovating an empty structure at 311 E. Superior St., located in downtown Alma.
The structure is located within a district listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the proposed renovations entail masonry restoration. Gemini Capital Management is the property manager, overseeing more than 100 various rental properties in Isabella and Gratiot counties.