Boyne City library embraces redevelopment plans for community growth
BOYNE CITY — The Boyne District Library and its board of trustees have publicly announced their support for the downtown redevelopment proposals presented by Michigan Community Capital.
Michigan Community Capital, a nonprofit developer, has proposed projects designed to create "essential middle-income workforce housing and a significant expansion for the Boyne District Library in the form of a new community room."
The "Ray and Park" portion of the redevelopment proposal focuses on the "red building" property that is adjacent to the library. It was acquired by the library in 2013 with the intention of trading it to the City of Boyne City for additional land in order to expand the library's footprint.
While the "red building" has served various community purposes over the years, library representatives said it now requires extensive and costly renovations. In response to the library's needs and the desire to divest itself of the property, the Boyne District Library collaborated with city officials on a request for proposals from developers for the Ray and Park site.
"The goal was to secure proposals benefiting both the library and the city, resulting in a new community room space for the library and workforce housing for the city," the library said in a recent press release. "Under this redevelopment plan, the Boyne District Library would contribute the nonfunctional 'red building' land, while the city would provide Michigan Community Capital with the adjacent city-owned parking lot next to the library."
More: Two affordable housing developments proposed in Boyne City
Subscribe: Check out our offers and read the local news that matters to you
Monica Peck, director of the Boyne District Library, said a "new community room will do so much for the library."
"Being able to repurpose our existing community room space, we will be able to do so much more for the community we love without having to ask for any money," she said. "The library will be able to expand collections like our popular tools collection and expand services. The added benefit of workforce housing for our community makes this a huge win for everyone."
Library officials acknowledged concerns about parking needs, but noted that Michigan Community Capital is developing a new plan that will also address those issues.
In addition to the Ray and Park site, the Boyne District Library has also extended its support to Michigan Community Capital's Lofts on Lake project, located at 110 N. Lake St.
This project proposes a retail space, with the possibility of a child care center and 60-65 middle-income apartments.
According to a Housing North needs assessment, the housing gap in Charlevoix County is projected to be at 2,358 units by 2027.
“These proposals make very good sense for our community,” said Beth Freeman, board president for the Boyne District Library. “The library will get a new community room that will result in expanded library services at no cost to us, and Boyne City will get much needed workforce housing.”
The initiatives were set to be presented to the Boyne City Planning Commission at their meeting on March 18.
For additional details, contact Monica Peck via email at peckm@boynelibrary.org. For a history of Michigan Community Capital's Boyne City initiatives, visit housingforboyne.com.
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231) 675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Boyne City library embraces redevelopment plans for community growth
