The Owosso City Council voted to open a 21‑day posting period to solicit offers on a three‑acre parcel at 1000 Bradley Street, the former Vanguard factory site, after hearing a presentation from a family‑owned developer that offered $10,000 for the property and described a 40‑unit housing concept.

City Manager (City Manager) told the council the offer is “far less than the true cash value” because of expected remediation costs and that the city previously received state grant money for a phase 1 and phase 2 environmental assessment, with work by AKT Peerless. He said the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has agreed to fund a full baseline environmental assessment (BEA) if a prospective purchaser signs on — a step that can provide liability protection for a developer during and after remediation.

The developer, identifying the proposal as NB Concepts, described the team as a small family venture and presented a design inspired by mid‑20th century Quonset‑hut architecture. Soper Kovic (NB Concepts, head of creative and design) said the concept is for about 40 units, with concentrated building mass tailored to the odd‑shaped site and on‑site green space and park elements. “We’re a small family development. We’re scrappy,” Kovic said, adding the team includes construction and finance experience.

Staff and developers told the council the $10,000 offer reflects the site’s irregular shape, proximity to a rail line and expected cleanup costs from a fire two decades ago. Justin Horvath (city staff) said EGLE typically funds assessment work (phase 1/2) and may fund a BEA for a prospective purchaser; cleanup funding is a separate, later grant that typically requires a project be lined up. The city manager explained that cleanup grants usually do not cover 100% of physical remediation and that a future brownfield/“381” plan (tax‑increment capture) may be needed to reimburse developer costs.

Council members asked about timing and contingencies. Staff said posting opens a 21‑day window in which other developers may submit offers; the council can accept, reject or negotiate after the period closes. The timeline discussed included a 180‑day window for next steps the developer called an “180‑day” process and an optimistic overall completion target of about two years, depending on remediation findings and permitting. NB Concepts said any purchase would be contingent on a successful rezone and “reasonable” remediation costs.

Members of the public raised questions about transparency and whether council discussion had occurred outside public meetings. “How can it be if you haven’t discussed this that it’s already set and done?” asked a resident who identified himself as Mister Manky. Council members and staff responded that meetings with the developer were for information gathering, earlier assessments had been done, and the 21‑day posting is procedural to invite competing offers; no sale was finalized at the meeting.

The council approved the motion to start the 21‑day posting by roll call; staff said the posting will give other prospective purchasers an opportunity to submit bids. If the council receives offers, it will return to consider selection and any negotiation.

The city manager and staff repeatedly emphasized that any cleanup funding beyond assessments typically depends on a committed redevelopment project and that the city is not proposing to act as the developer for the site.

Ending: The council’s vote opens a formal 21‑day period for offers; if bids are received the council will review them at a later meeting and may pursue BEA and cleanup grant applications tied to a selected developer’s project plan.