Marquette, MI – The city of Marquette has been awarded up to $8 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for the City of Marquette Blight Clearance Project in Marquette. The project will include the demolition of buildings at the property of the former Marquette General Hospital as well as structure and site demolition, relocation of active utilities, and temporary access to provide for demolition and removal of buried debris. As part of the demolition, engineering services will be required to assess and potentially eliminate environmental conditions and remove existing contamination on the site.
Located near the Northern Michigan University (NMU) campus, the site is an attractive location for much-needed housing and other amenities that could complement the neighborhood, NMU, and nearby 3rd Street business corridor. An economic feasibility analysis shows the viability of an estimated $166 million mixed-use development, featuring a wide range of housing, retail and commercial space, and greenspace and pedestrian corridors to better connect the development and surrounding neighborhoods to NMU’s campus.
The NMU Foundation has established a website to share information regarding the project, including public access to reports and documents related to its work of aligning relationships and resources required to facilitate demolition and site preparation of the former hospital site. The website is www.RenewCollegeAveMQT.org.
The total estimated project cost is $12.7 million to be used for site demolition and the removal of hazardous material. The CDBG funds will be wholly dedicated toward blight elimination. The project is supported by regional economic development partner InvestUP, the Northern Michigan University Foundation, local legislators, community stakeholders and residents. The city of Marquette will serve as the grantee of the project and will provide expedited review and permitting as part of the project process. The city is certified with MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) program.
Credit for the content above goes to the author, Kathleen Achtenberg. The Article was released on February 28, 2023.
“The vacant site on College Avenue is an attractive location for much-needed housing and other amenities that could compliment the neighborhood, NMU, and nearby 3rd Street business corridor. Economic feasibility analysis shows the viability of an estimated $166 million mixed-use development, featuring a wide range of housing, retail and commercial space, and greenspace and pedestrian corridors to better connect the development and surrounding neighborhoods to NMU’s campus.
The Critical barrier to any redevelopment at the site is the continuously increasing high cost to demolish the site (estimated most recently at $20.5 million), and the need to properly remove hazardous materials and conduct environmental remediation to prepare it for redevelopment” – NMU Foundation
More information can be found at the NMU Foundation’s website HERE.
Click To Submit Press Releases, News, Calendar Items, and Community Events to mediaBrew radio stations WFXD, WKQS, WRUP, GTO, Fox Sport Marquette, and 106.1 The Sound
Marquette, Michigan Calendar; Ishpeming Calendar; Negaunee Calendar; Gwinn Calendar; Negaunee Calendar and Events; Upper Peninsula Calendar of Events; Escanaba Events and Calendar