By Jim Bloch
The city of Marysville has authorized its manager, Randy Fernandez, to formulate an agreement to sell local builder Kory Eagan a 40-acre parcel of city land off Ravenswood Road on which to build houses. It is likely that the land will be conveyed at no or minimal cost to Eagan.
The city has owned the land since 1942.
The city council approved the proposal at its regular meeting June 12.
“Besides being your city manager, I’m also your economic development director, which means my job is to try to find businesses to locate here or any business-oriented opportunities whether we own the land or not,” said Fernandez. “In this particular case, we’ve owned 40 acres on Ravenswood for years. Well before my time here — I’ve been here 12 years — there used to be an ice pond here. That is it. That is the extent. It has wetland issues and such.”
More than a quarter of the property, 10.5 acres, is wetland. The remaining three-quarters is upland.
“I’ve probably showed this property two to four times annually to prospective developers,” said Fernandez. “We have a gentleman in the audience tonight, Kory Eagan, who has finally stepped up and would like to put housing there.”
Eagan is the developer of the mini-hotel in the former historical museum/city hall in Marysville Park.
“I’ve tried personally to get someone to put just one house there. In his first phase, there could be as many as 20 homes, plus or minus,” said Fernandez. “The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has already been out there to look at the wetlands.”
A drain meanders across the northeast corner of the densely wooded property. Bunce Creek run east-west across the top third of the parcel.
“Mr. Egan will have to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to put in roads and utilities and he’s willing to take on that task,” Fernandez said. “We currently receive no (taxes) from this area. The area has houses all around it, so it fits with the zoning… To me, this property does the city no good to hang onto.”
The prospective contract comes with a number of conditions.
“The main one is a claw-back provision,” said Fernandez. “If Mr. Egan does not perform like he says he (will), we will get the property back. He has to have at least the foundation of the first home started by Sept. 30, 2024.”
Eagan must obtain the wetland permits from EGLE. He must develop the engineering plans for the development of the subdivision and obtain the necessary authorizations and permits to complete the sub. Eagan will install all utilities. And he’ll pay the city $750 per house that is constructed.
The remaining provisions, including the sale price, will be worked out by Fernandez and the city attorney.
“I don’t know him real well,” said Fernandez. “But, based on the few months of turning the old museum around, I think he’s a man of his word… If not him, who?”
Eagan will attempt to keep the cost of the new homes around $200,000; the houses will be 1,100-1,300 square feet.
“You can’t really build this type of housing without working with the developer on the land,” said Fernandez. “Magna would never have come to St. Clair, (but) they got all those acres for a dollar. They’re going to provide 1,000 jobs or more and a significant tax base. This is another example of a public/private partnership for the good of the all.”
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.