Flint development news

[DetroitMan]

$33.5M project would build new YMCA in downtown Flint

The Greater Flint YMCA, a fixture in the city for 143 years, wants to move to a new, $33.5-million facility in downtown that would include apartments, retail and office space on Harrison Street near the Mass Transportation Authority transit center.

Representatives of the YMCA and the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation are asking the city for a tax break for the project, which would include a six-lane lap pool, family splash pad and spa, locker rooms, a full-length basketball court, and a running and walking track.

https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/202...own-flint.html

[deja vu]

Article about the new GHS facility at 1402 South Saginaw Street -

Genesee Health System's new facility showcases commitment to Flint youth's mental health
Sarah Spohn | Flint Side
January 11, 2023

[deja vu]

$1 Million dollar grant to go toward St. John Street Neighborhood
Jenifer Veloso | Flintside
February 22, 2023

The grant was awarded by the DNR to the City of Flint for the development of the St. John Street Neighborhood Memorial Park. The work will also be funded by an additional $750,000 from the City. Work will include improved trails, a new playground, a new parking lot, and repairs to seven existing scenic river overlooks. The urban fabric of this neighborhood was heavily compromised by urban renewal efforts and the construction of I-475.

[DetroitMan]

New affordable housing coming to Flint’s historic Carriage Town neighborhood

New housing is coming to Flint’s historic Carriage Town Neighborhood.

Six single-family and duplex-style homes are under construction, funded by the Uptown Reinvestment Corp. and the Michigan Community Capital, and the three parcels they sit on are owned by the Genesee County Land Bank Authority.

“The Flint Homeownership Initiative partnered with the Genesee County Land Bank Authority to construct these new homes in Carriage Town to build upon ongoing neighborhood investments, increase neighborhood occupancy, and strengthen the housing stock,” Moses Timlin, Development Coordinator, Uptown Reinvestment Corporation, told MLive-The Flint Journal. “This public-private partnership aligned the unique resources of local, county, philanthropic, and federal stakeholders to provide safe and quality workforce housing. Additionally, the design of the houses is compatible with the historic district standards and crafted in conjunction with neighborhood resident feedback.”

https://www.mlive.com/news/2023/03/n...ghborhood.html

[DetroitSky]

Mixed-use development that will host new YMCA and housing units breaks ground in Flint

FLINT, MI – Officials today broke ground on a $41 million mixed-use development in downtown Flint that will be home to the new YMCA, 50 housing units, retails space and office space on Harrison Street.

YMCA of Greater Flint and the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation invited investors to gather for a groundbreaking event at the site of the new development, 719 Harrison Street, on Thursday morning.

NBA star Kyle Kuzma, Mayor Sheldon Neeley, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation President Ridgway White and other project partners were all in attendance.

Source


Source

[DetroitSky]

Flint to have groundbreaking for new business center, GM plant announcement Monday

State, local and federal officials on Monday will celebrate the groundbreaking for the first building at the new Flint Commerce Center at the former General Motors Co. Buick City campus, according to a press advisory sent Friday.

The event marks the official start of construction of the facility that's slated for completion in early 2024.

Developer Ashley Capital closed on the first 20 acres of the site earlier this year and is working with RACER Trust to acquire the rest of the site by the end of August. RACER was created by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court "to clean up and position for redevelopment properties and other facilities owned by the former General Motors Corp. before its 2009 bankruptcy," according to the organization's website.

[DetroitSky]

General Motors to invest $1 billion in Flint factories for next-gen heavy-duty pickups

General Motors will invest $1 billion in two of its factories in Flint to build the next generation of the automaker's gasoline-burning heavy duty pickups.

On Monday, GM said it will invest the money in Flint Assembly and Flint Metal Center, but it is not releasing any further details about the next-generation heavy-duty pickups or any other future products, including timing.

GM said this latest investment "highlights the company’s commitment to continue providing customers a strong portfolio of (internal combustion engine) vehicles for years to come." GM plans to offer all electric vehicles by 2030.

“These investments reflect our commitment to our loyal truck customers and the efforts of the dedicated employees of Flint Assembly and Flint Metal Center," Gerald Johnson, GM's executive vice president of Global Manufacturing and Sustainability, said in a statement.

[Velvet_Highground]

A billion dollar manufacturing plant could be coming to Mundy Township. Community response has been mixed

A new electric vehicle or semiconductor plant could be coming to the Flint area, and while some welcome the potential investment in rural Genesee County, others aren’t as receptive to the idea.

The 1,000-acre property located on the northern edge of Mundy Township and west of Linden Road, near the Flint Bishop International Airport, has a specific appeal: its water.

A plant opening there could be one of the biggest coups the Flint area has received in decades.

….

“You have effectively got two square miles that is uninterrupted by road running through the middle of it,” Young said. “Then there’s utility infrastructure in the area in terms of water, sewer, drainage, electricity, natural gas that can easily be extended or scaled if it already isn’t sized to accommodate manufacturing or industrial uses.”

While Young said two North American companies have expressed interest, a company has yet to be identified.

Mundy Township exists at the intersection of US-23 and I-75, and within a mile of I-69 and I-475 — and it has the luxury of excessive highway interchanges that make it easy to access.

The Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance has control of approximately 1,050 acres of the land right now, Rossmaessler said.

[DetroitMan]

YMCA's $40M Flint project aims to go way beyond sports

Ground was broken in downtown Flint in May for a new YMCA and cement began being poured in July. The project aims to be much more than a new place to exercise.

The new Y will be part of a $41 million, five-story, 110,405-square-foot mixed-use project that will include 50 apartments and 7,500 square feet of office space. Construction is at a 2.7-acre site at the corner of East Third Street and Harrison, just down Third from the current Y. Known as LiveWell on Harrison, the project will also be home to the Hurley Physical Therapy Clinic and the Crim Fitness Foundation.

The new YMCA and apartments will be just across Harrison from another apartment complex known as the Marketplace Apartments, a $19.2 million, 92-unit mixed-income apartment that opened in early 2020.

Both it and the LiveWell project were spearheaded by the Uptown Reinvestment Corp., the nonprofit development arm of the Flint and Genesee Group, the chamber of commerce for the city and county.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/crains...-beyond-sports

[DetroitMan]

Auto supplier Plastic Omnium plans $170M hydrogen investment in Michigan

A subsidiary of French automotive supplier Compagnie Plastic Omnium plans to invest up to $171 million at a pair of sites in Michigan to support a large award from an automaker.

The company is looking into a site at 4357 Baldwin Road in Grand Blanc Township for a new 200,000-square-foot plant to produce hydrogen storage systems, according to a briefing memo from the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Prior to full-scale production, the company aims to lease a 50,000-square-foot existing building for a test lab capable of validating the hydrogen storage systems for road use. The location of that plant is yet to be determined.

The name of the customer and description of the vehicle were not provided. Crain's inquired with the company for more information.

The operation, expected to support 40,000 vehicles annually by 2027, will create 175 jobs, paying an average wage of $1,710 per week plus benefits, according to the memo.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/manufa...FDFB2E0F233273

[Velvet_Highground]

It’s a go awesome to see the Flint area getting such an innovative project hopefully it helps in part to set the groundwork for further development in the future. There’s a so called mega site by Bishop Airport which the state helped put together which has been eyed for semiconductor or EV manufacturing.

Company commits to largest hydrogen storage plant in North America in Genesee County

GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Plastics Omnium has confirmed it’s chosen Grand Blanc Township to build the largest hydrogen storage manufacturing plant in North America.

The company announced on Monday, Aug. 28, that it will design, develop and produce high-pressure hydrogen storage systems for medium and heavy-duty, zero-emissions vehicles at the $171-million plant, creating 175 high-tech manufacturing jobs. The investment includes the creation of a state-of-the-art validation and prototyping lab that’s expected to be leased at a yet-to-be-determined location.

[DetroitMan]

Flint officials planning feasibility study on building a new City Hall

A new strategic budgeting plan developed by Mayor Sheldon Neeley’s administration includes nine objectives for the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2024, and the final objective of the plan calls for conducting a feasibility study on constructing a new government center or metroplex. The long-range plan says Flint officials want to identify the return on investment and long-term savings of replacing the existing City Hall on North Saginaw Street and exploring possible funding sources for a successor building.

The plan, sent to the City Council this week for its approval, isn’t binding but addresses big-picture goals such as attacking crime and blight, reversing population loss, and encouraging land ownership by current land owners and residents.

A resolution sent to the council has yet to be discussed but says the plan reflects the city’s goals, prioritized objectives, and measures for success in reaching those goals. While the new city hall objective is the last of nine in the plan, it has made the cut.

“Flint City Hall is aging, costly to maintain, poses accessibility challenges for residents, and requires our constant vigilance to protect the health and safety of city employees,” Neeley said in a statement to MLive-The Flint Journal. “I know Flint residents understand that while a historic house can have its charms, it can also present a variety of challenges and expenses.

“That’s why we are interested in conducting a feasibility study to explore how the city of Flint could potentially cut costs and better serve residents through a relocation and/or construction of a new building,” the statement says. “Genesee County recently planned to address similar issues with (its) aging building, and the city of Flint needs to do the same.”

https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/202...city-hall.html

[Rizzo]

Last I was in Flint City Hall was 2007. Realize that’s forever ago but the building seemed built to last and the main chambers were updated and pretty cool looking. It’s got a lot of big glass windows and I’m guessing would cost a fortune to replace.

[DetroitMan]

$3.4M grant will expand MSU’s Flint footprint with new downtown building

A $3.4-million grant from the state will be used to build a new, three-story building for Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine in downtown Flint.

The Michigan Strategic Fund Board approved the transfer of funds in a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 24, and state officials said the grant will allow Uptown Reinvestment Corporation to construct the 40,000-square-foot building, providing additional office space for research, administration and instruction. Tuesday’s action comes 10 years after the MSFB supported the first expansion of MSU’s presence in Flint with a $5.6 million grant that helped to redevelop the former Flint Journal building on East First Street for the university’s College of Human Medicine. That development was also supported with nearly $12 million in grants from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Uptown, a nonprofit that has led several downtown Flint projects, agreed in 2012 to purchase the Journal’s primary building and printing facility, which became the site of the Flint Farmers’ Market.

The new building tied to Tuesday’s grant is estimated to cost Uptown $24.5 million, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which said in a memorandum to the MSFB that an arm of Uptown has also received a $15-million grant for the new construction from the Mott Foundation.

Uptown’s project includes splitting the existing Flint Journal parcel and building the new three-story facility in an area of the property that is currently used for parking, according to the MEDC.

The building’s first floor will be roughly 14,000 square feet of office space, including interview rooms for research, presentation and conference rooms, and staff offices. The second floor -- roughly 12,000 square feet -- will also be used for offices, conference rooms, a kitchenette, and multipurpose spaces for research, the state announcement says. Plans call for the third floor to include nearly 12,000 additional square feet with a similar layout to the second floor.

“MSU anticipates creating 129 additional jobs at the Flint location through 2028, when the new addition will be fully implemented,” an MEDC official wrote in a memorandum to the MSFB. “In addition, MSU anticipates attracting an additional $10 million annually in direct and indirect federal funds ...

“The MSU campus extension would also build upon the College of Human Medicine’s work as the leading public health institution on the Flint water crisis,” the briefing memo says.

https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/202...-building.html

[DetroitSky]

Good news! I'm guessing this will be built at the corner of Harrison and Second?

Edit: found a rendering, though the actual site isn’t clear


Source

[DetroitMan]

This is a big deal for Downtown Flint, I hope this project happens.
Developers ask Flint for tax breaks to create 132 new downtown apartments

A developer is asking the city for tax breaks to help create 132 new apartments in downtown Flint and the City Council has scheduled a hearing on its proposed payments in lieu of taxes during a public hearing on Monday, Nov. 27.

The projects involve the redevelopment of the Marian Hall building on King Avenue and new construction on three adjacent parcels across the street from the Durant Apartments. Developer Communities First Inc. is making the request to pay the city 4% of rents generated at Marian Hall and 5% of rents at the planned 517 ML King Ave. apartments rather than property taxes. The council is expected to discuss the proposal during Monday’s public hearing.

Marian Hall is currently occupied by Odyssey House, a nonprofit substance abuse disorder treatment service provider, which plans to move its headquarters, including its treatment services and administrative offices, potentially leaving the building vacant, according to information provided by the developer to the city.

Communities First has proposed to renovate the building into four studio, 25 one-bedroom, 10 two-bedroom, and three, three-bedroom apartments.

“Developing the land into much-needed affordable housing will provide annual income taxes and payment in lieu of taxes to the city of Flint, as well as use existing infrastructure while paying water and sewer fees to the city,” the Marian Hall proposal says.

https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/202...partments.html

[Velvet_Highground]

^That really does sound like a great project. More good news for Flint Ashley Capital the developers of the first phase of the Buick City redevelopment are ready to move onto phase two.

Sale of 273 acres of Buick City completed, next phase of redevelopment starting soon



Ashley Capital has completed its purchase of 273 acres at the old Buick City site in Flint, taking ownership of most of the former General Motors property from a trust that’d held it for more than a decade.

Officials for Ashley and the Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response Trust (RACER) announced the purchase without disclosing the price on Thursday, Nov. 30, more than 18 months after contracting to purchase the property and announcing plans for the Flint Commerce Center, a $300-million light manufacturing and distribution center.

The company broke ground on the center six months ago, starting work on the first phase of the development on 20 acres that it purchased in advance of the sale announced Thursday.

That first-phase, 330,000-square-foot building is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2024, according to a joint news release from Ashley and RACER, and work on the project’s second phase -- expected to include the development of nine additional buildings -- is expected to begin soon.

“The location and infrastructure make this a very desirable property for logistics and light manufacturing companies, and we are confident that the market will respond very favorably,” Ashley Senior Vice President Susan Harvey said in a statement. “I want to recognize and thank those whose support was so critical in bringing us to this point, including Mayor Sheldon Neeley, the Flint City Council, Genesee County, the state of Michigan, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance, state Sen. John Cherry, and former state Sen. Jim Ananich.

https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/202...outputType=amp

[DetroitMan]

UM-Flint gets $30M from state for new Innovation & Technology Complex

The University of Michigan-Flint will soon have a new building after Michigan legislators committed $30 million to the construction of an Innovation & Technology Complex.

The 14,000-square-foot complex, which was approved by the Board of Regents in March, will feature “state-of-the-art instructional laboratories and areas designed to encourage collaboration and interdisciplinary research,” according to a release from the university. The first phase of the project will be the 14,000-square-foot building which costs $10 million. In a second phase of the project, another 50,000-square-foot building will be built for another $40 million.

State funding will be used for the project’s second phase.

“UM-Flint’s College of Innovation & Technology was launched during the pandemic and incubated using existing campus resources, but its size and anticipated future growth would quickly constrain its ability to meet programmatic needs,” said Christopher Pearson, dean of the CIT.

The College of Innovation and Technology at UM-Flint was launched during the Covid pandemic, but it never received a dedicated space on campus.

This new building will help the program meet its needs.

“The investment in this new facility was needed to provide the infrastructure to educate and train students for well-paying careers within technology-related fields,” said Dean Cristopher Pearson. “It will provide essential space for research and innovation, enhancing the ability of faculty to work with students, research novel solutions, and engage with new industry partners throughout Michigan.”

https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/202...y-complex.html

[Velvet_Highground]

New $16.7 million Flint apartment promises affordable pricing, fills housing need

FLINT, MI -- Communities First, Inc. hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday, Dec. 20, for the Grand on University mixed-used project in Flint.

The 48-unit mixed-income development provides much needed housing for Flint families. The development will feature 43 affordable units, five market rate units and is a $16.7 million project.

The first floor will be dedicated to commercial space, making the property in Flint’s Carriage Town neighborhood, located at 422 W. University Ave., a mixed-use investment.

https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/202...outputType=amp

[DetroitSky]

Some photos I took on 2/9:


Renovations are underway to turn this former UofM/Citizens Bank building into offices for the county


YMCA construction


New MSU building