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Authority approves adaptive reuse of Ledyard Building at 125 Ottawa, including 8 income‑restricted units
Summary
The Brownfield Redevelopment Authority approved a brownfield plan amendment to convert the Ledyard Building at 125 Ottawa NW into 36 apartments, including eight units reserved at or below 60% of Kent County AMI for 25 years; the project seeks housing TIF, MSHDA 'My Neighborhoods' funding and a 15‑year NEZ.
Mackenzie presented and the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority approved a brownfield plan amendment to convert the second through fourth floors of the Ledyard Building at 125 Ottawa NW into 36 residential units. The proposal calls for 30 one‑bedroom units and six two‑bedroom units, and the developer said eight units will be priced for households at or below 60% of area median income for Kent County with a 25‑year affordability commitment.
The developer team, including Sam Cummings and Jared Belka, said total development costs are about $11.4 million, with construction costs near $6.1 million. Mackenzie and the team said the project is pursuing Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) 'My Neighborhoods' funding and is seeking a 15‑year Neighborhood Enterprise Zone tax exemption valued at roughly $1.8 million. The project requests housing tax‑increment financing via the city’s Brownfield program; staff identified about $4.6 million in eligible activity costs related to creating the residential units and associated demolition.
“Out of those 36 residential units, 30 of those are going to be 1 bedroom units and 6 will be 2 bedroom units,” Mackenzie said during the presentation. Sam Cummings said the team refers to the redevelopment as “Lemonade part 2” and described the building as an older, lower‑amenity structure that lends itself to modest, urban living units.
Board members asked about the project’s inclusion goals and minority‑owned business participation. Mackenzie said the project targets 30% inclusion goals on hard construction costs (with subgoals for MBE/WBE/MLBE) and that the development team has submitted a compliance plan through their contractor and is working to engage certified subcontractors.
The board approved the motion by voice vote; there was no roll‑call tally in the record. Construction was presented as anticipated to start in 2025 with completion in late 2026, subject to financing and permitting.
