Revitalization Effort to Transform Petoskey’s Historic City Park Grill
In a move poised to enhance Petoskey’s downtown vibrancy, the iconic City Park Grill is set to undergo a significant transformation. Supported by the Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) program, the project aims to convert the building’s unused upper floor into affordable housing units.
LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer, alongside the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), has announced the redevelopment initiative for the City Park Grill, located in downtown Petoskey. This project will convert the functionally obsolete second floor of the building into five affordable workforce housing units.
Governor Whitmer emphasized the project’s importance, stating, “Today’s project in Petoskey will build more housing for workers and make the city a better, more affordable place to live. Thanks to bipartisan funding for the RAP program, we are continuing our comprehensive economic development strategy to help anyone ‘Make It in Michigan’ by focusing on investing in people, building up places, and winning projects. Together, we will keep growing our economy, delivering on the kitchen-table issues, and making our cities and towns better places to raise a family or start a business. Let’s keep moving dirt and getting things done.”
With a RAP grant of $566,170, the project is projected to have a total capital investment of $2,179,000. The redevelopment will not only enhance the building but will also include eco-friendly upgrades like solar panels and a modern fire suppression system. The RAP program provides essential gap financing for infrastructure and real estate development, aiming to revitalize public spaces.
Michele Wildman, MEDC Chief Place Officer, remarked, “On behalf of the MEDC, we are pleased to work with communities across Michigan and invest in their resilience through the RAP program as part of our ‘Make It in Michigan’ economic strategy’s placemaking efforts. We look forward to seeing how this project brings additional vibrancy to downtown Petoskey and improve its community and residents.”
This initiative addresses the housing demands in Emmet County and aims to retain and attract workforce talent. The project will transform 2,921 sq.-ft. of previously unused office space into apartments, a strategic move to boost Petoskey’s inventory of workforce housing and support its development as a walkable community.
City Manager Shane Horn expressed his support, saying, “The City of Petoskey is proud to partner with Wineguys Holdings to revive a blighted, underutilized upper floor of a historic Downtown restaurant into 5 workforce housing units. This local, community-minded investment team understands the challenges of housing affordability in our region and is committed to being part of the solution. We applaud the MEDC in activating Revitalization and Placemaking program funds for this project as the redevelopment of this property will have a broad and profoundly positive impact on our Downtown and community as a whole.”
The developer, Wineguys Holdings, also expressed gratitude for the support, stating, “Wineguys Holdings is committed to helping address the shortage of affordable housing in the City of Petoskey. We appreciate the support of MEDC by providing Revitalization and Placemaking grant funding. We are also grateful to the City of Petoskey for their continued support throughout the process. The assistance of both was critical in allowing us to achieve our goal of providing five affordable workforce housing units in Northern Michigan. We would not have been able to fulfill this objective without their support.”
Petoskey’s status as a Redevelopment Ready Community, a designation received in August 2018, underscores its commitment to attracting private investment and enhancing municipal assets. More information about the certification can be found here.
Senator John Damoose commented on the initiative’s impact, stating, “This is great news that will help spur growth in Northern Michigan. Housing has been a major issue in our region and across the state. We’ve been working hard to both grow and attract talent, but the simple fact is if we want to bring more people to our state, they have to have somewhere to live. I’ve been a strong advocate for expanding workforce housing, and these grants will help make significant progress in the right direction. I hope to see more of these grants being made available, along with additional legislative steps that encourage more people to build their lives right here in Michigan.”
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