Meeting with potential Lakeview residential investors next week

The next step for the Rogers City Group, Inc., the local investors interested in developing the Lakeview residential Renaissance Zone, will be to test the interest of investors outside the area.

According to spokesman Bob Parsons a meeting next week will include 35 investors from Alpena and downstate, as well as the upper peninsula. There were mixed results in Rogers City after 65 letters were sent out and 25 follow-up telephone calls were made, so the four members of the RCGI decided on another course of action. PHASE 1 FOR the RCGI would be to purchase the property on Lakeview Street. As of earlier this week, RCGI seemed to be the investor group closest to putting something together.

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A handful of developers have decided to not continue negotiations with the Community Development Authority over the past few months and years.

Parsons, who has lived in Rogers City since 1999, says he?s interested in the development because there is a ?need for more retail customers? in town. ?We don?t have a big enough retail base.? He says Rogers City ?is a nice place, but let?s not let it go downhill.? It would take two to three years to start to receive a ?decent return? from the project but the group remains committed. THERE MIGHT not be as much opposition to the project if there were a developer in place. A petition drive headed by Ed Lamb of Rogers City would force a referendum on proposed infrastructure improvements for the development. The city council would like to use half of $300,000 in bonds to finance the water lines, road, and sewer improvements for the 20 parcels. The financing plan has come under scrutiny because there is no private developer. The petition drive has netted 200 of the 250 signatures needed to put it on the ballot. Voters would decide if the city should proceed with issuing bonds or not. It?s similar to the courthouse proposal which was defeated last year. In that situation, the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners was prepared to move forward with issuing bonds but a petition drive put the decision into the hands of the county voters who turned down the issue. LAMB SAID there were four collectors still needing to bring in their petitions, so they probably are near their goal of 300. Petitions need to be submitted by the end of the business day September 8. ?We?re not quitting,? said Lamb. There are approximately 2,515 registered voters in the city of Rogers City. Clerk/treasurer Theresa Heinzel will have to verify the signatures to ensure they are all registered voters. ?If the petition goes through it puts a crimp on things,? said Parsons. If the issue goes on the ballot, the project would be delayed until next year, Parsons said.

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