Romulus staff present MC Group proposal for roughly 70 for‑sale units at Van Born Road

City of Romulus officials on Wednesday reviewed a developer proposal for the Van Born Road parcels that would add roughly 70 for‑sale housing units to the city’s supply.

Kevin Krause, introduced by the meeting chair as the city’s director, told the council the proposal grew out of a multi‑year planning effort that included corridor and housing studies and a master‑plan update. He said the city identified several city‑owned parcels to market for development, including a church‑donated parcel on Van Born Road that the city accepted after the church was unable to pay back taxes.

Jessica Hobbs, presented to the council as the staff member who worked on the housing study, walked through the submission from MC Group, a Metro‑Detroit development firm. "So there are 48 townhomes and 22 duplexes proposed in this initial proposal," Hobbs said, describing a for‑sale project with unit sizes ranging about 1,200 to 1,900 square feet and phased construction of 15 to 20 units per phase. She summarized the developer’s estimate that the project would add approximately $13,600,000 in taxable value and roughly $20,000,000 in private investment.

Hobbs and staff emphasized the RFP selection does not, by itself, release the property to the developer or approve a site plan. "Any approvals today on the RFP process won't release the property to the developer at this time, and it will also not provide any site plan approval," staff said, adding that formal site‑plan and planning‑board reviews would follow if the city proceeds.

Council members asked specific questions about why the RFP approach was used for Van Born and not for other local developments. Staff replied that other recent projects (for example, Creekside or Gateway) were privately owned and therefore not subject to a city‑run RFP; the Van Born site is city‑controlled because it was donated. A council member also asked whether existing businesses near the Van Born/Henry Roth intersection — referenced in the presentation as a flower shop and a car wash — would remain; staff said those businesses would not be displaced by the proposed development.

Council members pressed for clarity on funding. The presentation listed potential funding sources including Brownfield and TIP dollars; a council member asked specifically whether a $1.5 million Brownfield/TIP figure shown in the materials would cover remediation and site readiness. Staff said the donated land represents the city’s equity in the deal and that state and federal programs would be evaluated to finalize the capital stack.

One council member framed the proposal as part of a broader effort to increase density and workforce housing in Romulus, saying such projects can help raise rooftops and median incomes and make the city more attractive to retail investment.

No formal land transfer, tax‑abatement or site‑plan approvals were taken during the public hearing. The meeting closed with a public‑comment period that drew no speakers and an adjournment vote.

What happens next: staff said the RFP selection, if advanced, would move to the next stage of submittals and the normal planning and building‑permit reviews; any final agreements, land transfers or site plans would require subsequent approvals by the council and planning authorities.