Client In the News:
Former school property to become new neighborhood in Eastpointe
By Mitch Hotts mhotts@medianewsgroup.com Jul 16, 2020
Construction is expected to begin soon for a $16 million, 52-unit low- to moderate-income residential development for a closed school in Eastpointe.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday for Erin Park on the grounds of the former Deerfield Elementary School and Eastpointe Community Schools’ administration building. The project is expected to be complete by September, 2021.
It’s the eighth affordable housing development initiated by Community Housing Network (CHN), according to a news release. CHN officials say the need for housing has been underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
“More than ever, we know affordable housing is essential to the health and safety of our community,” Kirsten Elliott, vice president of development for CHN, said at the event. “We have seen this as people needed to quarantine in their homes, and those who have not had a home has made it difficult to keep our community safe.”
Eastpointe Mayor Monique Owens agreed the need for accessible housing is an urgent need.
“We are a family town, so we’re making a way for more families to come into our city,” she said, referring to the community’s longstanding city motto.
Erin Park will be made up of one-, two- and three-bedroom duplexes on the nine-acre development, along with a community center that will be available to its residents as well as residents of the surrounding neighborhood. All of the homes will have a longterm rent-to-own option for qualifying tenants.
The community center aspect is “extremely important” to the foundation of the neighborhood, said Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel.
“It brings back that sense of community,” he said. “So this affordable housing is more than just that. It’s a revitalization and a community sense of belonging.”
The single-story school building, which has been vacant for about a decade, will be demolished once an asbestos abatement project of the building is complete. Construction will then begin.
Financing for the development will primarily come through tax credits from Michigan State Housing Development Authority, officials said.
Brody Construction is the main contractor. Flint-based Piper Management Group will be the property manager.
According to its website, Community Housing Network in Troy is a nonprofit organization that provides housing and housing resources for individuals facing homelessness, those with disabilities, people with low income and other vulnerable residents of southeast Michigan.
For more information on Erin Park, visit https://communityhousingnetwork.org/erin-park-eastpointe/
