*Kalamazoo city commissioners are expected to approve brownfield development grants for a major new apartment complex downtown that could house nearly 85 residents.*
The B on Burdick sits on a property near the Bronson Hospital campus in Kalamazoo, where developer Jamari Bogan plans to build 18 studio apartments, 48 one-bedroom units, and 19 two-bedroom apartments along with other facilities.
The developer says the project could proceed without financial incentives, but he would have to charge rent rates well above the median income for many renters in the area.
City planner Jamie McCarthy noted that other proposals under consideration would bring down the cost of renting about 20 percent of the units to more affordable rates.
"Commissioners will be asked to approve brownfield development grants for the project, something recently permitted by the state of Michigan to expand the number of incentives available for affordable housing projects."
The brownfield grant would provide approximately $1.8 million in gap financing for the project. This is one of several grants and incentives being proposed that will be voted on in the weeks and months ahead.
The project represents part of a broader effort to address housing needs in Kalamazoo County while revitalizing downtown properties that have been contaminated by past industrial use. Brownfield sites are properties where environmental contamination prevents or delays development, but state and local governments can provide funding for cleanup and development incentives.
The Kalamazoo City Commission meeting is scheduled for tonight, where commissioners are expected to give approval to one of the new incentives being used to spark more housing projects statewide.
The developer has positioned the project as a solution to housing shortages, though the reliance on public grants to make the project financially viable raises questions about whether private market forces alone could support affordable housing development in the area.