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Battle Creek Commission repeals two PILOT provisions to clear path for housing redevelopment
Summary
The Battle Creek City Commission on Feb. 3 adopted two ordinances repealing pilot payment-in-lieu-of-tax (PILOT) provisions in chapter 882 tied to Station Side Lofts and Bennett Crossing after state housing-credit awards were not received; the repeals are intended to allow new solicitations for developers under revised Michigan State Housing Development Authority rules.
The Battle Creek City Commission voted Feb. 3 to adopt two ordinances repealing pilot payment-in-lieu-of-tax provisions in the city code to allow developers to reapply for state low-income housing tax credits. City staff told commissioners that the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) did not award tax credits for the Station Side Lofts and Bennett Crossing projects in the October 2025 funding round and that MSHDA's revised rules require the city to issue a request for proposals and eliminate pre-existing ties to earlier developers before a new application can proceed.
The ordinances repeal section 23 (Station Side Lofts) and section 25 (Bennett Crossing) of chapter 882 of the city's real estate taxation code. According to the presentation, repealing those pilot provisions is intended to clarify the code and facilitate future development by enabling an open, competitive RFP process consistent with the state's updated requirements. A motion to adopt each ordinance was moved and seconded, and both measures were approved by the commission.
Why it matters: The change removes local code language that the city said could block or complicate a developer's ability to reapply for state low-income housing tax credits under MSHDA's new application rules. City officials framed the moves as procedural steps to enable redevelopment and ensure the city can pursue projects without lingering contractual or code-based impediments.
What commissioners said and next steps: There were no substantive questions from commissioners recorded during the vote on either ordinance. The clerk recorded Commissioner Katarski Smith casting a recorded "yes" vote during the process. Staff indicated the next step is to issue an RFP and pursue developer selection under the clarified code; a timeline for the RFP was not specified in the meeting record.
Authorities and documents: The action references chapter 882 of the city's code of ordinances and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) funding round in October 2025. Specific ordinance text and the city code sections repealed were presented as part of the agenda materials.
The commission moved on to other business after both ordinances were adopted.
