The Rockwell Building redevelopment project took a step forward on April 15 when the Chelsea Downtown Development Authority (DDA) board unanimously approved an interlocal agreement with the county to assist the developers with the upfront costs of contamination mitigation.
The agreement serves as a first step in receiving Brownfield Redevelopment Authority funds from the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, which are expected to be combined with additional funds from the state.
The developers are planning a $9.2 million investment in the 301 N. East Street building. They plan to redevelop the building into 51 apartments ranging in size from a little under 500 sq. feet to about 900 sq. feet and hope to begin the project later this year.
The developers estimate it will take between 12-14 months to complete.
The DDA’s portion would total about $17,000 from future tax revenue.
The DDA Board also discussed and approved a number of suggested items for the FY 2021-22 budget.
They include:
- $20,000 in improvement for work for municipal parking lot No. 1 behind Cleary’s near Purple Rose Theatre
- $6,500 for the annual sculpture walk
- $5,000 for advertising and marketing
- five new benches at about $1,500 each
- two archway improvements for the alley between Main Street and municipal parking lot No. 2 behind the Common Grill.
In addition, the board plans additional projects for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. They include $10,000 to paint the downtown light poles, $18,000 to reskin the city’s wayfaring signs, $4,000 for additional trash cans and $6,500 for sculpture walk.
