Q: What is the Broadway Village Project?
A: In August 2004, City Council approved a resolution to approve the Broadway Village at Lower Town Development agreement. The project site is located at the corner of Maiden Lane and Broadway Street. The approved site plan includes 621,632 square feet of residential, office and retail space, plus parking spaces and walkways.
Q: What does the Broadway Village development agreement entail?
A: The development agreement approval by City Council in August 2004, allowed for theStrathmore Development Company to seek state approval for the Broadway Village Planned Unit Development site. The development agreement includes mutual assurances for the City and the Developer, in conjunction with the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority for satisfactory completion of all the special benefits to the City provided by the PUD supplemental regulations and installation of all of the physical elements of the approved site plan.
In addition, a park contribution of $50,000 will be made for improvements to Plymouth Park, Traver Creek Greenway or connection pedestrian ways around Traver Creek or Huron River.
Q: Is there affordable housing included in this project?
A: The development agreement includes details for the provision of affordable housing of 20 percent of the dwelling units, but not less than 29 units which will be rented only to those households with earnings not exceeding 80 percent of the area median income. The mixture of the units provided must be equal in proportion to the mixture of the unit sizes within the development, indistinguishable from any other units, and made available in perpetuity.
Q: Why does this site need to be cleaned up?A: The Broadway Village site was formerly a shopping center that included a Kroger. Underground contamination is believed to have occurred as a result of a dry cleaning business at this location in the 1960’s. At this time, this is the state’s largest Brownfield Redevelopment project. While tax benefits and financing support is available for redeveloping Brownfield sites, the approval process can be more cumbersome.
The environmental clean-up shall meet current Part 201 Residential standards under Michigan Law and the 10-6 risk level for carcinogens standards. Before issuance of any certificates of occupancy, all contaminated soils must be removed or cleaned from the project site and a clean-up plan initiated sufficient, at the City’s discretion, to complete the clean-up to the above standards and as provided in the Brownfield plan. This ensures that the soils in the project site are cleaned to protect public health and exposure and allows for some flexibility in case the groundwater cleanup requires additional time beyond the occupancy of the buildings.