I travelled to Lansing yesterday to attend Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Michigan Strategic Fund Board monthly meeting where the Uptown project was given FINAL APPROVAL for the Brownfield TIF Funding and CDBG Grant, culminating over a year’s worth of work for a lot of people. Many thanks to MEDC, MDEQ, Senator Howard Walker, Representative Wayne Schmidt, Grand Traverse County Brownfield Authority and AKT Peerless, our environmental consultants. With approvals now in hand, AKT will be issuing bid invitations for site preparation. A bidder’s meeting and site walk is scheduled for next Tuesday with bids due on August 12. We already have permits in hand and should be breaking ground around the end of August!

Whiteford Associates design team has been making great progress on floor plans for Phase 1 Units A-E. Many owners are opting for large outdoor decks and terraces. Several have some awesome designs for expansive roof-top gardens and outdoor living spaces. We’ve been adding each iteration to the Floor Plan folder. Take a look:  http://1drv.ms/THH8a9

Next come elevations! Assembling all the individualized plans into a cohesive whole is both challenging and fun. Architect Sean Flaherty shared some preliminary concepts with me today for Building A-B and it’s impressive! We’ll be sharing it with you very soon, then on to C-D-E. Stay tuned! The focus will remain on completing the drawings for Phase 1 before we will have much time to spend on Phase 2, but we’re getting there!

And, a sincere “Thank You” to each of our clients who have trusted, believed and supported this project all this time. We are glad you’ve hung in there and share in the building excitement.

Unit J, a prime riverfront corner unit is the only unit still available, though not for long…

I am writing this from my 3rd level office overlooking the City and a cloudless “pink sky” tonight promising that tomorrow will be a “sailor’s delight”. Enjoy it!

Mike Wills