Buildings in Petoskey and Cheboygan are going to be receiving new life with the help of funds from Michigan's Revitalization and Placemaking Program.
The program exists to help cities across the state create new spaces for housing, businesses and public use with unused and abandoned buildings.
Petoskey's $878,000 grant is going towards the revitalization of an abandoned and blighted building that used to be a nursing home and hospital located within their business district. The building will be turned into nine workforce apartments to help address the housing crisis in the area.
Shane Horn is Petoskey's city manager. According to him, the city gets calls about the building regularly.
"It's in a residential neighborhood, so we have property owners around there who've expressed concerns about the condition," Horn told WCMU. "So this will allow us to revitalize that specific property, and also help revitalize the neighborhood that it's in because it is well traveled. A lot of folks drive by and see the property, so this will hopefully provide additional incentives for others to potentially redevelop their own properties in and around the city."
Cheboygan will receive up to $279,000 for their project. The funds are set to go towards creating a mixed-use space that will have retail spaces with apartments above. The completed building is confirmed to include an ADA compliant restroom on the first floor.
"This funding is a vital step in helping us revitalize this building on main street," said Cheboygan developers Brian and Wendy Fleming in a press release. "We are excited to contribute to the continued growth and vibrancy of downtown Cheboygan."
Other cities selected for this round of grants include Zeeland, Lowell, and Spring Lake.
