Developer plans to construct about 30 homes; a model home is expected by Memorial Day
Now that the Community Development Association of Rogers City has signed a purchase agreement with partners Cross Homes of West Grand Rapids and DeYoung and Associates of Grand Rapids, the developers are anxious to close on the deal in the coming weeks and not miss out on this summer?s marketing season. Cross Homes and DeYoung and Associates are poised to take over ownership of the parcels of land within the Renaissance Zone along Lakeview Avenue. Ultimately, the group would like to construct 30 new homes on six acres of land that is in the process of being purchased.
To get the project headed in the right direction and generate customers, the developers would like to construct a model home by the first holiday weekend of summer. ?We want to get a model up there and ready for the summer months for the Memorial Day weekend crowd,? said John Cross. ?If we can get it closed within the next week or two…we can do marketing this year and not miss our marketing season this summer.?
ACCORDING TO Rogers City Manager John Bruning, the purchase agreement has been filed with a title company, along with a deposit. The city, as of late last week, was preparing to forward the environmental documents to the group. The site, which qualified for the cleanup of environmental pollutants, took much longer than anticipated and scared off potential developers. To move the project along, the CDA took over ownership as the developer. ?It?s the best news I?ve had with a development in a long time. The whole thing has been much more time consuming than anyone would have guessed when (the city) entered into the concept of the project several years ago,? said Bruning.
There also was the recent setback with city voters turning down a referendum in November to issue bonds to defray the cost of infrastructure improvements. ?Even while the referendum was going to the ballot, we were talking with these folks, but nothing was done at that point,? said Bruning, who had been working with the group since late last summer. ?It?s a matter of everything takes time, and they had other projects going as well. I?m optimistic that everything will come through.?
?As it looks at this point, we will be most likely be requested to special assess the infrastructure, and they?ve indicated that,? said Bruning. ?That will probably be financed through special assessment bonds, which are different than those that the voters rejected in the bond issue last fall.?
ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS are expected soon, and will have to be reviewed by the CDA?s architectural review committee, before proceeding. Part of the appealing part of the project for the developers is that much of the on-site pre-construction work, especially the environmental cleanup, has been done by the city. ?It fits good in our calendar, because we can go and start building on it right away,? said Cross. ?We think there is a lot
Another key part of the project will be the tax free incentives to the purchasers. ?I?ve not built and sold in your market yet, so it?s our first time up there,? said Cross. ?I have to believe the location is good (and) the fact that the Renaissance Zone is in place and that they (buyers) get tax credits, is also good. ?I don?t see a lot of new homes built right in town, so we?ll be a little unique. I imagine most builders are building in the outlying areas for people on acres, versus small parcels in town.?
The last 15 years, Cross Homes has been involved in the construction of 14 to 15 subdivisions in the Grand Rapids area. They?ve built a home for the elderly in Grandville and are currently working on a 100,000 square foot assisted living facility in Detroit.