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June 25, 2000Officials to unveil Commons planSet of amendments are key to revitalizing development of former hospital site, they sayBy BILL O'BRIENRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Grand Traverse Commons officials hope a set of amendments to the Grand Traverse Commons district plan will jump-start redevelopment of the former state hospital grounds. The amendments will be unveiled for public review Wednesday at a special meeting of the Traverse City Planning Commission. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. County officials also will detail plans for a law enforcement administration center in the old barns along Silver Lake Road. The district plan amendments will be presented to Garfield Township planners on July 5. Both planning bodies will hold a joint public hearing on the changes July 19. Highlights include: - A revised transportation plan for the campus. The plan includes an extension of Franke Road into the south end of the campus, construction of some new service roads and re-aligning part of Elmwood Avenue so that it runs east of the state office building before connecting to 11th Street. The present district plan calls for the eventual closure of Elmwood where it enters the campus, although the city opposes closing the road. - Accommodating the county's plans for an estimated $3 million law enforcement center shared by the city, Grand Traverse County and state police. - Changing one of the sub-area plans to leave the state hospital's former power plant standing. It is slated for demolition in the current plan. The power plant and surrounding area is being considered by a local non-profit group for development of a botanical gardens project. Commons officials hope some of the amendments will begin to spur "peripheral" development around historic but deteriorating Building 50, giving the Commons board revenue to start with improvements like roads, parking and utilities to enhance the marketability of the site. Once infrastructure improvements are made, Commons officials would make the remaining buildings available for sale. That would create revenue to purchase land on the campus still owned by the county. Funds also could be used to stabilize Building 50 or begin preliminary renovations. "We're trying to establish the guidelines on how we can make this happen," Commons executive director Rachel Brady said. Building 50, the nearly 400,000-square-foot former administration building for the state hospital, has undergone a series of failed courtships with potential developers over the past decade. Hopes were raised again this spring when Lennar Affordable Communities, based in Portland, Oregon, starting looking at Building 50 for a moderate-income senior housing development. But Lennar didn't follow through this spring on seeking a state tax credit to help finance the project. While a local representative said the company was still interested in Building 50, Commons board chairman Dan Tholen last week described Lennar as "out of the picture" of potential developers. Others want to develop other parts of the campus. Munson Medical Center wants to expand into the Commons and a local non-profit group is looking at a botanical gardens project around the old power plant. After the two planning boards review and make a recommendation on the proposed amendments, the city commission has final authority over approval. |
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