Local Developer Has Big Plans For The Building
The City of Grand Rapids Economic Development Office is pleased to announce that Kendall Renaissance, LLC has received approval from the Grand Rapids Brownfield Authority in connection with their proposed renovation and rehabilitation of 16 Monroe Center Street NE.
Vacant for over 30 years, the Kendall building (as 16 Monroe Center NE is known) will need internal demo and reconstruction. Externally, the windows are boarded up, the building will need some additional face work performed to restore it to it’s original grandeur. While the Kendall building isn’t in a historic district, it does hold a lot of history and significant architecture.
The building is approximately 11,500 square feet and holds five stories. This $4 million project will create a mixed use property with the first story being utilized as commercial office/retail space (20%) and the top four levels as residential (80%). In keeping with Grand Rapids green efforts, the building will be LEED certified.
“My first offer on the Kendall Building was on September 10, 2007, so my sights have been on it for quite some time. My investor group is excited to renovate our third Monroe Center building,” Brice Bossardet, Kendall Renaissance, LLC.
This project is a great boost for the local economy. Twelve permanent full-time jobs are expected to be created as well as over 40 temporary construction jobs.
“This is a project that fits the mission of the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. Getting the functionally obsolete buildings back online has big returns for the city,” stated Kara Wood, City of Grand Rapids Economic Development Director.
The renovation and reuse of this vacant building will contribute to an already walkable community bringing additional residences to the core of Grand Rapids. It will also help eliminate the high fire risk and instances of loitering in the downtown business district.
The next step in the approval process is a public hearing to be set by the City Commission.