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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Genesee Towers: A storied history in downtown Flint
Kristin Longley | klongley1@mlive.com By Kristin Longley | klongley1@mlive.com
FLINT, MI -- On a rainy December morning in 1968, Genesee Merchants Bank & Trust opened inside the brand new, 19-story Genesee Towers building -- a symbol of a "rapidly growing downtown Flint," officials said at the time.
With a proposal to demolish the structure now in the works, here's a look back at Genesee Towers' history in Flint.
Feel free to add your own memories in the comments section below.
GENESEE TOWERS TIMELINE (Source: Flint Journal archives)
geneseetowershistory.JPG
Flint Journal file photo
Genesee Towers is in mid-construction in this 1967 Flint Journal file photo.
1965 -- The announcement that Genesee Towers will be built at the corner of First and Harrison Streets is heralded with the front page headline, "DOWNTOWN GETTING NEW OFFICE TOWER," in The Flint Journal. It would be the first project of its kind since 1929, when the Union Industrial Bank Building (now known as the Mott Foundation Building) was put up.
1968 – Genesee Towers is completed at a reported cost of $6.5 million. Soon after, Genesee Merchants Bank & Trust Co. opens Dec. 1 in the new building.
1969 – The private University Club opens in the top floor of the Towers building. The club preferred its members have college degrees, but did not require it. It also started as a male-only club in some sections. A bylaw change in 1972 permits women to serve on the board and visit parts of the club from which they had been prohibited.
1979 – Building is sold by its original owner, First & Harrison Inc., to Ann Arbor-based Barton Associates, owned by brothers Fred and Ned Shure.
1981 – A slab of concrete falls three stories off the side of the building after a car hit the parking bumper inside the parking garage. No one is injured.
1983 – The building’s owners, Fred and Ned Shure, are indicted by a federal grand jury in New Orleans on charges they imported 40,000 pounds in Colombian marijuana. They each plead guilty to two counts of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
1985 – Genesee Towers is sold to Stephen D. Barker and Daniel J. Murphy of Tower Associates. Also, NBD acquires Genesee Bank, and the University Club begins a large-scale remodeling project in their home on the 19th floor.
Flint Journal file photo
One of downtown Flint's most familiar skyline signs came down July 22, 1990, when workers used a large helicopter to remove the 60-feet-tall Genesee Bank sign from the top of the Genesee Towers building. The 21-year-old steel sign was removed because it required costly maintenance and the bank had changed its name to NBD.
July 23, 1990 – The Genesee Bank sign is removed from the top of Genesee Towers. It is reported that the sign, with its bright orange neon lettering, is visible by night from an airplane as far away as Port Huron.
1991 – The building is sold to a Georgia institutional investment company, Genesee Towers Inc.
1996 – The building is foreclosed on after being controlled by a Texas-based real estate investment trust since 1993.
March 1997 – NBD, the building’s largest tenant, announces its decision to vacate Genesee Towers, citing a need for more modern facilities. The Flint Journal reports the building manager is searching for a buyer as the structure requires “millions of dollars in repairs,” including improvements to its parking deck and heating and cooling systems.
October 1997 – The building is sold at auction to real estate investor V. Kumar Vemulapalli for $500,000.
1998 – NBD vacates Genesee Towers after its lease expires.
December 1999 – Radio stations WFDF and WDZZ vacate Genesee Towers. The stations’ general manager says at the time that the building is “rundown.”
2001 – The city issues code violations for building deficiencies, including broken fire alarms, faulty wiring and damaged or missing air filters. Vemulapalli contests the citations.
2003 and 2004 – The building’s owner files lawsuits against the city, claiming the city is attempting to seize the building through inverse condemnation.
2006 – The parties agree to enter into binding arbitration in the case.
2007 – Arbitrator Valdemar Washington, a former circuit court judge, orders the city must take ownership of the building and awards Vemulapalli $6 million.
2009 -- The city appeals the decision, claiming the arbitrator exceeded the scope of his authority, but the Michigan Court of Appeals upholds the arbitrator's ruling and the city appeals to the Michigan Supreme Court.
2010 – The Michigan Supreme Court declines to hear the case.
December 2010 – A judge orders the city to assess Flint taxpayers to cover the Genesee Towers judgment, legal fees and interest. An extra 6.751 mills was placed on property owners’ tax bills. The city takes over the building.
August 2012 – Flint emergency manager Michael Brown signs a development agreement to transfer Genesee Towers to Uptown Reinvestment Corp. for $1 to be demolished. The transfer is contingent upon property inspections and other “due diligence” activities, according to the agreement. |
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 6:41 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Traverse City
Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump Cherryland Center on South Airport Road was recently purchased by a developer with plans to upgrade the property.
Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
November 24, 2013
BY GLENN PUIT
gpuit@record-eagle.com
TRAVERSE CITY — The new owner of the Cherryland Center in Garfield Township wants to attract more businesses to the property with exterior upgrades and an improved parking lot.
“We are looking at bringing other businesses in, and we are talking to several people,” said Developer V. Kumar Vemulapalli, who described himself as the property manager on behalf of its new corporate owner, Darga LLC.
“We want to make improvements to the property, including fixing the parking lot, to help bring in new business and customers,” Vemulapalli said.
Darga LLC purchased Cherryland Center in an online auction for $3.1 million, and took control of a property that for years languished in bank ownership.
The property is anchored by Kmart and Sears and houses a diverse set of tenants including a GameStop, Quiznos and the Armed Forces Recruitment Center. Some tenants told the Record-Eagle they are encouraged by Darga LLC’s commitment to garner more commerce at the center, noting the property has huge potential. It’s already in a solid location hemmed by vehicle traffic on Garfield and South Airport roads.
“I think it’s a good thing,” said Paul Barbas, owner of the popular Opa Coney and Grill restaurant at the center. “We shouldn’t be afraid of change. If we could fill more spaces the whole complex survives ... and the more of a village feel we create.”
Rick and Lisa Foytik own the Nogginz hair salon at the center, which opened in February. Rick Foytik said “so far so good” when asked what it’s like to do business in the shopping center. He said he sees the new ownership as an opportunity to improve the complex and increase business.
Rick Foytik said he’d like to see increased road signage on Garfield and South Airport, letting motorists know exactly what businesses are in the complex.
“More road signage so people who are driving down Garfield or South Airport would know what is in there,” Rick Foytik said. “I think people would be surprised. It’s a nice shopping complex.”
Vemulapalli has an interesting history as a property owner. The businessman was ensnared in a lengthy fight with the city of the Flint over the fate of the Vemulapalli-owned Genesee Towers property in downtown Flint. He bought the tallest building in Flint in an online auction but quickly found himself in the crosshairs of city officials who believed the property was not being adequately maintained.
The city at one point condemned the high-profile property, but Vemulapalli fought back and sued the city. Vemulapalli eventually received a whopping $8 million judgement, including attorney fees and interest, after he and the city agreed to enter into binding arbitration.
Vemulapalli said the judgement was just, considering what he went through as a private property owner.
“I took the property back in 1997 and around 2000-2001 the people next door -- they didn’t like the property next to them,” Vemulapalli said. “They wanted to buy it and demolish it.”
The Cherryland Center was once owned by Cherryland Mall LP. The company halted payments on its mortgage in 2009. Wells Fargo foreclosed in 2010.
Vemulapalli said Darga LLC is committed to improving the property.
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 6:48 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Genesee Towers: Five things to know about the lawsuit and judgment
Kristin Longley | klongley1@mlive.com By Kristin Longley | klongley1@mlive.com
Follow on Twitter
on September 28, 2012 at 11:00 AM
FLINT, MI -- Legal battles between the city of Flint and the former owner of the Genesee Towers building go back more than a decade.
Here are some key points to know about the Genesee Towers lawsuits and judgment:
New Owner: V. Kumar Vemulapalli bought Genesee Towers for $500,000 at an auction in 1997. The city began citing Vemulapalli as early as 2001 for various code issues related to the building, including broken fire alarms, faulty wiring and damaged or missing air filters. City officials also issued code violations for repairing cars and running an auto salvage operation on the site. Vemulapalli contested the citations, saying he was working on repairs to bring the building up to code.
Lawsuit Filed: Vemulapalli filed suits in 2003 and 2004, naming the city of Flint, Uptown Reinvestment Corp. and Uptown President Tim Herman as defendants. Vemulapalli claimed the city and Uptown were conspiring to force him to give up the building, which the defendants denied. A judge eventually dismissed Uptown and Herman as parties to the suit in 2006.
Arbitrator Decision: The city and Vemulapalli agreed in 2006 to enter into binding arbitration over the property and its worth. The arbitrator -- former Genesee County Circuit Judge Valdemar Washington -- ruled in 2007 that the city must take over the property and compensate Vemulapalli $4.8 million plus legal fees and interest. The decision was based on the city's previous appraisals of the building. Valdemar said the city never downgraded the property's listed $7 million value after it was purchased in 1997, damaged by a flood in 2001 or vacated by all renters in 2002.
Appeals Exhausted: The city of Flint won an appeal of the arbitrator's decision, but that victory was short-lived after the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed the arbitrator's decision. The city then appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court, which ultimately declined to hear the case in 2010 -- meaning the arbitrator's ruling that awarded Vemulapalli about $6 million plus interest would stand.
Towers Tax: Under state law, because the city did not have the funds to pay for it, the city was court-ordered to charge Flint taxpayers for the legal judgment, which climbed to more than $8 million with interest. Residents were assessed an extra 6.751 mills on their December 2010 tax bills. The emergency manager's office said in March that about $8.3 million was generated from that tax. |
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 6:54 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Residents will have a chance to discuss this demolition o the Towers on Saturday morning as the AC Dumas show is addressing this issue.
Guest John Carpenter
1420radio AM
930 am time slot
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:40 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 6:56 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint Epatriates
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Genesee Towers: It Won't Go Down Without a Very Expensive Fight
Genesee Towers is Flint's tallest and arguably its ugliest building. But the abandoned eyesore at 120 E. First Street near the venerable Mott Foundation Building is also the biggest example Flint's fall from prosperity. Here's a timeline of the ongoing saga based on the excellent coverage by The Flint Journal's Kristen Longley:
1968: Genesee Towers built to house the former Genesee Merchants Bank.
2001: Owner V. Kumar Vemulapalli is first cited by the city for code violations.
2002: Building is vacant.
2004: City condemns the 19-story building. "The building has to come down, or someone's going to get killed," says former Mayor Don Williamson.
2004: Kumar Vemulapalli sues the city for condemning the building.
2006: City and Vemulapalli agree to enter arbitration to determine the value of the property. "By agreeing to that process, [Williamson] effectively agreed to pay whatever the arbitrator said was the fair market value," current City Attorney Pete Bade told the Journal this fall.
2007: City closes traffic lanes surrounding the building to prevent injuries from falling debris.
2007: Arbitrator awards Vemulapalli more than $6 million, including legal fees, plus interest.
2007 - 2009: The case is appealed multiple times with the city arguing the arbitrator exceeded his scope of authority in reaching the decision.
2009: In December, the Court of Appeals upholds the arbitration award.
2010: In June, the Michigan Supreme Court refuses to hear city's final appeal of the Court of Appeals decision.
2010: In October, City Assessor William Fowler announces that state law requires the city to put a millage on the property tax rolls to pay for the judgment, which has now climbed to more than $8 million. While the exact amount is yet to be determined, it is estimated that the tax will cost the average Flint homeowner $150.
2010: In November, the Genesee Landlords Association sues the city over the plan to tax property owners in December to pay for the judgment. "We want to make sure before they spread this $8 million to the taxpayers that the city truly does not have any cash to pay it with," says Terry Hanson, executive director of the landlords association.
Sable PeltNovember 10, 2010 at 7:56 AM
First, why the hell did Williamson agree to arbitration. The city held the upper hand up to that point. The owner had a building that had been cited numerous times. With arbitration, the city loses that advantage and rolls the dice. Why?!
Second, despite what I just said, where the hell did the arbiter come up with that valuation? $6 million! For a condemned building in downtown Flint, Michigan! You've got to be kidding me. Given Flint's situation, I'd say the building had a negative value.
And keep in mind that once the Flint taxpayers pay for the building, all that means is that the city now owns a building that will probably be torn down or cost a bundle to rehab, assuming anyone wants to move in once the renovation is complete. In other words, $8 million is just the start. This will cost a lot more down the line.
UM-Flint or Mott Foundation...please save us from this situation.
Reply
AnonymousNovember 11, 2010 at 5:13 PM
well, it is personal to me, as i work in downtown Flint and live in Genesee County. But, i will try this again.
The city of Flint may have put themselves in this situation, and i am no fan of Don Williamson and the things he did and didn't do as mayor of Flint. And, in the technical legal sense, this outcome may be correct.
But, i speak from a higher moral level. And from there, i believe that the Vemulapallis have acted in a negligent manner by failing to maintain their building, so that it became an eyesore and hazard to the people of Flint. I feel that they have done this with contempt for the people of Flint and with gross disregard for anything other than their profit. They are far from alone in this, and in fact are merely a local representation of capitalist greed and inhumanity more generally. If they have any sense of good citizenship and morality, they will drop this case, admit that their negligence caused the problem, and not force the people of Flint, many of whom are poor, to further line the already stuffed pockets of the Vemulapallis.
i hope this try is not too personal. i feel that in some ways it is unavoidably personal, and that the shortsighted greed of the upper classes must be called out and exposed for what it is.
Reply
JWillyNovember 12, 2010 at 8:58 AM
I believe Kumar Vemulapalli also owned the Durant prior to the sale that initiated the current renovations.
As a real estate investor, he's been a "bottom feeder". He's bought highly distressed stuff cheap, and held it as long as he could in the hope that circumstances would turn around and someone would want to buy it for more than he paid.
Flint does need "bottom feeders". Without Vemulapalli, the Durant might well have been knocked down years ago.
He probably made some money on the Durant, though he had his investment tied up for a long time. He likely lost money on the Medical Arts Building. He's probably making money on Genesee Towers, but again he's had his investment tied up for a long time.
Would temporarily distressed cities like Flint be better off without bottom feeders, if it meant that all of their temporarily underutilized older buildings--the gems as well as the architectural mistakes--were knocked down instead?
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:04 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint failed to reassess the building and kept the table value high which led to the arbitrator setting a high value on the building. The condemnation started under ED Kurtz who brought inspector Jake Hawkins out of retirement, Vemulapalli used a video of a public meeting at the Great lakes Tech center around 2003 in which Tim Herman discussed wanting the tower demolished.
There was justification for repeated inspections of the towers as Vemulapalli was accused of using unskilled labor to repair the Towers. Most of the labor came from the STRIVE program, a part of Odyssey House. There were reports of a scaffolding that fell from the top just after a young man stepped off of the scaffolding. A judge ordered Vemulapalli to use only professional companies with trained staff.
Vemulapalli was also charged with illegally importing used paint from Canada and storing the product on Dort Highway without environmental safeguards. The paint had been used to coat metal beams. Vemulapalli received his engineering degree in India and planned to use the paint for the same purpose in the Towers.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:37 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:14 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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See other formats
Full text of "Letter From Michigan State Treasurer Andy Dillon To Flint Emergency Manager Mike Brown RE: Genesee Towers"
II
State Of Michigan
rick SNYDER DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY ANDY D|| _ LON
GOVESNOR Lansing stats treasurer
August 1, 2012
Michael Brown, Emergency Manager
City of Flint
110 IS. Saginaw Street
Flint, MI 48502
Dear Mr. Brown;
Thank you for your July 30, 2012 email request, which is enclosed for reference. As Emergency
Manager for the City of Flint, you have asked for my approval of your request to transfer and
convey the property, commonly known as Genesee Towers, 120 East First Street, to Uptown
Reinvestment Corporation, Inc. (URC).
Section 19(1 )(r) of Public Act 4 of 2011, the Local Government and School District Fiscal
Accountability Act, provides as follows:
If provided in the financial and operating plan, or otherwise with the prior written
approval of the governor or his or her designee, sell, lease, convey, assign, or
otherwise use or transfer the assets, liabilities, functions, or responsibilities of the
local government, provided the use or transfer of assets, liabilities, functions, or
responsibilities for this purpose does not endanger the health, safety, or welfare of
residents of the local government or unconstitutionally impair a bond, note,
security, or uncontested legal obligation of the local government.
Staff has reviewed information submitted in regards to the proposed transfer of the Genesee
Towers property, including a real estate transfer agreement, a development agreement, and your
written rational to transfer the property for the sum of $1 .00.
You pointed out the improvements on the property were condemned by the City in 2004 and the
City acquired title to the property in 2010, having been found liable on the property owner's
claims for inverse condemnation. The property is in deplorable condition and has been an
albatross for the past decade. Security fencing around the building site impedes traffic
movement on the adjoining streets, The building presents an ongoing cost to the City, as well as
a source of exposure to liability. Efforts to market the building have been wholly unsuccessful.
RICHARD H. AUSTIN BU1LDJNG • P.O.BOX 30716 * LANSING, MICHIGAN 48909
www.rnichigan.gov/treasury • (517)373*3223
Michael Brown
August 1,2012
Page 2
The transfer/purchase price for the property is the sum of $1,00. The primary consideration for
tills transaction is the agreement of URC to remediate asbestos and demolish the buildings and/or
other improvements now situated upon the property and to perform the other agreements and
undertakings by URC set forth in the attached agreement, including defined improvements to the
property.
Based upon the foregoing, I conclude that you have articulated sufficient justification for your
request, Therefore, pursuant to Section 19(1) (r) of the Act, I, as State Treasurer, grant approval
of your request to transfer and convey the lot commonly known as Genesee Towers, 120 East
First Street, for the sum of $ LOO and other considerations.
/A—
Andy Dillcfn, State Treasurer
Enclosure - 1 |
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:33 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Pastors blast Kurtz
by Joel Feick
Posted: 08.24.2012 at 7:55 AM
MINBC
"Disastrous".
That's how a Flint pastor describes an 11th hour meeting with Flint's Emergency Financial Manager Ed Kurtz, in an effort to avoid a potentially embarassing protest at Flint's Crim Festival of Races on Saturday.
The head of the Concerned Pastors for Social Action met with Kurtz on Thursday. They plan to protest what's going on in Flint at the Family Dollar store on Fifth Avenue during the race.
Pastor Latrelle Holmes of the Greater Galilee Baptist Church says it's not their intention to disrupt the Crim. Instead they want their voices heard. Accoring to a news release they have the following concerns:
A reduction in water bill rates. They are asking the EFM to initiate a forensic audit of the water and sewer funds and to give appropriate rebates to citizens based on the findings.
Reallocation of the $750,000 CDBG designated for Genesee Towers to demolish projects in the highest priority areas of greatest need .
Commit to an equitable allocation of dollars from Smith Village to areas of greater priority.
Commit to an equitable allocation of future disbursement of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Neighborhood Stabilization Plan resources to the highest priority areas of greatest need.
Commitment from Flint to fund infrastructure upgrades and repairs in the North Flint area.
Termination of allocation of city funds to Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce in light of organization’s consistent failure to utilize its resources and intentional energies to spur business and economic development initiatives beyond downtown.
Reinstate the Citizen’s District Councils (a conduit for allocation of CDBG funding and voice of the residents)
Revocation of the prior order regarding public safety millage. Refocus on legislative support to increase/equalize income tax for outside of Flint wage earners.
In addition to Dr. Reginald Flynn, speakers during a Wednesday rally included Pastor Lewis Randolph, President of the Concerned Pastors for Social Action; Bishop Bernadel Jefferson, local activist to repeal P.A. 4; Pastor Eric Marks; Pastor R. Sherman McCathern; Pastor Jeffrey Hawkins, Pastor Patrick McNeal; Pastor Ira Edwards; Pastor Latrelle Holmes; Councilman Bernard Lawler, and Councilman Sheldon Neeley.
For information, call (810) 787-9019. |
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:37 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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INITIATIVES FOR UPTOWN: FLINT UPTOWN REINVESTMENT …
media.wix.com/ugd/04b111_789a2696782b3b544e491f73e69a8a42.pdf · PDF file
INITIATIVES FOR UPTOWN: FLINT UPTOWN REINVESTMENT STRATEGY Prepared for Flint Uptown Reinvestment Corporation Prepared by Sasaki Associates, Inc. … |
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:05 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Look up Sasaki plan uptown reinvestment flint Michigan.
This 34 page document financed by the Mott Foundation in 2002 details many of the plans being implemented or already implemented in the downtown area. The document encourages the development of downtown plazas, moving the Farmers market, and the Genesee Towers improvement. This is a must read. [/b] |
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:10 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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In the Sasaki report the emphasis is on a 2 mile area around downtown Flint. It advocates creation of an area to encourage inhabitation by :
Younger-single childless couples and college students;
Older-empty nesters, retired and elderly;
The more affluent, educated suburbanites seeking an urban lifestyle.
Plans in 2002 included:
the upgrade of the Saginaw Streetscape;
Redesign and reuse of the Durant Hotel;
the relocation of the current bus station to the west side of downtown (I don't see this happening);
The relocation of the Farmer's market;
development of a new parking plan;
Third Avenue redeveloped into University Avenue;
the expansion of Kettering into the surrounding residential areas;
creation of new city plazas. |
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:37 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Uptown Reinvestment Corp. secures $6.5 million in grants, loans for Genesee Towers demo, other downtown Flint projects
Genesee Towers
Genesee Towers downtown Flint. (MLive.com photo)
Jeremy Allen | jallen42@mlive.com By Jeremy Allen | jallen42@mlive.com
Follow on Twitter
on June 26, 2013 at 8:30 PM
FLINT, MI – Uptown Reinvestment Corporation can now proceed with it’s redevelopment efforts in downtown Flint thanks to a $5.65 million combination loan and grant from the state of Michigan.
The group was awarded the funding by the Michigan Community Revitalization Program for the demolition of Genesee Towers, the redevelopment of the former Flint Journal headquarters and the relocation of the Flint Farmers’ Market.
Tim Herman, president of Uptown Reinvestment Corp., said that the development plans for the four-block downtown health and wellness district hinged on securing these funds.
“Pretty much, we had to have this in order to make the project work. We’re very fortunate that we received this award today,” Herman said.
Overall, the project will consist of three main projects: the renovation of the former Flint Journal headquarters to make way for Michigan State University’s Flint Public Health & Medical Campus project; the relocation of the 70-plus vendor Flint Farmers’ Market to the vacant Flint Journal printing facility; and the demolition of the Genesee Towers property to make way for an urban plaza.
The former Flint Journal headquarters renovation will include 16 loft-style apartments and office space, and the Farmers Market will include a commercial community kitchen.
Herman said that the next steps in the process will be to get abatement done on the Genesee Towers building and secure contractors for the demolition, but those things are still in the works.
“Right now we don’t want to start any construction until we secure all of the contracts for demolition and abatement of Genesee Towers. That should start soon and the demolition should be sometime after the August (Crim and Back to the Bricks) events, but I can’t tell you if that’ll be September or October,” he said.
“Once the towers is down then we can start letting bids and doing more architectural work on the Farmers’ Market and the MSU medical building as well, and that’ll start sometime after the demolition.”
The $5.65 million total will be in the form of a $1 million grant and a $4.65 million 30-year loan with a one percent interest rate.
Additionally, Uptown will receive an $880,000 community development block grant from the city of Flint, and a $1.5 million donation from an anonymous source.
The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $29.8 million and create 75 full-time jobs.
“I’m very excited about creating this new economy for downtown and to bring 75-plus new jobs to downtown and bringing a health and wellness district downtown is really great for Flint & Genesee County,” Herman said.
Ownership of Genesee Towers was transferred from the city of Flint to Uptown on March 22, nearly seven months after former emergency financial manager Mike Brown approved the $1 sale of Genesee Towers to Uptown.
Herman said in a June interview with MLive-Flint Journal that the entire redevelopment project would come at a total cost of $32 million. |
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:53 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Uptown Reinvestment Corp. secures $6.5 million in grants, loans for Genesee Towers demo, other downtown Flint projects
Genesee Towers
Genesee Towers downtown Flint. (MLive.com photo)
Jeremy Allen | jallen42@mlive.com By Jeremy Allen | jallen42@mlive.com
Follow on Twitter
on June 26, 2013 at 8:30 PM
FLINT, MI – Uptown Reinvestment Corporation can now proceed with it’s redevelopment efforts in downtown Flint thanks to a $5.65 million combination loan and grant from the state of Michigan.
The group was awarded the funding by the Michigan Community Revitalization Program for the demolition of Genesee Towers, the redevelopment of the former Flint Journal headquarters and the relocation of the Flint Farmers’ Market.
Tim Herman, president of Uptown Reinvestment Corp., said that the development plans for the four-block downtown health and wellness district hinged on securing these funds.
“Pretty much, we had to have this in order to make the project work. We’re very fortunate that we received this award today,” Herman said.
Overall, the project will consist of three main projects: the renovation of the former Flint Journal headquarters to make way for Michigan State University’s Flint Public Health & Medical Campus project; the relocation of the 70-plus vendor Flint Farmers’ Market to the vacant Flint Journal printing facility; and the demolition of the Genesee Towers property to make way for an urban plaza.
The former Flint Journal headquarters renovation will include 16 loft-style apartments and office space, and the Farmers Market will include a commercial community kitchen.
Herman said that the next steps in the process will be to get abatement done on the Genesee Towers building and secure contractors for the demolition, but those things are still in the works.
“Right now we don’t want to start any construction until we secure all of the contracts for demolition and abatement of Genesee Towers. That should start soon and the demolition should be sometime after the August (Crim and Back to the Bricks) events, but I can’t tell you if that’ll be September or October,” he said.
“Once the towers is down then we can start letting bids and doing more architectural work on the Farmers’ Market and the MSU medical building as well, and that’ll start sometime after the demolition.”
The $5.65 million total will be in the form of a $1 million grant and a $4.65 million 30-year loan with a one percent interest rate.
Additionally, Uptown will receive an $880,000 community development block grant from the city of Flint, and a $1.5 million donation from an anonymous source.
The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $29.8 million and create 75 full-time jobs.
“I’m very excited about creating this new economy for downtown and to bring 75-plus new jobs to downtown and bringing a health and wellness district downtown is really great for Flint & Genesee County,” Herman said.
Ownership of Genesee Towers was transferred from the city of Flint to Uptown on March 22, nearly seven months after former emergency financial manager Mike Brown approved the $1 sale of Genesee Towers to Uptown.
Herman said in a June interview with MLive-Flint Journal that the entire redevelopment project would come at a total cost of $32 million. |
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:53 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Brown increased the amount of the city investment of CDBG funds by $130,000 from $750,000 to $880,000. Many do not believe this project meets the 3 national Objectives required for these funds. These funds could have been use for a variety of purposes including fixing some of Flint's obsolete water and sewer lines as well as assisting in meeting emergency repairs for the elderly and low income residents.
Is the CWAC group still dissolved as they were the designated agency required by HUD to approve CDBG expenditures.
Uptown Reinvestment Corporation is a 501 (c) 3 non profit designed to serve as an umbrella organization for these downtown developments. |
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Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:59 am |
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