Housing portion of project still seeking tax credits
By Barb Pert Templeton
Plans to create an Activity Center for residents at the former Algonac Elementary School are moving right along as the city council just approved electrical and plumbing contracts for the planned facility.
At an April 1 regular meeting of the Algonac City Council officials considered bids for both aspects of the project and awarded the contracts to the low bidders. Council members Cathy Harris and Wendy Meldrum were absent from the meeting.
At the recent council meeting Councilman Michael Bembas asked City Manager Denice Gerstenberg if the Activity Center is going to be open in June.
“Hopefully this summer, it’s April 1 and we need another month with some decent weather to be able to give you some good dates,” Gerstenberg said. “Because we’ve had a such terrible winter that it was really hard for all the work to be done as we had hoped it would be.”
“Absolutely not a criticism or anything just the excitement and adrenalin to finally getting some big projects that we’ve been working towards for all these years,” Bembas said.
Councilman Jake Skarbek added that he hopes the businesses in town see how hard the officials are working to invest and make things happen in the city.
“I hope it’s a trickle-down effect and hope it’s ‘oh we want to be part of that growth in town’ and I think we’re on the right track,” Skarbek said. “We’re investing as much as we’re asking them to invest.”
Mayor Pro Tem Dawn Davey said it’s really about looking at things in a different light because people have been saying for years that Algonac need bars and restaurants and to be a duplicate of Marine City.
“Having us be a duplicate of a city that’s not that far away from us it isn’t going to build that base,” Davey said, noting that while the city works to build its own new base with lots of activities and things like the community center and pool, that could prompt people to consider opening new businesses in the city.
A bid of $24,250 from Stephenson Electric Company, located in Port Huron, for electrical installations, was approved. The city also got bids from TNT Electric for $24,455 and RJM Services for $37,280.
The bid for plumbing installations from G & L Plumbing LLC, located in Wales, in the amount of $26,300 was approved by council members. They also got a $33,300 bid from Macomb Mechanical and a $36,000 bid from Watson Brothers Company.
Beyond plumbing and electric officials also approved some additional costs for an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) System. It was listed on the agenda as Change Order #1 for the Algonac Activity Center, formerly the Algonac Elementary School, in the amount of $11,684.
The council previously approved a contract with Superior Heating and Cooling for HVAC work for $155,300. Davey asked if the change order meant the price had changed or had something popped up that wasn’t anticipated. Gerstenberg said this was for additional work that needed to be done in order to get the system up and running.
Gar Woods development on the site
For the classroom side of the old school, an Algonac Shores Limited Dividend Housing Association Limited Partnership was approved in Sept. 2024 but the closing of the agreement was contingent upon the developer obtaining Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) tax credit.
Since that didn’t happen in the first round the original agreement had to be adjusted while the developer submits another application for the MSHDA funding. If the funding is awarded this time construction will begin in 2026 with a completion date of 2027.
The proposed Gar Woods development is to include 25 senior apartments and 18 family apartments and the developer is purchasing the property from the city for $196,000. It’s the amount the city paid for the school at an online auction in Dec. 2023.
The developer plans to demolish the administration and classroom wings of the school and the city will maintain ownership of the gymnasium for the future Algonac Activity Center.
Gerstenberg previously noted in a meeting memo that the Gar Woods project is a $15 million dollar plus investment in the city.
The former Algonac Elementary School is located at 1216 St. Clair Boulevard.
