City staff and private partners gave the Wyoming City Council a substantive update on the city-center/HomeFlats project on Jan. 6 as the council also approved several resolutions and procurement actions covering trails, legal services, school support, public-safety cooperation and small capital purchases.

Nicole (city staff) and representatives from Magnus Capital described Phase 3 of the HomeFlats at 28 West project, a capstone phase that will bring more than 200 units to a site that already contains phases 1 and 2 for a total exceeding 600 units. Vishal Arora (Magnus Capital) said the private partner will contribute to the mixed‑use development that includes retail space oriented to a new pedestrian bridge, a ground‑floor childcare tenant (Grow Child Care Academy) and an elevated public green space above parking. Nicole told the council Magnus Capital’s investment across phases 1–3 will exceed $140,000,000 and that the residential base is expected to generate an estimated $6,000,000 in annual local spending once stabilized.

Staff outlined a near-term schedule: the bridge span will be placed in March 2025, HomeFlats Phase 3 is expected to break ground in April–May 2025, and the bridge is slated to open by the end of June 2025. Staff also said engineering design for undergrounding utilities and expanded trail work will proceed in 2025; Trail 7 is scheduled for construction bids and partial openings this summer.

Votes at a glance

- Temporary construction permits for Trail 7 (City Manager report 25-1): Approved (roll call unanimous). The permits allow temporary access agreements with property owners to enable trail construction.

- Engagement of Bloom Sluggett PC for interim legal services and authorization to engage a legal recruiting service for a new city attorney (Resolutions a–b): Approved (roll call). Staff explained Bloom Sluggett would provide interim municipal legal services at hourly rates while a recruiter works to assemble a candidate list.

- License agreement with Wyoming Public Schools and license with Consumers Energy to place a trail under a powerline corridor (Resolutions c–d): Approved (roll call). The schools’ license provides temporary vehicle-bay use at the city fleet facility after the school district’s bus garage fire; the Consumers Energy agreement requires city maintenance and an annual license fee (noted as $2.50).

- Amendment to special-assessment policy (Resolution e): Approved (roll call). Council amended its policy to stop future special assessments for street paving, curb and gutter and sidewalk work, while continuing assessments for water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer on a buildable-parcel basis rather than lot-frontage.

- Acceptance of Kent County Veterans Treatment Court funds ($100,000) and a $25,000 General Motors corporate grant (Resolutions f–g): Approved (roll call). The GM grant will underwrite a pilot driver-training and police mentorship program to subsidize about 50 teenage drivers at an estimated $500 per student.

- Information-sharing agreement with Kent County Sheriff’s Office (Resolution h): Approved (roll call). The agreement grants specified county and city personnel reciprocal access to certain records for investigations.

- Automatic-aid agreements with Byron Township, Gaines Township and the City of Kentwood for fire response (Resolutions i–k): Approved (roll call). Staff said automatic aid will dispatch the nearest unit in designated border areas to reduce response times; agreements include a 30‑day termination clause.

- Awards of public-works and maintenance bids, demolition authorization, pipeline lining and landscape/tree contracts (Awards): Approved (roll call). Notable items: demolition of structures at 3040 West Street (house and barn) with a low-bid demolition estimate of about $25,000; tree‑trimming contract estimated at about $150,000 per year across three zones.

- Purchase of a Trimble X9 3D mapping kit for investigations and scene documentation (Resolution b under awards): Approved (roll call). Staff said the system will shorten incident-scene closure times and provide 3D exhibits for court.

- Ordinance 4-25 (first reading) to regulate use of multi‑use trails, bicycle lanes and sidewalks: Adopted on first reading (unanimous); no final vote required at this meeting.

Why it matters: The City Center report lays out a condensed construction and activation timeline that will change traffic patterns and public-space access in the 28th Street corridor, and the resolutions pass funding, interlocal and procurement decisions that enable trail construction, public-safety cooperation and program pilots that directly affect residents.

Selected quotes: Nicole (city staff) said, “By the end of summer 2025, we will have about 3 miles of walkable network, open with direct connections to the future city center.” Vishal Arora (Magnus Capital) said Phase 3 is intended as “the capstone project” and described the project’s mix of residential, commercial and elevated green space.

Next steps: Staff will bring a brownfield plan for the city center to council in February; trail construction, utility undergrounding design and bid processes will continue through summer 2025. Grant-funded programs and interlocal agreements will move to implementation under the responsible departments as directed at the meeting.