Tag: Development

New Markets Tax Credits Invested into Future Webster Community Center

Michigan Community Capital supports Micah 6’s community redevelopment project in Pontiac, Michigan. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2024 

LANSING, Mich. – Micah 6 Community, a neighborhood-based nonprofit community development corporation dedicated to serving the city of Pontiac, received $15 million in New Markets Tax Credit allocation (NMTC) from Michigan Community Capital (MCC) on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 in support of the Webster Community Center project.  

Micah 6 Community plans to transform a vacant former school into the Webster Community Center, which will include a small business incubator, a rentable commercial kitchen and food hub, a gymnasium for community activities, a health clinic, and more. The project will also serve as an indoor transportation center, and will have the only covered bus stop on the west side of M59. Tenants utilizing the community center will specifically use the space for services including: 

  • after school and summer programs for school age children; 
  • art classes and art therapy for all ages; 
  • empowerment programs for families; 
  • a coffee shop; 
  • STEM education; 
  • urgent care services; 
  • dance for school age children; 
  • sports leagues and mentoring for youth; 
  • local food cooperative; and 
  • adult education services. 

“This project represents almost seven years of hard work and stubbornness from our team. We knew this project was important for our neighbors and our neighborhood. We believed it before anyone else did. We have diligently pushed through a pandemic, price increases, surprise basement floodings, and more strange circumstances that I can’t even remember, but we never questioned whether this project was worth it,” said Coleman Yoakum, executive director at Micah 6 Community. “There aren’t many people who started with us who are finishing with us. We are grateful for Michigan Community Capital for being there at the beginning, walking this long process with us and crossing the finish line with us.” 

Located in Pontiac, the project falls within a “severely distressed” census tract based on a poverty rate of 36.4%, an unemployment rate of 8.6%, and within a designated USDA Food Desert. 

This project is expected to retain or create approximately 70 permanent jobs, and 30 positions requiring no more education than a high school diploma. All full-time permanent jobs will be eligible to receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance, life insurance, and a retirement plan.  

In November 2022, Michigan Community Capital closed a bridge loan to Micah 6 Community to bridge grant funds from the Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Environment to help finance environmental remediation work at the site. In addition to the $15 million in NMTC allocation, MCC increased the bridge loan to support additional remediation work.  

“MCC has been supporting Coleman and the Webster team for several years as they have worked tirelessly and selflessly to create a place that directly meets the needs of the Pontiac community,” said Eric Hanna, president and CEO at Michigan Community Capital. “Historic, adaptive reuse projects are incredibly important because they preserve the cultural identity and history of the neighborhood, bringing the building into the present so that its services can be enjoyed for generations. We commend the team on a big effort and outstanding job bringing such an impactful project to a major milestone!” 

National Trust Community Investment Corporation (NTCIC) is providing a $7 million NMTC allocation. 

“We are honored to be a part of this project and work with dedicated partners to bring this historic building back to life,” said Kathleen Galvan, Acquisitions Manager at National Trust Community Investment Corporation. “Coleman and the Webster team exemplify the mission of the NTMC program – they listened to and worked hand in hand with the community to create a unique place that serves the needs of their neighbors. Their hard work will touch many lives for years to come.” 

PNC Bank is providing $3 million in NMTC allocation and federal historic tax credit equity. A PNC-managed fund is the NMTC investor. 

“Over the years, PNC has collaborated with a number of organizations to benefit Pontiac residents and businesses,” said Michael Bickers, PNC regional president for Detroit and Southeast Michigan. “The Webster Community Center is a multifaceted project that will provide critical resources and access to programs that will benefit the city of Pontiac and its residents. PNC is committed to working with developers, governments, and residents to add projects such as this one to communities across the country.” 

MEDC provided two sources of capital including a Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) Grant and a Community Revitalization Program (CRP) Loan. 

The Webster Community Center is a community-driven and supported project. The following organizations have financially supported the project: Oakland County, Cinnaire, IFF, Opportunity Resource Fund, EGLE, and others. The following foundations have also collectively contributed more than $5 million in grant funds; Carls Foundation, William Davidson Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Pontiac Funders Collaborative Community Foundation, Total Health Care Foundation, Ballmer Group, Consumers Energy Foundation, and other various organizations.  

Learn more about this project at www.webstercommunity.org. 

About Michigan Community Capital 

Michigan Community Capital (MCC) is a non-profit diversified public-private partnership that supports the missions of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) by aggregating capital and facilitating the financing and development of low-income and attainable housing, and the redevelopment of complex brownfield sites within the State of Michigan. MCC is a U.S. Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and the only Community Development Entity (CDE) that deploys this resource solely throughout the entire State of Michigan. Since 2005, MCC has supported over $1.3 billion in project financing, successfully attracted $445 million in federal New Markets Tax Credits, and helped to create over 1,500 housing units, 4.3 million square feet of commercial, retail and industrial space to facilitate job creation and expansion and has insured over 22,000 affordable multifamily doors. MCC drives community development impacts in four key areas: Real Estate Development, CDFI lending, New Markets Tax Credits, and affordable Property Insurance. michigancommunitycapital.org. 

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Award-winning year at Michigan Community Capital 

Temple Lofts

MCC receives nine recognition awards in 2023. 

LANSING, MICH. – 2023 was an award-winning year for Michigan Community Capital (MCC) who accepted nine recognition awards for multiple developments and New Markets Tax Credits investments.  

Five national recognitions received in 2023 included: 

Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) for MCC’s Mt. Pleasant development, Broadway Lofts.
Learn more about this recognition and project here. 

Gold Winner for Real Estate Redevelopment & Reuse from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for MCC’s Mt. Pleasant development, Broadway Lofts.
Learn more about this recognition and project here. 

Gold Winner for Innovative Project Financing from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for MCC’s Mt. Pleasant development, Broadway Lofts.
Learn more about this recognition and project here. 

Real Estate QLICI of the Year from the 2023 Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits Community Development QLICIs of the Year for MCC’s New Markets Tax Credit involvement in The Freelon at Sugar Hill. 
 Learn more about this recognition and project here. 

Small Business QLICI of the Year from the 2023 Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits Community Development QLICIs of the Year for MCC’s New Markets Tax Credit involvement in Detroit Food Commons. 
 Learn more about this recognition and project here. 

Broadway Lofts – Mt Pleasant

Four regional/state recognitions received in 2023 included: 

2023 Tax Credit Award from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network (MHPN) for MCC’s Ludington development, Lofts on Rowe.
Learn more about this recognition and project here. 

AIAGR Honor Award from the American Inst. of Architects (AIA) for MCC’s Lansing development, Temple Lofts.
Learn more about this recognition and project here. 

Celebration of Regional Growth Award from the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce for MCC’s Lansing development, Temple Lofts.
Learn more about this recognition and project here. 

New Development of the Year from the Property Management Association of Michigan for MCC’s Lansing development, Temple Lofts.
Learn more about this recognition and project here. 

“At MCC, we let our work speak for itself and it’s rewarding to see regional and national stakeholders lift up the work of our incredibly dedicated and talented team,” said Eric Hanna, president and CEO at MCC. “By listening carefully to the needs of the disinvested communities we serve and putting the mission before the money, we inevitably end up with strong projects in stronger communities.” 

For 18 years, Michigan Community Capital (formally Michigan Magnet Fund) has invested in transformational community development projects across the state of Michigan that create housing, jobs and access to fresh food through NMTC allocations. Since the organization’s inception, MCC has worked to advance these projects using the best tools possible, even if it means creating new tools or wearing new hats. 

Starting in 2018, MCC began taking its lending and investment know-how and started developing projects. As of today, in its development practice alone, nine (9) properties developed and/or co-developed by MCC have led to more than $89 million in investment in Michigan communities, creating 421 new residential units and 68 new permanent jobs, and activating almost 350,000 square feet of indoor real estate. In addition to the nine awards received in 2023, MCC’s developments have previously received one national and two regional awards.    

All the awards were made possible by innovative financing structures with public, private and philanthropic partners.  

About Michigan Community Capital  

Michigan Community Capital (MCC) is a non-profit diversified public-private partnership that supports the missions of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) by aggregating capital and facilitating the financing and development of low-income and attainable housing, and the redevelopment of complex brownfield sites within the State of Michigan. MCC is a U.S. Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and the only Community Development Entity (CDE) that deploys this resource solely throughout the entire State of Michigan. Since 2005, MCC has supported over $1.3 billion in project financing, successfully attracted $445 million in federal New Markets Tax Credits, and helped to create over 1,500 housing units, 4.3 million square feet of commercial, retail and industrial space to facilitate job creation and expansion, and has insured over 22,000 affordable multifamily doors. MCC drives community development impacts in four key areas: Real Estate Development, CDFI lending, New Markets Tax Credits, and affordable Property Insurance. michigancommunitycapital.org  

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Broadway Lofts Named a Finalist for Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Award

Broadway Lofts, a development led by Michigan Community Capital, has been named a finalist for the national Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing award from the Urban Land Institute (ULI).  

The Kemp Award was established in 2008 in memory of Jack Kemp, a former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and a national advisory board member of the Terwilliger Center. It recognizes developments that use innovative financing sources to provide attainable mixed-income housing, primarily focusing on households earning between 60 percent and 120 percent of the area median income. 

The only Midwest or rural finalist, Broadway Lofts is a new mixed-use development on a brownfield site in the heart of Mt. Pleasant, MI. The project created 48 apartments with over 13,000 square feet of ground-level retail. It features 48 energy-efficient apartments targeted at Michigan’s workforce housing population. Local grocery cooperative GreenTree Co-op Market utilized the commercial space to expand their 50-year-old business.  

Other nominees in this category include  

  • 201 Canal, Lowell, MA 
  • Caton Flats, Brooklyn, NY 
  • J-centrel, Philadelphia, PA 

The jury for the two ULI awards is chaired by Ron Terwilliger, founder of the ULI Terwilliger Center and chairman of Terwilliger Pappas Multifamily Partners. 

The winners will be announced in October during ULI’s Fall Meeting in Los Angeles. 

Find more information on these awards and nominees here: https://urbanland.uli.org/public/uli-announces-finalists-for-2023-jack-kemp-terwilliger-center-innovation-awards/ 

Award winning month for Michigan Community Capital 

Two national awards and one statewide award name Michigan Community Capital as recipient in May 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Thursday, June 1, 2023 

LANSING, MICH. – May was a monumental month for Michigan Community Capital (MCC) who accepted three awards from two industry organizations. Two (2) New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) investments led to receiving the Real Estate QLICI of the Year and Small Business QLICI of the Year designation from the 2023 Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits Community Development QLICIs of the Year. Additionally, MCC’s Lofts on Rowe development received the 2023 Tax Credit Award from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network (MHPN).

For 18 years, Michigan Community Capital (formally Michigan Magnet Fund) has invested in transformational community development projects across the state of Michigan that create housing, jobs and access to fresh food through NMTC allocations. Since the organization’s inception, MCC has worked to advance these projects using the best tools possible, even if it means creating new tools or wearing new hats.

Starting in 2018, MCC has taken its lending and investment know-how and began development of projects starting with Cadillac Lofts. As of today, nine (9) properties developed and/or co-developed by MCC has led to investing more than $89 million in Michigan communities, creating 421 new residential units and 68 new permanent jobs, and activating almost 350,000 square feet of indoor real estate.

Being a community development lender has helped Michigan Community Capital become a diligent and lean developer, and their development experience has also influenced their lending and investment approach.

“We are honored to be recognized by our partners and friends at MHPN, and proud to be recognized nationally by Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits,” said Eric Hanna, president and CEO of Michigan Community Capital. “The MCC team works very hard to deliver projects that communities need, whether as a lender, developer, investor, or insurer. We are grateful to both organizations for recognizing our work and the impact it has on the communities we serve.” 

Lofts on Rowe in Ludington, Michigan

2023 Michigan Historic Preservation Network Tax Credit Award 

Lofts on Rowe 

Michigan Community Capital’s development, Lofts on Rowe, was named the winner of a 2023 Tax Credit Award from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network (MHPN), and the award was presented in-person on Friday, May 12 at the 2023 MHPN Annual Conference on Mackinac Island.

After sitting vacant for nearly 30 years, the 1892-brick building fronting a full city block on the edge of a residential neighborhood just north of Ludington’s downtown was rehabilitated into 67 residential units. The building housed a series of manufacturing businesses, including Carrom wooden games and Haskell Canoe Company, and served as the headquarters for the Civilian Conservation Corps Camp Ludington in the 1930s.

The building’s industrial character is featured in the exposed interior brickwork and original wood beams. Amenities available to residents include a fitness room, bike storage, and on-site parking, and the ground level offers a commercial suite for local small businesses.

Utilizing historic tax credits, the $14-million project revitalized a long abandoned and neglected historic building in the heart of the neighborhood, giving the city and region a historic asset that will serve residents and community members for decades to come.

Michigan Community Capital served as the developer on the Lofts on Rowe project, and additional partners included Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Pennies from Heaven Foundation, PNC Bank, West Shore Bank, the City of Ludington and Mason County.

Two awards from the 2023 Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits Community Development QLICIs of the Year Awards named Michigan Community Capital. 

Real Estate QLICI of the Year 

The Freelon at Sugar Hill 

The Freelon at Sugar Hill is an inclusive community for all Detroiters, reinforcing urban vitality in Midtown Detroit’s Sugar Hill Arts District. The $35-million project co-developed by the Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and Develop Detroit, replaced a vacant lot across the street from the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center with 68 apartments, 11,900 square feet of retail space, and a 160-space parking garage. Of the 20 affordable housing units, 14 were created for veterans served by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HUD-VASH program through the Dingell VA Center. Another six apartments are set aside for those earning up to 80 percent of area median income. The mixed-use building supports inclusive growth within the historic district as a cultural, commercial, and residential destination. 

MCC provided $6 million in NMTC allocation in partnership with PNC Bank, Building America CDE, and Cinnaire.

Small Business QLICI of the Year 

Detroit Food Commons 

The Detroit Food Commons is a new-construction development on the southeast corner of Woodward Avenue and Euclid Street in Detroit’s North End neighborhood. The two-story, 31,000-square-foot building will house the Detroit People’s Food Co-op – a community-owned grocery selling healthy, locally sourced food, a deli and bakery, and a neighborhood café – on the first floor. The second floor will house four teaching kitchens, a banquet hall/community meeting space and office spaces for nonprofit organizational use. 

Located within a CDFI-qualified severely distressed census tract, the ground-level grocery will provide healthy, affordable options to more than 31,000 low–income community members and over 19,000 food desert residents within a 1.5-mile trade radius. 

The nearly $20-million project spearheaded by non-profits Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN) and Develop Detroit (DDI) received $7 million in New Markets Tax Credits allocation from Michigan Community Capital in partnership with New Markets Support Company, and U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance.  

The Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits Community Development QLICIs of the Year Awards recognize community development entities (CDEs) that made exceptional qualified low-income community investments (QLICIs) in the past year. The in-person award ceremony will be held at 9 am Eastern, Thursday, June 8, at the Fairmont Washington, D.C. Georgetown, during the Novogradac 2023 Spring New Markets Tax Credit Conference. 

About Michigan Community Capital 

Michigan Community Capital (MCC) is a non-profit diversified public-private partnership that supports the missions of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) by aggregating capital and facilitating the financing and development of low-income and attainable housing, and the redevelopment of complex brownfield sites within the State of Michigan. MCC is a U.S. Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and the only Community Development Entity (CDE) that deploys this resource solely throughout the entire State of Michigan. Over its 18-year history, MCC has supported over $1.2 billion in project financing, successfully attracted $380 million in federal New Markets Tax Credits, and helped to create over 1,350 housing units, 1.3 million square feet of commercial, retail and industrial space to facilitate job creation and expansion and insures over 22,000 affordable multifamily doors. MCC provides products in four key pillars: housing equity, bridge and gap lending, New Markets Tax Credits, and property insurance for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects. 

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ALDI Coming to Two Rural Michigan Communities 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2023

Iron Mountain and Sturgis soon to welcome ALDI Grocery

LANSING, Mich. – ALDI Inc. is investing approximately $9.5 million to bring two new locations to rural communities in Michigan. A former Kroger location will be renovated at 811 S Centerville Road in Sturgis, and a new facility will be constructed at 2025 South Stephenson Avenue in Iron Mountain. Each store will be approximately 18,000 square feet and will feature a range of products including fresh meat and seafood, organic produce, and pantry essentials. The developments are being supported with a $7 million New Markets Tax Credit allocation from Michigan Community Capital.

ALDI Inc. is a leader in the supermarket retailing industry that offers discounted healthy groceries to customers in nearly 2,200 stores in 38 states. ALDI focuses on the groceries commonly purchased by shoppers, primarily under its exclusive brands, and is committed to providing customers with the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices.  ALDI strives to reduce the company’s impact on the environment through energy efficient store design, including state-of-the-art lighting and refrigeration systems that have reduced energy features and environmentally friendly building materials.

ALDI will bring full-service grocery stores to Sturgis and Iron Mountain, both rural Michigan communities where increased affordable, fresh food is greatly needed due to high rates of food insecurity resulting from barriers to access (e.g., lack of transportation, rising food costs, etc.). Approximately 18 new full-time equivalent positions will be created to support the new stores. All positions will be accessible to individuals without a four-year degree and will pay a living wage.

“Michigan Community Capital is committed to leveraging our tools to bring healthy fresh food to underserved communities in Michigan,” said Eric Hanna, president and CEO at Michigan Community Capital. “Iron Mountain and Sturgis have both identified bringing more grocery options to their community as a high priority, and we are proud to partner with ALDI as they expand their footprint into Michigan rural markets.”

New Markets Tax Credits are a federal subsidy tool administered by the U.S Department of Treasury and designed to attract capital to projects that support low- and moderate-income households and communities. Michigan Community Capital (MCC) is the only Community Development Entity (CDE) that deploys this resource entirely in the state of Michigan. Since the organization’s formation in 2005, MCC has secured a total of $380  million dollars in tax credit allocation through competitive rounds to support Michigan businesses and communities. MCC uses NMTC’s to support job creation, access to healthy food, and mixed-use projects that include mixed-income housing and commercial businesses that benefit low-income households.

PNC Investment Partners is serving as the New Markets Tax Credit investor on this project.

For more information on ALDI Inc., visit aldi.us.

About Michigan Community Capital

Michigan Community Capital (MCC) is a non-profit diversified public-private partnership that supports the missions of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) by aggregating capital and facilitating the financing and development of low-income and attainable housing, and the redevelopment of complex brownfield sites within the State of Michigan. MCC is a U.S. Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and the only Community Development Entity (CDE) that deploys this resource solely throughout the entire State of Michigan. Over its 16-year history, MCC has supported over $1 billion in project financing, successfully attracted $320 million in federal New Markets Tax Credits, and helped to create over 750 housing units and 1.3 million square feet of commercial, retail and industrial space to facilitate job creation and expansion. MCC provides products in four key pillars: housing equity, bridge and gap lending, New Markets Tax Credits, and property insurance for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects.

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