Last week, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) awarded $2.8 million in Brownfield funding to remediate contaminated properties in four developments across Detroit, along with an additional $3 million in brownfield incremental tax financing. These projects include new construction, rehabs, and the demolition of a historic property.
Southwest Housing Solutions Corporation will build on a long-vacant property on the 5400-5800 block of Michigan Avenue, a couple blocks across from Prince Valley Market. Two new buildings will go up on the property, bringing 90 apartments to the community. These apartments will serve low-income clients, and will also provide services for mental health, crisis, primary care, and addiction.
The site has been used for a variety of industrial purposes, such as dry cleaning, a gas station, photo developing, and a vulcanizing operation. A $1 million EGLE brownfield grant will go toward remediation of the property.
A few blocks north of this site, funding was also approved for a project led by American Indian Health and Family Services for a new health and wellness complex. The $350,000 EGLE brownfield grant will be used to assess contamination of the site, remove an underground storage tank, and fund installation of an underground ventilation system for the new building.
The new complex will provide a variety of free services for tribal members including behavioral health, dental, medical, infant, youth, and community health. It will include play areas, gardens, and host gatherings at its green spaces.
Brownfield funding will also go to development projects in the Piety Hill neighborhood, near Boston-Edison. The $13 million development is led by Central Detroit Christian and includes both renovation of an apartment building and new construction of 16 duplexes.
“The city of Detroit greatly appreciates the partnership with EGLE in providing $450,000 in cleanup funding for the Central Detroit Christian’s affordable housing redevelopment, Piety Hill II; this funding will be used to prevent exposure to hazardous substances and address environmental conditions for a much-needed affordable housing redevelopment in the Piety Hill neighborhood,” said David Bell, director of the Detroit Buildings, Safety, Engineering, and Environmental Department.
The largest amount of funding in this round will go toward the redevelopment of the American Motor Company (AMC) Headquarters. NorthPoint Development is leading this industrial project, which will see the demo of the historic building plus new construction of an industrial facility. A $1 million brownfield grant will go toward environmental contamination of the site and installation of an underground ventilation system for the new facility, while $3 million in brownfield tax increment financing was approved for additional environmental costs.
The $72 million development is located at 14250 Plymouth Avenue near I-96.
