CLICK TO HEAR JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH ED LEGAULT, DELTA COUNTY EDA
Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the Build MI Community Grant initiative, will see expanded housing opportunities in downtown Escanaba. There will be three new apartments built above Cat-Man-Do’s on Ludington Street.
Spaulding Real Estate, LLC plans to activate vacant space above Cat-Man-Do’s, an established business at 1223 Ludington St.to create three new one-bedroom apartments. The project will help increase housing in Escanaba’s downtown area with mid-market rental units and support local businesses through increased workforce housing and residential foot traffic.
The project will create a total anticipated capital investment of $496,411, thanks in part to support from the MEDC through $248,206 in Build MI Community grant funds.
“With the Build MI Community Grant initiative, we can support small, growing developers as they make our cities and towns better places to live, work, and invest,” Whitmer said. “Let’s keep working together to build more housing, drive down costs, and create safer, more exciting downtowns and main streets.”
The City of Escanaba has historically seen a high number of vacant spaces on the second floor of properties due to high construction costs and expenses required for major renovations to historic buildings. This project will serve as a catalyst for similar redevelopment opportunities in Downtown Escanaba.
“Lack of housing continues to be the leading deterrent for many of our critical economic development opportunities,” said Ed Legault, executive director of the Delta County Economic Development Alliance. “The MEDC’s support of a project to create three market rate apartments in Downtown Escanaba shows their commitment to help solve the housing issues in our area. The Cat-Man-Do’s project will help other developers move forward with similar opportunities.”
“This is a fantastic project for the downtown, bringing housing close to community businesses and night life,” said Craig Woerpel, executive director of the Escanaba Downtown Development Authority. “Cat-Man-Do’s offers great food at an iconic bar with outdoor seating and street activities like Muscle on Main car show and Wheelin’ Sportsmen fundraiser. Adding housing makes Curt Spaulding a leader in helping to revitalize the downtown. It is great to see the MEDC support this project.”
The Build MI Community Grant program was created to reactivate underutilized or vacant space into vibrant areas by promoting capital investment into redevelopment projects being taken on by developers and property owners with limited real estate development experience. The initiative assists developers by familiarizing them with the development process to position them to potentially undertake more complex projects in the future.
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