Council Agrees to Amend Purchase Agreement To Extend Timeframe on Lot 20A

In January, when the city sold Lot 20A (1080 E. Michigan Ave.) to Cambridge Real Estate, the parties agreed that the city could buy the property back if construction had not started within nine months. That date, Oct. 14, is fast approaching and work has not begun.

Monday, city council voted 7-0 to approve an amendment to the purchase and development agreement that changes the construction start deadline from nine to 15 months. Construction must now begin by March 14. 

"They're ready to move ahead, they are just working on getting EGLE permits, MDOT permits," Acting City Manager Chris Atkin said.

Mayor Brian Marl said the commercial elements of the project have been approved. Marl asked if the residential element of the project would be approved in the next 90 days.

"I had a conversation with the applicant today, and there's been another kink thrown in the process. We're working on some alternatives, but possibly within the next 90 days," Atkin said.

The firm plans two 4,000-square-foot retail buildings, each with two units and a drive-through, as part of phase 1 of the project. Phase two would include five structures with three to five units, totaling 22 residential units on the back half of Lot 20A, and four residential structures with 14 units on Lot 13. 

Residential has been considered phase two of the project since plans were announced.

Drawings shown at a recent planning commission meeting showed a Dunkin Donuts in one of the commercial buildings.

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