Houghton County approves two brownfield redevelopment plans to spur workforce housing
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Summary
The Houghton County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved two Brownfield Redevelopment plans on Sept. 9, 2025 — a $22 million Lakeside Townhouses project in Hancock and a $17 million Gateway Project in Houghton — each using tax-increment capture under Michigan's Act 381.
The Houghton County Board of Commissioners voted 4–0 on Sept. 9 to approve two Brownfield Redevelopment plans intended to support workforce housing in Hancock and Houghton.
Jeff Ratcliffe, secretary of the Houghton County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, told the board the Lakeside Townhouses project in the City of Hancock is a $22 million proposal for six three-bedroom townhouses with a 16-year local tax-capture period, and that the plan has local approvals from the Brownfield Authority, Hancock Finance, Hancock DDA and Hancock City Council. Ratcliffe described the Gateway Project in the City of Houghton as a $17 million redevelopment that would include 12 long-term rental units and four condominiums with a 23-year capture period. Andy Moyle said the bank component is expected to be complete within 12 months and the residential work to begin in spring with a roughly 12-month construction window for that phase.
Both resolutions (Resolution #2025-22 for Lakeside and Resolution #2025-23 for the Gateway Project) cite compliance with the Michigan Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Act, Act 381, P.A. 1996, require notice to taxing jurisdictions, and include findings that the projects further public purposes such as blight removal, workforce housing and increased property tax value. Commissioners Janssen and Britz moved and supported the respective motions; final roll-call votes recorded Janssen, Britz, Tikkanen and Keranen voting yes, with Commissioner Glenn Anderson listed as absent.
The resolutions note that local taxing jurisdictions and development authorities have approved or foregone capture where applicable. The board's approvals follow the public hearings held earlier in the meeting, which the board opened and closed by voice vote. The county clerk certified adoption of the resolutions in the meeting minutes.
Next steps noted in the hearing record include local implementation steps by the Brownfield Authority and developer financing arrangements; the resolutions do not specify construction start dates beyond the developers' presentations. If developers proceed as described, the projects will rely on tax-increment capture for a multi-year period as described in each Brownfield Plan.