Bell Estates in Dundee ... A groundbreaking ceremony for the second phase of the Bell Estates Apartments took place May 19. Bell Estates opened its first homes in December 2014. This new expansion will be ready for occupancy later this year and will feature 132 one- and two-bedroom apartment homes with an improved design and new amenities. 

East Main Redevelopment in Milan … A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on May 2. The $5.3 Million residential and commercial development takes up almost an entire block of Main Street in downtown Milan. It includes 15 apartments and 8 commercial store fronts. Dave Snyder, developer of property, indicated several of the apartments have been rented and tenants will begin moving in soon.  Also, 1 of the 8 storefronts has been leased.

Grants from the Michigan State Housing Development Agency and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's community development program along with federal historic tax credits, conventional financing helped to fund this transformational project.

The renovated building was built from 1842 to 1892. In keeping with the historic nature of that time, authentic and structural updates were made to the buildings. The City of Milan provided $3.3 million in tax abatements to the project. 

The City of Milan has recently been selected to participate in the Michigan Main street program. This program assists cities and villages to revitalize their downtown areas. The Wabash and Main is a great jump start to that revitalization.

Have you heard about the I-75 Corridor Study

The I-75 Corridor Study will provide Monroe County with a plan to attract jobs and capital investment. This Public Private Partnership was made possible when Monroe County Commissioners' Gary Wilmoth and Mark Brant recognized the significance of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge crossing may have on development in Monroe County. Additionally, the BDC was able to gather further financial support from City of Monroe, Consumers Energy,  DTE Energy,  Michigan Paving, the River Raisin Battlefield Foundation, and Stoneco.

The BDC has contracted with OHM Advisors and their team after conducting a request for proposals. The study has begun and OHM advisors were in the area last week to tour the corridor. The study will identify sites along the I-75 Corridor that may be suitable for industrial development. Each site will be evaluated for its best usage, taking into consideration available utilities and access to I-75.

In addition to the site evaluation, the study will identify potential target industries that could take advantage of locating along the corridor.  

Once the study is complete, an action plan will be developed to approach both existing Monroe County companies that may have expansion interest and new companies looking for sites. 

Please continue to read our upcoming newsletters for updates on this important initiative. 

Link to recent Monroe News story