Quick answer: Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a $5 million Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) grant for the Big Albion Plan — a project that will redevelop nine functionally obsolete properties on S. Superior Street in downtown Albion into 21 residential units and six new commercial spaces, transforming nearly an entire downtown block with $11.3 million in total investment.
Sections below are labeled FACT or COMMENTARY. Facts are sourced; commentary is editorial analysis.
FACT: The project
- Nine functionally obsolete properties on S. Superior Street in downtown Albion will be redeveloped into 21 residential units and six new commercial spaces.
- Upon completion, the investment will transform almost an entire block of downtown Albion into mixed-use space for residents and small businesses.
- Residential units will rent at roughly 70% to 100% of Area Median Income, aimed at expanding attainable housing in the city.
- The $5 million RAP grant supports the historic redevelopment of the buildings; the total anticipated capital investment is $11.3 million.
- Additional support: MEDC-approved Act 381 Work Plan with $575,481 in Brownfield Tax Increment Financing; a 12-year Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act tax abatement from the City of Albion valued at about $874,180, plus the local Brownfield plan portion of about $282,756; and a $300,000 grant from the Albion Community Foundation.
- The Albion announcement was one of three placemaking projects statewide (with North Branch and Monroe) totaling over $14.2 million in capital investment.
FACT: The players
- Albion Reinvestment Corporation (ARC), led by Dr. Samuel Shaheen of Shaheen Development, is the nonprofit administering the project; members of the development entity OZB Phase I, LLC include ARC and Albion College.
- Mayor Victoria Garcia Snyder called it “a transformational investment in the future of our community” that will support “new business development, expanding housing opportunities, and creating vibrant spaces.”
- Debbie Kelly, president and CEO of the Albion Economic Development Corporation, called the grant “a major win for downtown Albion and a strong signal that investment is happening here.”
- City Manager Dr. Sheryl L. Theriot said the project will “breathe new life into long-underused properties” and create opportunities for residents and businesses.
- The City of Albion became a certified Redevelopment Ready Community through the MEDC in 2020.
COMMENTARY: The funding stack is the story
The $5 million headline grant is what gets announced, but the more telling number is $11.3 million — more than half of which comes from stacked local and state tools: brownfield TIF, a 12-year tax abatement, community foundation money. That’s how a small city’s historic block actually gets rebuilt: no single check is enough, so the project braids six of them together. For Albion-area businesses, the six new ground-floor commercial spaces are the part to watch — new storefronts on Superior Street mean new neighbors for existing shops and new reasons for college foot traffic to head downtown.
FAQ
What is the Big Albion Plan?
A redevelopment of nine functionally obsolete properties on S. Superior Street in downtown Albion into 21 residential units and six commercial spaces, backed by a $5 million state Revitalization and Placemaking grant.
How much is being invested in downtown Albion?
$11.3 million in total anticipated capital investment, combining the $5 million RAP grant with brownfield tax increment financing, a city tax abatement, and a $300,000 Albion Community Foundation grant.
Who is behind the project?
Albion Reinvestment Corporation, led by Dr. Samuel Shaheen of Shaheen Development, with Albion College as a member of the development entity and support from the MEDC, the City of Albion, and local stakeholders.
Source: Michigan Business Network.
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