A $166 Million Dollar Development in Marquette? Yep
The Latest From Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell
“THIS IS TRANSFORMATIONAL.” The words of City Commissioner Fred Stonehouse.
“THIS MAY BE the most critical decision we will make as a Commission.” The words of Mayor Jenna Smith.
Their descriptions are not hyperbolic. They’re referring to a $166 million dollar development proposed for the site now occupied by the old, abandoned hospital—the proposal was presented to the City Commission Monday afternoon by NMU Foundation CEO Brad Canale and Dave Nyberg, the NMU Foundation Executive Director of Business Engagement and Economic Development.
A few words of caution here. 1) The plans are extremely preliminary. Aspirational. 2) There is no master developer signed up for the job yet, and no money committed to it. 3) The $166 million dollar figure is a rough estimate based on the amount of square footage and infrastructure to be built for the site. 4) The project will not move forward, unless the City Commission and the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority agree to help finance demolition of the old hospital buildings and prepare the site for construction.
That said, the Commissioners on Monday seemed eager to help with the project, if certain conditions were met.
THE PROJECT ITSELF: These plans were described in some depth by Charlie Robertson, a design architect hired by the Foundation. The 23 acre plot of land would be devoted primarily to housing, as he laid it out. But it would also include green space, paths, maybe a dog park, a playground, some retail shops and cafes, maybe a cultural center of some sort.
The project would conform perfectly with Marquette’s master plan, he said. It would emphasize the outdoors. It would fit in much better than the hospital with the neighboring single family homes. No more sitting on your front porch and gazing at massive buildings and loading docks across the street. Robertson said the master developer, when chosen, would almost certainly opt for a “polite transition” from the established neighborhood to the new development.
WHAT TYPE OF HOUSING? “It’ll be housing for multiple demographics serving the entire spectrum,” Robertson said. In other words, some expensive, some moderately priced, and some relatively inexpensive. Single family homes, condos, duplexes, apartments.
And that’s where the Commissioners, every one of them, wanted to jump in.
“MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING. I can’t support this project unless it’s there.” That’s Commissioner Jessica Hanley.
“WE WILL NEED FIRM commitments on affordable housing.” Commissioner Evan Bonsall.
“WE’LL NEED SOMETHING in writing.” Commissioner Cody Mayer.
Strong words, and a clear consensus. But the questions to be decided are…What exactly is affordable or workforce housing in Marquette? $200 thousand for a single family home? $160 thousand for a condo or townhome? $750 for a one bedroom apartment?
How much of the development would be committed to affordable housing? 75%? 50%? 25%?
Is there a developer out there willing to commit to that type of housing which might not be as lucrative as pricier developments? And would the developer be willing to guarantee that the prices would hold, even as time passed and construction costs rose?
SO MANY QUESTIONS to be answered, and so many steps yet to be taken as these plans move forward. The NMU Foundation will now be searching nationwide for a master developer. That will happen in the next several weeks, and then they’ll return to the Commission with firmer plans…and commitments on affordable housing…to see whether the Commission is willing to grant them Brownfield status. That would allow the developers to forego substantial taxes to the city over the next fifteen years to help pay for the demolition costs of $15 million.
UPHS, which now owns the abandoned hospital property, has already promised $10 million to move the project forward, but only an estimated $5 million of that would be used for the demolition. Money from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation could also help defray the costs.
THE DEAL MAY yet fall apart. Realistically, oddsmakers would probably place it at 50/50. But it’s a start. And the NMU Foundation deserves all the credit for setting it in motion. It’s a project that private developers were shying away from. It didn’t seem do-able with the daunting demolition costs.
But now, maybe, just maybe, it is.
The Foundation’s Dave Nyberg thinks it is. His concluding words: “Let’s make it happen!”
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I am forever erasing what I write. That's technology and me. When I was in the hospital last year, I received the best care possible. I had no complaints. Dr. Jen Dehlin was always checking on me, and when not possible then Dr. Ellie Barker took the helm. The nurses were wonderful. It seemed as if they were in my room more often than not. And when the darkness of the night was so deep as to be bottomless, and my fears knew no bounds, a nurse came in and talked to me to ease my concerns. Dr. Connelly replaced my knee and I know I exceeded his expectations. Today, a year out of surgery, I can walk without a limp and I can ride my bike. I still can't run well, but then I never could. I know there are horror stories about our hospital, as there are with all hospitals, but my experiences have wonderful. I thank them all.
I think I erased, by accident, the comments I wanted to post. So here it goes again. I am in favor of tearing town the old hospital, which serves no purpose today other than being an eye-sore. I am open to all suggestions on how to improve that area. What I do not support is the deferring of "substantial taxes" for 15 years!! This is lunacy. Marquette is drowning in debt. The Commission wants to raise taxes on homeowners yet the Commission is willing to forego "substantial" tax money that could be used shrink the debt. This does not make sense.