Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Downtown Rehabilitation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves nine‑year tax abatement for downtown rehab into two apartments
Summary
City staff recommended and council approved a nine‑year Neighborhood Enterprise Zone certificate for Hometown Premium Properties to convert upper floors at 121 W. Washington Ave. into two rental apartments and rehabilitate the building’s exterior and ground‑floor commercial space.
The Alpena City Council approved a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone (NEC) certificate on Aug. 4 for Hometown Premium Properties LLC to rehabilitate the building at 121 West Washington Ave., creating two upstairs apartments and restoring exterior features.
Planning staff said the applicants — owners Mike Lam and Jake Straley — applied to convert the vacant upper floor into two residential units and to restore some original window openings on the building’s façade. The city’s NEC review committee scored the project on criteria including project valuation, unit count, design character and interior amenities; the application received 11 points, which the staff noted corresponds to a nine‑year abatement term under city policy.
Planning staff said the upstairs space is currently vacant and that the property includes on‑site parking and garage spaces. The applicants said the two apartments will be two‑bedroom units (roughly 700 and 900 square feet) and that they plan an accessible ramp to serve the ground‑floor commercial tenant.
Council approved Resolution 25‑08 to grant the NEC certificate for nine years after a motion by Councilmember Mitchell and a second by Mayor Pro Tem Walczak. The council vote was recorded in the affirmative and the project will proceed through building‑permit and trade‑permit reviews.
Sources: Planning staff report and presentation; applicant remarks; council action on Resolution 25‑08, Aug. 4, 2025.
