Marquette Housing Commission Revitalizes 265 Affordable Apartments

Cinnaire recently joined the Marquette Housing Commission, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), Range Bank, Huntington Bank, First Contracting, Inc., and MCSA Group Inc. to celebrate the grand opening for Pine Ridge Marquette and Lake Superior Village Apartments in Marquette, MI. Developed by the Marquette Housing Commission, the renovated apartments are being supported through the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, a program giving public housing authorities a powerful tool to preserve and improve public housing properties. Cinnaire, in partnership with Huntington Bank and Range Bank, provided a $13.6 million Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) investment to support the developments. Additional financing partners include MSHDA and the Marquette Housing Commission. Chesapeake Community Advisors served as the project consultant and Cinnaire Title provided the title work.

“The RAD program provides a financial incentive to revitalize aging affordable housing communities by bringing together public and private partners to preserve long-term affordability for residents,” said Tom Edmiston, Cinnaire Senior Vice President. “Access to high-quality, safe, and affordable housing is a critical component of creating healthy, vibrant communities. We are proud to join the development team and financing partners to enhance the social and economic wellbeing for Marquette residents.”

“Tenants at both properties are very excited about the improvements made in their apartments and properties,” said Sharon Maki, Marquette Housing Commission Executive Director. “While upgrading affordable housing is the primary purpose of the RAD program, we believed we could go farther and not only improve the housing stock but also improve the quality of tenants’ lives. Our apartment managers and service coordinator advocated tirelessly to ensure changes would have a positive impact on our residents. From big things like adding air conditioning and creating handicap accessible apartments to little things like installing carpeting on stairs to decrease noise and fresh paint on the walls, we believe we were to improve our tenant’s daily lives.”

Pine Ridge Marquette, a nine-story building overlooking Lake Superior and the City of Marquette, offers 140 units of affordable housing on the city’s East Side. Conveniently located within walking distance to shopping, dining, healthcare, public transportation, local businesses, and entertainment, the project features include onsite management, a media room including computers with free internet access, a community room, and an outdoor patio area. Renovations of the development consisted of new kitchens, cabinets, countertops, flooring, closet doors, and carpeting.

Lake Superior Village Apartments offers 116 townhome units featuring two-, three- and four-bedroom layouts. Located near historic parks, walking trails, Northern Michigan University, healthcare, transportation, and Lake Superior’s beaches, the project amenities include newly renovated apartments with all utilities included, air conditioning, large patios, a playground, basketball court, outdoor grills, and a community garden. The on-site Youth and family Center provides year-round activities for residents including an-after school program, homework help from Northern Michigan University students, Youth Council, Teen Council, nutrition lessons, family fun nights, arts and crafts activities, and recreation activities. During the summer months, lunch is provided daily for the kids and summer programs include kayaking, fishing, and outdoor field trips for nature study.