NORTHERN MICHIGAN | General Developments

[Thirteen Mile]

Originally Posted by deja vu

Not to imply that there isn't enough to cover on here already, but I'm tempted to "redefine" the regional boundaries covered by this thread.

There is no single, true geographic definition of "Northern Michigan" - it depends on who you ask and what their point of reference is. One explanation that I read recently (which I would mostly agree with) is that US Route 10 is the general dividing line. That would mean we could include places like Mason County / Ludington, Lake County / Baldwin, and Osceola County / Reed City, etc. Instead of a straight line across the state, it would veer southeast, towards the Saginaw Bay region. I think it gets a little more unclear near the eastern terminus of Route 10. Midland and Bay City do not register as "Up North" in my mind. And besides, they already have a dedicated thread.

It's hard to deny that places like Ludington are Northern. And there's a few things going on in Ludington and elsewhere that might be worth sharing on here (which is what got me thinking about this in the first place). Just a thought. Anyway, what do you (three or four) think?


Source (base map image): Wikipedia

that, vs. my previous (working) diagram, with US Route 10 superimposed -

I like the 10 divide on the way up to Traverse City / Sleeping Bear once you take the 10 split off from 75 and get past the outskirts of Midland you get that up north feel White Pines start to take over from deciduous trees and you get into into the noticeable elevation changes of the central highlands.

Cadillac is the only real city you hit till either TC goin up 115 or Ludington continuing on 10 but Cadillac has much more in common with the Boyne-Gaylord-Greyling area than anything else ie tourist & summer home driven.

Speaking of Ludington it feels to me like the last of the old industrial ports on the Lake Michigan Coast going north also Mt Pleasant & Big Rapids are both south of it the last of the college towns with that “serve” southern part of the state. Not to mention the drive up into Mt Pleasant has a distinct Mid-Mich feel although the drive between is much more up north like speaking to the area being in the “gradient” between north and south.

[deja vu]

Houghton -

Just for fun: here's a creative alternative to the traditional ice skating rink - an ice skating ribbon - in Houghton -

(that's an epic playground in the background, btw)

• Video Link

[Rizzo]

Oh yeah that's Chutes and ladders. That was around when I was a kid, so built in the early 90's.

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by Rizzo

Oh yeah that's Chutes and ladders. That was around when I was a kid, so built in the early 90's.

What a great name! Very fitting.


Grayling -

Sawmill Lofts, a 42-unit, 5-story, mixed-use workforce housing development, is planned for downtown Grayling on Michigan Ave. The developer is MCC (Michigan Community Capital - the same entity behind the Cadillac Lofts, Boyne City's Lofts on Lake Street, and TC's East Bay Flats, as well as numerous other projects throughout the lower part of the state). I'm trying to find a status update on this $10.6 million project. The most recent news I can find is this article from September 2020, which notes that an amended brownfield plan was approved by Crawford County, but the project is now seeking additional funding from various sources, including $1.5 million Community Revitalization Grant from the MEDC -

County Board Approves An Amended Brownfield Plan For Sawmill Lofts Project
Dan Sanderson | Crawford County Avalanche
September 01, 2020

This would be quite a big development for Grayling (population ~ 2,000). Most of the buildings downtown are 1 - 2 stories. The site would be on this corner, and it would replace the former Sawmill Billiards / Tavern, the Crawford County Avalanche office building, and the Heirloom Antique Mall. I'm surprised that there wasn't more pushback from residents regarding the height. Or maybe there was.


Source: MCC


Source: Crawford County Avalanche

[deja vu]

Traverse City -

Some more miscellaneous housing projects -

Oakwood Townhomes broke ground in August 2020. The developer, HomeStretch Nonprofit Housing Corporation, entered into a purchase agreement with the city in 2018 and received approval from the city in 2019 for a PILOT program. The work consists of 6 new townhomes at 1210 and 1216 E Eighth St. which was occupied by two blighted homes. Four of the new townhomes will be priced at 60% AMI, with the remaining two at or below 80% AMI. They are 2 BR, 1.5 Bath units. It represents about a $1.3 million total investment -


Source: HomeStretch


Source: HomeStretch


Source: HomeStretch


These are very close to the "City Limit Lofts" - opened in 2019 at the corner of E Eighth and Hastings Sts. There are (12) 1 Bed / 1 Bath units total, spread across four buildings. Not my favorite, in terms of aesthetics or amenities, but still, these address desperately needed, mid-range housing options -










Source: estately.com


Not too far away from the aforementioned two projects, and going a little further back in time, the aptly named "Trailside 45" opened at 630 S. Garfield Ave. in Spring 2018 (it is located along the TART). 74 units total, across four stories - including studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments -












Source: Trailside 45

[deja vu]

Village of Honor / Benzie County -

HomeStretch, mentioned in the previous post, is also spearheading a new development in "downtown" Honor, called Honor Village Apartments. Honor is a small village along US Route 31, kind of in-between Frankfort and Traverse City. It has a population hovering around 200 (222 according to 2019 census estimates).

While this is a relatively small project - (8) 2 bed, 1.5 bath affordable rental units across two new buildings along Main St. - it is significant for Honor, which has not seen new housing in the village core in...well, a while. And if each unit houses 2.5 people, that's 20 people - or almost 10% of the population of the village

Despite the fact that the below press release mentions 2 buildings of 4 units each, the rendering looks like a 6-unit building, which means that the second building is just 2 units. A $400K Affordable Housing Program grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank helped make this possible. Benzie County Land Bank donated the property and the Village of Honor is providing an adjacent parcel for tenant parking. Two units are earmarked for 30% AMI, two at 50% AMI, and the remaining four at 80% AMI or lower. It is a $1.4 million investment.

I'm pretty sure this is already under construction, and it was originally intended to be completed in Spring of 2021, although I do not know if that is still the case -

Press Release: Honor Village Apartments
Nicole Manville | HomeStretch Housing
November 20, 2019

Source: HomeStretch (edited)

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by Rizzo

I agree that US 10 is sort of the threshold where the more urbanized areas drop off heading North. It's particularly defining driving 75 North at the split M-13 / Wilder Road

Originally Posted by Thirteen Mile

I like the 10 divide on the way up to Traverse City / Sleeping Bear once you take the 10 split off from 75 and get past the outskirts of Midland you get that up north feel White Pines start to take over from deciduous trees and you get into into the noticeable elevation changes of the central highlands...

Thanks for the feedback. The grey areas for me are Arenac, Clare, and Gladwin Counties. Are these "Mid-Michigan" or "Northern Michigan"? Googling around, I found that:

• Clare County is typically considered to be part of Northern Michigan.
• Gladwin County is sometimes considered to be a part of Central Michigan, and at other times is included in Northern Michigan.
• Arenac County can be considered a part of either Northern Michigan or Central Michigan.
  
  (Google also says that Midland is Northern Michigan, which I don't agree with - it's in the name - Mid-Land!)

It does seem to get less "Northern" as you move east, closer to the Saginaw Bay, even without changing Latitude. Since there is a Central Michigan (Tri-Cities / Saginaw Bay) Development thread, I think the compromise is: treat Clare and Gladwin as parts of Northern Michigan, and treat Arenac as part of Central Michigan. The resulting map (along county lines, with US Route 10 in pink), looks like this -



This effectively adds five counties to the "Northern Michigan" label, removing them from the West Michigan or Central Michigan designation - Mason, Lake, Osceola, Clare, and Gladwin. It allows Ludington to be part of Northern Michigan, as it should, and roughly respects the US Route 10 rule, all while giving Central Michigan (including places like Midland, Mt. Pleasant, Saginaw, and Bay City) its due space.

I promise I'm not losing to much sleep over this. I just like keeping things organized, and this exercise proves that there's more than way way to do it

By the way, did anyone else know that in 2015, the SS Badger was officially designated as part of US Route 10? It connects Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, WI. US 10 was also one of the original "long-haul" highways, at one time spanning from Detroit to Seattle, before much of it was sliced up and reapportioned to various interstate highway routes.

[deja vu]

Interlochen -

This unincorporated community is located half an hour southwest of Traverse City and has a year-round population of about 270. But thanks to Interlochen Center for the Arts (ICA), the community is a bustling hub of activity, especially in the summer months, when ICA's regular boarding school turns over to summer programs that draw ~ 2,500 students, plus faculty and staff from across the country and globe (2020 was the exception to this, for obvious reasons). The population of the area increases tenfold or more as families and tourists visit the area for robust live performance events and to enjoy the natural scenic beauty. Rental homes fill up and local establishments make bank.

Interlochen is a place near and dear to me - I've spent many summers there, and it is where my wife and I met when we were in the high school summer camp program, 15 years ago. I was there for the 75th anniversary, and now we are only a few years away from the centennial celebration. It is a magical campus full of wonderful people and wonderful art, including wonderful architecture, much of it by Michigan native / Midland-based Alden B. Dow. Although I attended Interlochen principally focused on music, there is no doubt that the campus' architecture influenced my decision to ultimately go into that field.

There has been a lot of recent development in both the Interlochen community and the ICA campus lately. Starting with the campus, there are two big projects happening right now on campus - the Hildegarde Lewis Dance Building Addition and the Dow House, as well as the recently-completed new Music Center.

1. The Dance Building addition adds three new studio spaces to the existing two, as well as new main entry, changing rooms, offices, and support spaces. It is located right on the waterfront of Green Lake and it will feature outdoor terrace spaces for dancing and gathering. The $6 million expansion takes some architectural cues from the adjacent Kresge Auditorium, a 4,000 SF covered outdoor amphitheater. It is designed by Boston, MA-based Flansburgh Architects, a firm that specializes in educational facilities and dance spaces.

Construction camera progress from this morning -


Source: live.interlochen.org

Architectural renderings -








Source: Flansburgh Architects


2. The Dow House is a new $8.5 million residence hall made possible by a $4 million gift from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. It's completion will mark the culmination of a three-decades-long master plan effort (by Sasaki Associates), adding permanent, high-quality, year-round housing options for students, faculty, and visiting artists. It is also located right along the lakeshore of Green Lake. It is designed by Cornerstone Architects - a firm with offices in Traverse City and Grand Rapids, which has a lot of history working with Interlochen.

Construction camera progress from this morning -




Source: live.interlochen.org

Architectural renderings -








Source: Crescendo | Courtesy Cornerstone Architects


3. The $24 million Music Center broke ground in May 2017 and opened in May 2019. It is a 62,000 SF, 3-story facility that connects the existing Frohlich Piano and Percussion Building with Corson Auditorium to create a comprehensive, connected facility to serve all musicians. It was also designed by Cornerstone.

Architectural renderings -




Source: Crescendo | Courtesy Cornerstone Architects

Completed photos -

Source: interlochen.org/facilities/music-center


Source: Crescendo


Source: interlochen.org/facilities/music-center


Source: interlochen.org/facilities/music-center


Source: interlochen.org/facilities/music-center


Source: interlochen.org/facilities/music-center


Source: interlochen.org/facilities/music-center


I hope you enjoyed these Interlochen updates. More to come!

[Rizzo]

The art center buildings are beautifully designed. But those recent residential buildings you posted, especially that Trailside lofts or whatever. Yikes, that exterior is a clunker.

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by Rizzo

The art center buildings are beautifully designed. But those recent residential buildings you posted, especially that Trailside lofts or whatever. Yikes, that exterior is a clunker.

Yeah, Trailside 45 aesthetics are rough. It looks like a budget hotel - mostly EIFS, sculpted to resemble masonry. Bleh. City Limit Lofts aren't much better - that metal paneling will not age well, but at least it could be easily re-clad with something else. They really cheaped-out on the exterior finishes for both of these projects.

[deja vu]

Traverse City -

Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) passed a $107 million bond campaign in 2018. One of the capital goals is the construction of a new Montessori-style school for toddlers through middle schoolers. The new 2-story school will be built on vacant, district-owned land, northeast of West Middle School near the intersection of Franke and Silver Lake Rds. It will replace the current TCAPS Montessori Glenn Loomis School on Oak Street, which is housed in a much older building.

The $16 million, ~86,000 SF project is one of the biggest standalone projects included in the bond planning. It will include 22 classrooms, a gymnasium, cafetorium, media center, commons space, science lab, and music rooms, along with administrative and support space. The design team is a partnership between local firm Cornwell Architects and Kalamazoo-based Diekema Hamann. The CM is Kalamazoo-based Miller Davis. Bids were opened yesterday, and contracts are expected to be awarded in early March. Some site work already commenced last year, in anticipation of construction beginning this spring. The facility is scheduled to open in time for the Fall 2022 school year.

Work Progresses On New Montessori School
Beth Milligan | The Ticker
February 9, 2021

Source: TCAPS | Courtesy DHAE & Cornwell Architects

[deja vu]

Houghton -

A slight update on the big parking deck development - just one week after Veridea Group announced its withdrawal from the project, the City Council met and voted to charge the Planning Commission with making their own recommendation about what to do with the whole thing. Apparently this is something that needed to be voted on. I sense frustration on all sides of this thing.

At the same meeting, Council also voted to approve funds to the tune of ~ $900K to match a MEDC grant for a new boardwalk-style pier project that was originally approved in 2019 and put on hold last year due to COVID-19. MEDC has also recommitted to providing the grant money (the original funds were redirected towards COVID-19 relief efforts). The total project cost is about $3.6 million, with $2.8 million coming from the state and the remainder coming from the city. The pier will be situated in-between the Portage Canal Lift Bridge and Michigan Tech's Lakeshore Center, basically in-line-with the Huron Street Waterfront Park.

I'm no genius, but I suspect that this pier project is a critical part of Houghton's goal to increase its tourism and an essential piece of infrastructure to accommodate the Great Lakes cruise lines, two of which are currently under construction in Duluth and were mentioned previously. I cannot find great imagery of the design, aside from this apparent photograph of a rendering from 2019 -


Source: FOX UP WLUC

Houghton City Council charges Planning Commission with taking on the parking deck issue
Jerry Tudor | FOX UP WLUC
January 13, 2021

State funding reinstated for Houghton pier
January 2020 | Keweenaw Report

Houghton OKs pier project funds
The Daily Mining Gazette
February 11, 2021

[deja vu]

Sault Ste. Marie -

Osborne Commons was completed in 2020 at 215 Osborn Blvd. It brings 64 apartment units - most of them affordable - along with some ground-floor retail to downtown Sault Ste. Marie. The developer, Woda Cooper, worked with the city and MSHDA for tax credits to help support the $12 million, 4-story project. It was originally proposed in 2017. This is just one that I'm adding to the project rundown since it is fairly recent, and quite significant in size for Sault Ste. Marie. It's hard to find any completed photos, just this rendering and a construction progress photo from December 2019 (you can also see it under construction in this Google Street View link) -


Source: apartments.com


Source: Twitter | @WodaCooper

[deja vu]

Ludington -

The historic Wolverine Building (aka Haskell Building) at 801 N. Rowe St. was built in 1890. It will soon be converted into apartments, if all things go to plan. The project, named Lofts on Rowe, would entail 65 units of workforce housing, and once again, developer Michigan Community Capitol (in partnership with Lansing-based Third Coast Development) is working its funding magic. They received a $2 million Community Development Block Grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund a few weeks go. Add this to $1.6 million in historic tax credits, a $5.2 million bank loan, a separate $1 million grant, an Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act tax ($1.5 million), a local brownfield TIF ($1.5 million), $3 million in owner equity, not to mention $0 in property costs (the building was donated), and this thing is well on its way to having secured $16 million in financing. Virtual groundbreaking may occur in March or April -

Lofts on Rowe receives $2 million in grant funding
David Bossick, Managing Editor | Ludington Daily News
January 27, 2021

Historic photo (1967) -

Source: Ludington Daily News (file photo)

A more contemporary photo -

Source: MiBiz

2019 project rendering -

Source: MLive | Courtesy Image

2019 Plans -

Source: Ludington Daily News | Courtesy Image

[deja vu]

Ludington -

Two other housing developments for Ludington -

The first project would be at the corner of S James and Filer Streets. The abandoned service center would be demolished and the site would then be remediated to make way for a 5-unit townhouse development.

One block over, the second project would be 3 buildings with 2 townhomes each, constructed at 110 W Danaher St. (currently an empty lot). This townhouse development apparently requires a special land use permit due to its location. The residences would face Rath Avenue and Harbor View Marina, with parking access provided by a new alleyway that would connect the rear of the structures to Danaher. They would be across Danaher from Harbor Terrace Condominiums (another clunker of a building).

Both projects' owners want to break ground this spring.

Filer townhouses get green light; Danaher project still needs approvals
David Bossick | Ludington Daily News
November 5, 2020; Updated Feb 10, 2021

[joemits]

Just some cool stuff:
Lack of snow combined with the recent polar vortex caused Marquette's lower harbor to gently freeze over in a tranquil smooth layer of ice. Normal winters would bring in snow piles, ice bergs and ruffled up ice shelves.

[deja vu]

^ Awesome photos! Did you take those yourself? I love the first one.

(similar view) on Instagram -


Source: Instagram | @superiorimages906

[joemits]

Originally Posted by deja vu

^ Awesome photos! Did you take those yourself? I love the first one.

(similar view) on Instagram -


Source: Instagram | @superiorimages906

Thanks. Yes, I took the the first one. That drone shot is crazy cool!

[deja vu]

Interlochen -

Well, according to this Instagram post, Interlochen's new dance building addition is much closer to opening than I had guessed. It is set to open in just a few days. Here's a teaser of one of the new studios - hopefully this means we'll get to see more finished photos soon!


Source: Instagram | @interlochenarts

[deja vu]

Alpena -

Alpena Community College's (ACC) Van Lare Hall is undergoing a major renovation. The building is the oldest on campus, constructed in 1957. Most recently, it housed administrative and academic support and a dozen multi-purpose classrooms. The remodel will include a new student and community space that overlooks the Thunder Bay River, seven multipurpose classrooms, a new admissions office, and room for the current nursing program to more than quadruple in floor area with new classrooms, labs, and office space. The total construction cost is around $10 million.

Groundbreaking ceremony, October 2019 -


Source: Facebook | Alpena Community College

This construction progress photo is about three months old now -


Source: Facebook | Cornerstone Architects, Inc.

Renderings -

Main Entry -

Source: ACC Van Lare Hall Renovation

Community Gathering Area -

Source: ACC Van Lare Hall Renovation

Nursing Wing -

Source: ACC Van Lare Hall Renovation

Nursing Lab -

Source: ACC Center for Health Sciences

Commons -

Source: ACC Center for Health Sciences