Jackson County approves Brownfield plan for 2532 Spring Arbor Road after heated public hearing

Jackson County commissioners on Feb. 18 approved a Brownfield redevelopment plan for 2532 Spring Arbor Road in Summit Township, adopting a resolution to allow tax-increment financing to reimburse eligible demolition costs for redevelopment of the building into an outpatient mental health facility.

The measure passed by roll-call vote, 6-2. Commissioner Phil Ducham voted no and Commissioner Baer voted no; Commissioners Kennedy, Pulaski, Williams, Snell, Walls and Chairman Shotwell voted yes.

The Brownfield plan, presented by a county consultant, would use tax increment financing (TIF) so that taxes generated by the increased assessed value after redevelopment would be captured and used to reimburse specific eligible costs incurred by the developer. David Stedjink, identified in the meeting as a consultant for the county’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, explained the mechanism: "This new... business will pay their taxes just like everybody else," and the increased taxes created by investment are used only to reimburse eligible costs once they are incurred.

Why it mattered

Supporters said the plan is necessary to make the project financially feasible and to restore a largely unused, functionally obsolete building. Brad Messenger, the project's developer and representative of Michigan Psychological Care…