Historic District Commission hears CLG, Main Street updates; RFP for beach house reopened

Coldwater’s Historic District Commission on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, heard updates on Certified Local Government (CLG) projects and the downtown Main Street program, including a reopened request for proposals for the beach house and metrics on visitor traffic and private investment downtown.

The updates matter because the CLG program and Main Street activity guide preservation work and downtown economic-development projects that can qualify for state grants and local incentives. Commission members got status reports on active grants, procurement steps and upcoming funding requests that could shape rehabilitation work downtown.

Aaron, a city staff member, told the commission that the RFP for the beach house returned a single bid; on advice from the city’s counsel the solicitation was reopened and will remain open through March 7 to encourage additional responses. “We only received 1. And because of that, with guidance from Chapeau, we were advised to open that back up,” Aaron said. He said staff expanded outreach by sending the RFP to the Builders Association of Michigan, the Builders Association of Lansing, the Construction Association of Michigan and other trade groups and that all bidder questions and answers are being tracked and circulated to interested parties.

Aaron also reported that a…