Public hearing held on brownfield redevelopment plan for 1500 Cooleyman; council delays decision

Grand Haven City Council opened a public hearing on Jan. 6 concerning a brownfield redevelopment plan for a long‑vacant parcel at 1500 Cooleyman Street. City staff and the development team described a proposal to construct two buildings containing 12 commercial storage units and outlined contamination concerns and proposed tax‑increment capture to pay for remediation.

Staff summary: City staff said the site has arsenic, copper and lead contamination and that the development team requested a 17‑year tax increment financing (TIF) capture with an additional five‑year capture returning to the Economic Development Corporation/Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. A staff memo cited a total capture figure described in the meeting as "a little over $532,100,000 dollars, ending in 2048," and staff noted the council’s economic incentive policy separates public‑hearing and decision steps so council would have a pause before formal consideration.

Public process and next steps: No council action was taken at the Jan. 6 meeting; staff said the proposal and supporting materials will return for formal consideration at a future meeting (staff indicated Jan. 21 as the likely date). Members of the development team and the consultant who prepared the brownfield report were present to answer questions at upcoming meetings.

Why it matters: Brownfield plans can allow tax capture to fund environmental remediation and site preparation for redevelopment; the plan as proposed would affect local taxing jurisdictions for the capture period described in the staff memo and enable the developer to address known contamination issues.

What’s next: Council did not vote on the plan on Jan. 6. The matter will return for consideration at a future meeting, when council will be asked to consider whether to approve the brownfield plan and the requested TIF capture schedule.