NORTHERN MICHIGAN | General Developments

[deja vu]

22,700 acres of land at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula has been purchased by The Nature Conservancy, ensuring public access to the property's forests, wetlands and trails -

SOLD: Tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula
Rosemary Parker | upwrd
November 3, 2022

[deja vu]

Traverse City -

I was in TC on Friday for work. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to get more / better pictures, but just a few updates -

GLC Northern Michigan Pine (309 W. Front St.) is well underway -





I also got a photo from the rear of the Fresh Water Flats development (on Gillis St.), which I thought was finished but still looks to be at least partly under construction -



The new TCAPS Montessori School is also well-underway -

[deja vu]

Houghton -

Michigan Tech approved its new master plan last month. The plan will guide campus development through 2035. It includes plans for extensive campus classroom & lab renovations, construction of the "Center for Convergence and Innovation", a new residence hall, improved outdoor and public spaces, better engagement of the waterfront, and more. It's worth a look and it will be interesting to see what comes of it -

Major Initiatives -


Center for Convergence and Innovation -


East Gateway Residence Hall -

Source: mtu.edu

[deja vu]

Ironwood -

Not exactly big development, but ten additional miles of mountain bike trails are nearing completion at Ironwood's Miners Memorial Heritage Park, a 162-acre park where the city's mining industry was once centered -

Ironwood's Miners Park combines history and recreation
Richard Jenkins | UpWord
October 20, 2022

Source: UpWord | Richard Jenkins

[deja vu]

Negaunee -

A $2.1 million streetscape enhancement project in downtown Negaunee has received an $855,000 boost, in the form of a Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) downtown enhancement grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation -

Negaunee pursues downtown improvements
Rosemary Parker | UpWord
November 9, 2022

...Critical infrastructure projects and beautification efforts in the works include:

• Water, street, and sidewalk infrastructure upgrades
• New lighting
• Streetscape infrastructure and furnishings
• Car-charging stations
• Development of several outdoor gathering hubs

The new playground will be located in Jackson Mine Park along Tobin Street. A site plan is under review...

Some of the infrastructure work is already underway.


Source: UpWord | Facebook / City of Negaunee

[DetroitMan]

A 4-story Marriott Hotel is being proposed in DT Traverse City

A proposed four-story Marriot hotel in Traverse City would include a rooftop bar overlooking Grand Traverse Bay and 99 rooms, officials said.

The Marriot Tribute Hotel, 211 and 221 W. Grandview Parkway, is expected to open in 2024, Taylor Roncelli, asset manager for JS Capito Group, told MLive. The lots are currently vacant.

Plans include a spa, rooftop bar and restaurant, a retail boutique and, and fitness center open to guests and the community, Roncelli said.

https://www.mlive.com/news/2022/12/p...verse-bay.html

[DetroitMan]

Michigan Tech is building a new Freshwater Research and Innovation Center in Traverse City.
A $60 million freshwater research site is underway in Traverse City

Houghton-based Michigan Technological University and four Traverse City organizations recently embarked on phase 1 of their recently announced Freshwater Research and Innovation Center.

The 60,000- to 70,000-square-foot space will be on the current site of Traverse City's Discovery Center, located on West Grand Traverse Bay. To bring the center to life, Michigan Tech is partnering with Discovery Center and Pier, a rotaries charity; Northwestern Michigan College, which offers two and four-year degrees; 20Fathoms, a business and technology incubator; and Traverse Connect, the city's chamber of commerce.

The Freshwater center, which an unnamed principal said would cost at least $60 million, will have conference rooms, wet labs, large garage facilities and classrooms.

Phase 1 of the project includes applying for funding, expanding the marina, site renderings and renovating the Discovery Center's pier, which was built in the 1930s for ships carrying coal to unload their cargo.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/crains...-research-site

[deja vu]

^ Nice to read that the proposed Marriott might actually move forward. I like the design a lot more than the adjacent Hotel Indigo that was built in 2017 by the same developer.

The Freshwater Research & Innovation Center sounds like an interesting project & partnership. It would be built here. I tried searching for renderings. But all I could find are these early concepts. The building is captioned as "a concept example of what the Freshwater Research & Innovation Center might look like" - so don't take too much stock in it -




Source: discoverygreatlakes.org

[DetroitMan]

This will be HUGE for the U.P.

Upper Peninsula paper mill could get $1B upgrade

A $1 billion investment could transform an Upper Peninsula paper mill and retain 1,240 jobs.

Billerud, a Swedish paper and pulp manufacturer, is eyeing the Escanaba Mill to upgrade from producing paper to making an advanced paper product known as paperboard or cartonboard. The stiff multi-ply product is use for packaging cosmetics, healthcare, beverages and candy products.

“The company’s investment will impact the state’s overall economy, employing an estimated 1,800 construction workers for new building construction and renovations, improvements to infrastructure and electrical upgrades,” said Michigan Economic Development Corporation CEO Quentin Messer.

https://www.mlive.com/public-interes...b-upgrade.html

[DetroitMan]

Marquette-
Upper Peninsula project aims to incubate startups to electrify outdoor recreation

The Michigan Strategic Fund board approved a grant of $3 million for a project in Marquette that hopes to help develop technologies tied to the electrification of recreational vehicles such as all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, RVs, watercraft and bicycles and the building of the infrastructure for smart and electrified trails throughout the Upper Peninsula.

The project is called the Shop House Park Technology and Innovation Hub, whose parent company in Marquette is Hoponassu OZ LLC.

The owner and CEO of the project is David Ollila. He said the project aims to have eight buildings totaling about 40,000 square feet on 3.44 acres. The total cost is projected at $9 million, with groundbreaking scheduled for next fall and the grand opening for the fall of 2024.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/techno...oor-recreation

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by DetroitMan

This will be HUGE for the U.P.

Upper Peninsula paper mill could get $1B upgrade
https://www.mlive.com/public-interes...b-upgrade.html

Yeah this is BIG news if it happens. The Verso-Billerud Mill has got to be the largest employer in the region, and has had an industrial presence for over a century in the area. Aside, I tried finding a list of largest employers in the entire UP and surprisingly couldn't find anything quickly, but I bet they must be near the top of the list for the whole peninsula.

I added this and the Marquette ShopHouse Park project to the rundown in the first post. While updating the rundown, I also noticed that MCC's Lofts on Rowe project in Ludington is complete and had a ribbon cutting October 2022. I also just saw that Traverse City Whiskey Co. had a groundbreaking a few weeks ago for its new HQ.

[DetroitMan]

Big Rapids-
Ferris State commits $5 million to museum 'using objects of intolerance to teach tolerance'

The Board of Trustees of Ferris State University, chaired by Grosse Pointe resident LaShanda Thomas, on Friday approved a $5 million commitment to build a 33,000-square-foot building for its Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, a collection that has since 2012 been housed in a 3,500-square-foot space in the Ferris Library for Information Technology and Education.

The museum will be located at the entrance to the Big Rapids campus, which is at 1201 S. State St. It will have two floors of space to display the school's collection of approximately 20,000 historical and contemporary objects, as well as space for research, education and artifact storage. The museum will host lectures, conferences and workshops for Ferris students as well as scholars.

The project budget is about $20 million, of which $1 million was contributed by the state of Michigan, $2 million was raised from donors, alongside Friday's $5 million commitment from Ferris.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/educat...eum-big-rapids

[deja vu]

^ Nice. Not surprisingly, the project budget has gone up some. The last time I saw anything about it, it was $18.5 million.

I was actually already tracking this project (and all Big Rapids-related development) under the West Michigan thread. It's a bit arbitrary, but I was using US Route 10 as the unofficial dividing line, between upper and lower Michigan. But Big Rapids does feel up north, at least as compared to where I am at. I appreciate the update either way!

[DetroitMan]

My bad about posting this in the Northern Michigan thread. I will say though, it seems like Big Rapids is going have a really nice decade coming up between the projects at Ferris State and the planned EV Plant.

[DetroitMan]

Traverse City-
Officials have finally decided to build a new bridge across the Boardman River Valley which will create a new east-west bypass of Traverse City. The bridge has been a hot topic for many years in the area. Traverse City is one of the fastest growing areas in the state and needs more east-west corridors to help move traffic in the area. When complete, it will be the fourth longest span in the state.

A $100M bridge: Traverse City bypass plan emerges from 30-year debate

In Grand Traverse County, officials have finally decided to embark on a multi-year project to build a controversial piece of infrastructure that would alleviate traffic congestion in one of the fastest growing communities in Michigan.In 2022, the county Road Commission voted unanimously to pave way for advance work on a 2,200-foot-long bridge across the Boardman River Valley, which, when finished, will create a new east-west corridor for drivers to bypass Traverse City.

Officials estimate the arching span will last 120 years and cost $100 million to build. Much of that is expected to come from federal infrastructure grants. Not counting international spans, it would be Michigan’s fourth longest bridge.

The July 28 decision marked a turning point in the long-successful effort by environmental and development opponents to keep the bridge at bay due to concern about potential negative impacts on valley wetlands and wildlife.

Opposition remains to the bridge, but project supporters say it has dwindled as the Traverse City area population swells and the few corridors which drivers can use to transit east or west across town have undergone reconstruction.
“It shouldn’t take me 40 minutes to get from one side of Traverse City to the other,” said Kevin Endres, chairman of the Grand Traverse County Economic Development Corporation. “It’s just five miles. It’s not a city with a million people.”

“There’s a demand. There’s a need for it. I see it every day,” said Endres, who works in commercial real estate. “We’re probably behind the eight ball in having this built already.”

“It’s well overdue.”

https://www.mlive.com/public-interes...ar-debate.html

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by DetroitMan

My bad about posting this in the Northern Michigan thread. I will say though, it seems like Big Rapids is going have a really nice decade coming up between the projects at Ferris State and the planned EV Plant.

No worries! Like I said, it's a somewhat arbitrary definition, and I wouldn't try to argue with anyone who considered Big Rapids "up north". I'm just glad someone else is tracking updates in parts of the state that are north of Grand Rapids in general, besides just me.

For me, once I hit Cadillac, then I consider myself "up north".

[deja vu]

St. Ignace -

The Mackinac Straights Health System (MSHS) hospital in St. Ignace is planning a $10 million office expansion. I couldn't find any renderings (location) -

St. Ignace hospital plans $10 million expansion
Rosemary Parker | upword
February 15, 2023

The Mackinac Straits Health System (MSHS) will break ground this summer on a 20,000-square-foot professional medical office building, funded by a $10 million state appropriation approved by the Michigan Legislature last fall...

...The new building will house offices currently located in three modular units on the St. Ignace campus — a primary and pediatrics clinic; the business office, which includes billing, medical records and patient advocate; and administration and human resources. The new building will also include additional clinic and conference space...

Source: Second Wave Media | St. Ignace Hospital

Escanaba -

American Queen Voyages just named Escanaba a port of call for the 2023 season, marking the first time that a cruise liner this large will visit the area -

Cruise line adds Escanaba as port
Brice Burge | upword
February 15, 2023

Source: Second Wave Media | American Queen Voyages

[joemits]

Thanks for the updates, forgot my password and just been away for a bit. I know the Fairfield Inn in Marquette is doing an addition. The old hospital campus will start to be demolished this spring/summer. Both coal power plants that anchored Marquette are gone. Rolling Medows in South Marquette is suppose to start this year as well. It's 160 units in 11 buildings.

[deja vu]

I spent a few days in Traverse City this week for work. There is construction happening everywhere. I was only able to snap a few photos of some of the downtown developments - in-between work obligations. There are a ton of other things going up that I was unable to take photos of. I might be up again in a few weeks, and if so, will try and get more.

GLC Northern Michigan Pine (309 W. Front St.) looks massive -





West Shore Bank (400 E Eighth St.) has been complete for a while now. I'm disappointed with how this turned out - a chunk of the first floor is covered parking, and the entry to it is a big gaping hole in the middle of the façade. I'm sure site constraints were a factor -



I find its new neighbor, Commongrounds Coop (414 E. Eighth St.) to be a little less disappointing -







And right next door to this, a once-vacant single-story structure has been repurposed as office space for Applied Innovation (418 E. Eighth St.) -



A little further west from here, I actually think that Ruth Park Apartments (on Wellington St.) turned out ok (considering it is a public housing initiative) -



Boardwalk improvements along the Boardman River -







You know you've made it when your downtown boasts a lululemon (location) !



Two downtown bridges are being reconstructed - at S. Union St. (First two pictures) and at N. Cass St. (3rd picture) -







Amazingly, I spotted some very minimal site activity at the Marriott Hotel site (from my window in the adjacent Hotel Indigo). One dude in a folding chair, looking at some documents - I'm guessing survey related? Maybe this will finally be the year that things get going on this site?

[Velvet_Highground]

I imagine work from home has a lot to do with the boom in TC it’s incredible how fast the city is changing. The boardwalk looks great, it’s a lil wild to see so many dense mid-rise buildings going up tho.

On the flip side there’s some really great groups that are helping preserve and protect natural habitats across the NW LP such as The Grand Traverse Conservancy & the Little Traverse Conservancy. They buy up and accept donations of threatened natural habitat & convert it into protected space that can be enjoyed recreationally.

Little Traverse Conservancy - https://landtrust.org/

Grand Traverse Conservancy - https://www.gtrlc.org/