Keeler Building - 56 North Division

[Allison Slater]

15 hours ago, droonus2000 said:

Does GRCC still have a playground on Fountain? Or did that get changed with the new building?  

I believe that's still there.  I don't know what it takes to get access there, though.

[GRDadof3]

13 hours ago, joeDowntown said:

One thing I've always wondered. What happened to Kendall/Ferris plans for student housing, etc. they backed out of the county building and you'd think the Keeler building would have been a great fit. Did they just scrap the idea all together of providing housing and expanded activities areas? Can't imagine where they'd go with this idea now. 

Joe

Ferris keeps them on a pretty tight rein. It's one of the reasons David Rosen left. 

[arcturus]

On 3/3/2017 at 11:29 AM, GRDadof3 said:

Good news and bad news. A group is looking to renovate the Keeler building and turn it into LIHTC apartments now, in 3 phase: 67 apartments, 132 apartments, and a ground-floor day-care center. Going before the city commission. 

I thought the city was trying to push developers to do "mixed" housing, both LIHTC and market-rate? 

Has this been presented to the commission yet?

[GVSUChris]

So this is pretty terrible of me, especially as one who champions for those pushed furthest to the margins in our community, but I am really happy to see this project was not given credits. I have some concerns regarding the developer, but more importantly I do not believe it was the best use of the site. While I agree that we desperately need a healthy mix of housing, a MIX would have been more agreeable, rather than continuing to establish/segregate Division as solely low-income. I don't know how much of an impact the loss of these credits might have but I'm hopeful it opens the door to a better plan. 

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2017/07/state_agency_approves_2m_in_ta.html#incart_river_home

Edited July 12, 2017 by GVSUChris

[GRDadof3]

27 minutes ago, GVSUChris said:

So this is pretty terrible of me, especially as one who champions for those pushed furthest to the margins in our community, but I am really happy to see this project was not given credits. I have some concerns regarding the developer, but more importantly I do not believe it was the best use of the site. While I agree that we desperately need a healthy mix of housing, a MIX would have been more agreeable, rather than continuing to establish/segregate Division as solely low-income. I don't know how much of an impact the loss of these credits might have but I'm hopeful it opens the door to a better plan. 

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2017/07/state_agency_approves_2m_in_ta.html#incart_river_home

Agreed, thanks for posting Chris. There are solutions to issues and then there are really bad "solutions" to issues. 

[ctpgr34]

14 hours ago, GVSUChris said:

So this is pretty terrible of me, especially as one who champions for those pushed furthest to the margins in our community, but I am really happy to see this project was not given credits. I have some concerns regarding the developer, but more importantly I do not believe it was the best use of the site. While I agree that we desperately need a healthy mix of housing, a MIX would have been more agreeable, rather than continuing to establish/segregate Division as solely low-income. I don't know how much of an impact the loss of these credits might have but I'm hopeful it opens the door to a better plan. 

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2017/07/state_agency_approves_2m_in_ta.html#incart_river_home

Overall it is not a good use as apartments the way the building is set up

[GRDadof3]

By the way, what is this project in that article? 

[mgreven]

14 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

By the way, what is this project in that article? 

Isn't it the Dwelling Place one at 1400 Alpine?  That's the school behind it.  Different rendering than I've seen before.  I like it.

[GVSUChris]

15 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

By the way, what is this project in that article? 

That's going on Alipine. "Behind" it you can see Harrison Park. Well...it's outline. That's the same rendering I have been seeing for a while so I wonder if it has been updated or changed at all. 

[GRDadof3]

Wow, that's a big project for that area. 

[ModSquad]

Here you go folks, more renderings for this project.

I am biased because I was part of this process from the beginning but I think it is going to add so much to this area!

[joeDowntown]

It will look nice. So are they tearing down the houses currently there? Is the alpine rent-all property part of this project? I've loved that sign since I was a kid.

Joe

[ModSquad]

57 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

It will look nice. So are they tearing down the houses currently there? Is the alpine rent-all property part of this project? I've loved that sign since I was a kid.

Joe

The only thing coming down is the former gas station now car lot, the old industrial building on Myrtle, and the first 2 homes.  This development does not go as far north as the rental place.  

 

[GRDadof3]

6 hours ago, KCLBADave said:

Here you go folks, more renderings for this project.

I am biased because I was part of this process from the beginning but I think it is going to add so much to this area!

 

Nice looking project! I've always loved the look of Harrison Park Elementary with its gothic influence. It would be cool to see some of it translate into this project? Picky picky I know.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9887033,-85.6857473,3a,75y,4.06h,88.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_1XJYbrMUg9s7ilBqANMwQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[ModSquad]

10 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

 

Nice looking project! I've always loved the look of Harrison Park Elementary with its gothic influence. It would be cool to see some of it translate into this project? Picky picky I know.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9887033,-85.6857473,3a,75y,4.06h,88.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_1XJYbrMUg9s7ilBqANMwQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Ohhh, I know...maybe we should bring in some castle elements to really set it apart 

[elcelc]

23 hours ago, ctpgr34 said:

Overall it is not a good use as apartments the way the building is set up

Keeler will be up for those tax credits again next time.  It will probably be a go then.

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, KCLBADave said:

Ohhh, I know...maybe we should bring in some castle elements to really set it apart 

YESSSS!!!!

[x99]

On 7/14/2017 at 8:00 AM, elcelc said:

Keeler will be up for those tax credits again next time.  It will probably be a go then.

In what universe?  Based on publicly available information I posted before, the so-called "developer" principal could be described as a mortgage loan officer and occasional tax credit chaser who has never pulled off anything like this before, and is trying to "get his feet" wet with what I believe was one of the largest LIHTC requests in the state, if not the largest.  I'm sorry, but that is just not where I would put my money if I were the grant officer.  Maybe the guy really is fabulously qualified and a visionary to think of this, but for goodness sake build a track record before aiming for the moon.  If Dwelling Place or ICCF suddenly decided Keeler was a great way to light to burn off $25mm in LIHTC, then well, maybe so.  But they haven't, and this building has been vacant for decades.  That should make a lot of people ask a lot of pressing questions...  

[GRDadof3]

Sounds like the project at Division and Weston is dead, also didn't make the award round from MSHDA.

https://mibiz.com/news/design-build/item/24952-pair-of-division-avenue-projects-unsuccessful-in-securing-state-development-incentives

I only put it in this thread because the article talks about the Keeler bldg too.

[GRLaker]

On 7/13/2017 at 1:30 PM, KCLBADave said:

Here you go folks, more renderings for this project.

I am biased because I was part of this process from the beginning but I think it is going to add so much to this area!

Is this market rate housing?

[ModSquad]

34 minutes ago, GRLaker said:

Is this market rate housing?

No, it is income restricted.  There was a LIHTC used to help finance this.

[GRDadof3]

There's a submittal in the upcoming HPC meeting to put the Keeler Building on the National Register of Historic Places. I wonder how this will affect redevelopment efforts? (I would assume a lot). Anyone know details of this? It does not appear to be initiated by the current owner or the prospective LIHTC developer. 

[ModSquad]

1 hour ago, GRDadof3 said:

There's a submittal in the upcoming HPC meeting to put the Keeler Building on the National Register of Historic Places. I wonder how this will affect redevelopment efforts? (I would assume a lot). Anyone know details of this? It does not appear to be initiated by the current owner or the prospective LIHTC developer. 

I have been reading that there is a push to reinstate the Historic Tax Credit program to spur development.  Perhaps this is a preemptive move.

[x99]

1 hour ago, KCLBADave said:

I have been reading that there is a push to reinstate the Historic Tax Credit program to spur development.  Perhaps this is a preemptive move.

That, or someone didn't like them opening up a corner of the building.

[EastownLeo]

Keeler Building added to National Register, paves way for redevelopment

http://s.mlive.com/SjXSBzJ

Looks to be initiated by West Michigan Housing Alliance