By: Deborah Johnson Wood
The redevelopment of a two block area in the heart of Muskegon's downtown is on track to help revitalize the city with new office and retail developments, pedestrian plazas, outdoor art, and a mass transit hub.
The area—bounded by Second Street on the north, Clay Ave on the east, Third Street on the south, and Morris Ave on the west—is the southwest end of the eight-block parcel that was the Muskegon Mall. Now the site is expected to generate millions of dollars in Brownfield Redevelopment tax incentives.
Several buildings were razed to make way for new construction and new streets. The remaining buildings are designated as historic buildings.
“There are some site assessment funds available to help a potential developer pay for due diligence,” said Dan Rinsema-Sybenga, Muskegon Main Street manager for Muskegon Area First. “Brownfield Small Business Tax credits are ten percent of the redevelopment costs of a project.”
Six of the eight projects within those two blocks have already received site assessment funds. Western Avenue Properties has received $432,000 in Brownfield tax credits on a $5.8 million investment to renovate the former Century Club and two neighboring buildings, said Rinsema-Sybenga.
Existing projects account for over 111,000 square feet of proposed new construction or renovated properties. Among them are Baker College’s 20,000-square-foot culinary school with several food labs, a state-of-the-art demonstration classroom, bakery, and restaurant at 336 Clay; a proposed Muskegon County Transit Facility at 387 Morris; and a 15,000-square-foot office and retail space at 379 Western.
Two vacant lots, and two four-story buildings with a combined 60,000 square feet of potential, are still available. A request for proposals has been posted on the Downtown Muskegon web site for the former Hackley Bank Building, one block north at 292 Western.
Development of the site is the culmination of “a long community visioning process,” Rinsema-Sybenga said. “We’re using an approach pioneered by the National Historic Trust to use grassroots movements to create downtown improvement.”
Source: Dan Rinsema-Sybenga, Muskegon Area First www.downtownmuskegon.org
Deborah Johnson Wood is Development News Editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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