At its regular meeting on July 26, Susan Ireland told the Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority that with the group’s approval she would look into floating a bond to cover the $2.1 million work for the DDA’s PlaceMaking Project.
Ireland is executive director of the DDA.
Architect Mechthild Heerde-Olind and William M. Wiemer, director of construction services for Wakely Associates of Warren, were present at the meeting to explain their preliminary plans for the former Harris residence at 10101 and 10151 Belleville Road.
Working on the plans was a subcommittee made up of DDA members Carol Bird and Helen Foster.
The former house would end up looking like a lodge that would beckon those walking along Belleville Road to stop and sit in the quiet gardens and participate in activities in the meeting rooms and workshops.
Olind explained the renovation of the old house which included taking off a room and taking off the roof to install a cathedral ceiling. They would install a big meeting room, a reading and sitting room, two offices, one toilet, and make the kitchen smaller with a pantry and just refrigerator and sink with no oven. There would be French doors in the back and the front would have stones to look more like a lodge.
The outbuildings would be one workshop and one woodshop and two toilets. There would be a sitting room in the workshop where Santa could meet with children.
She said the green building, a former chicken coop, would be demolished. There will be a kind of rain garden with a boardwalk over it, a herb garden, and wildflowers, she said.
Wiemer said there is a significant amount of development costs in the project, which is estimated at a total of about $2.1 million. He said he has come up with a conceptural budget and, “I shouldn’t say this, but it’s a little high.”
He said the walkway from the parking area for five vehicles would be pressed cement or brick pavers. There will be intrusion alarms on every building.
Ireland said there will be a gate at the front and Wiemer added there will be ornamental fencing around the site. Bio swales will handle the drainage.
DDA chairman Curt Atchinson asked Weimer if he was confident he could save the outside walls in the 57-year-old house and Weimer said the walls were solid and, “the worst I think is you might find raccoons in the attic.”
Ireland said she has kept the township’s director and deputy director of planning and economic development in on the plans and they have no problems with it. She said they probably will require site plan approval.
“We have to make sure the public knows we are doing something to involve the public,” said Foster. “It’s not just a palace for the DDA.”
Later, she emphasized, that this is a public building and that Director Ireland and her Deputy Director Lisa Lothringer “aren’t leaving this building [township hall].”
Weimer said electrical cost for the site is high and would be about $152,000, including a bollard carrying a light on it every 15 feet for lighting and WiFi boosting.
Ireland said a reader board will be put in front to alert people to events.
Bird said it is very peaceful on the site and you don’t hear Belleville Road back there. She said it will be nice when the chicken coop is gone and, “We need to work with what we have.”
“This is an opportunity for the district,” said DDA secretary Sophia Zoller.
VBT Supervisor Linda Combs said it will be nice for people who want to walk to stop there.
DDA member Victor De Libera said he believes it fits in with the Walkability Plan.
“I don’t see it very attractive to families with young children right now, said DDA member Chris Brown.
Supervisor Combs said there could be craft activities in the woodshop for children.
Ireland said she didn’t see putting in a playscape and this was a “serenity destination.”
Chairman Atchinson said people could use it during lunch as someplace to go. He said a lot of his employees spend lunch time in their cars.
“I see it more as a day park,” Atchinson said, adding his concern was about what they might be getting into with the old house.
Wiemer said they have included in the plans electronic locking and unlocking of the restroom doors on a set plan for when the site is open, so someone doesn’t have to come and manually unlock the doors.
The DDA purchased the property in December 2014.
The property was originally purchased in 1900 by Herbert and Rose Harris, some of the early African-American settlers in VBT. The DDA previously announced plans to remove two structures, re-side two structures and renovate three structures. It was intended the main structure can be used to hold DDA meetings and provide DDA office area. The work is intended to preserve some of the township heritage and be a place for enjoyment of the general public.
Albert Harris, a late longtime member of the DDA, was a builder and a gifted layer of concrete. His family was among the early settlers of VBT and they all were builders.
And, he was known for creating and giving away wooden toys by the thousands from his little workshop on his property at 10151 Belleville Road, where he and his wife Frances lived.
Grandpa’s Toys was toured by school classes and church groups and just plain interested individuals. Albert died in 2002 and Frances in 2013 at the age of 90.
At its meeting on Nov. 25, 2014 the VBT DDA voted to buy that .5 acre where Albert and Francis lived for $150,000 and another .48 acre next door at 10101 Belleville Road for $200,000 from the Harris heirs.
The properties, which total 1.1 acres, wrap around a restored old home at 10145 Belleville Road owned by Carol and Terry Bird and housing the Remerica Main Street real estate offices. Carol Bird, a longtime member of the DDA, abstained from the vote, but served on the subcommittee to work on development of the property.
The site abuts Westlake apartments on the south and east.
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6 Comments
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Unbelievable. a place making project for 2.1 million where people rest during a walk down Belleville Rd, sit and read, and go to the bathroom. Again, $2.1 Million. Next we’ll hear that the DDA needs to hire personnel to clean the bathroom and maintenance. Why don’t they put a port-a-john next to one of the many vacant benches along Belleville Rd
One bathroom and 5 parking spaces for meetings wouldn’t be enough for a DDA Meeting. And, if the Chair of the DDA, Curt Atchinson wants to give his employees at Atchinson Ford a place to eat their lunch, he should build a cafeteria on HIS property.
Right now the DDA is capturing $1.25 million per year. They are spending $2.44 million for bond payments, maintenance, property acquisition and expenses. In other words, they are spending twice as much as they are bringing in. Rosemary, thanks for reporting on the DDA meetings which include their strategy for being self perpetuating.
Spend that money on doing something about the vacant Farmer Jack. Never heard of a “place making project”.
Residents can sit and read, rest, etc. at Starbucks or McDonalds.
Or Meijer, plus there is more than one toilet. Making a place to assure they will always have bonds to pay. The DDA as well as the Township should be required to seek public OK before they take out more bonds for anything.
Absolutely agree and also there should be more transparency with regards to the Civic fund.
That’s what McNamara was talking about at the LWV but he’s probably changed his mind now that he got the votes. Still can’t believe it.
I asked him what the first 100 days would look like. He said the first thing he was going to do is to get a ballot out to renew PS 4 mils. but would not raise taxes.
Let’s hope he is counting on 6.5 failing in Nov.
He is not going to want to disagree with the career politicians. It will be interesting how this ballot proposal is presented to the public and by whom.