Traverse City TIF: Successes
Brownfield Projects City-Wide
Click through for full descriptions of each project for detailed benefits of Traverse City TIF.
➡️ Grand Traverse Commons—This historic preservation and adaptive redevelopment, which transformed contaminated, blighted buildings into the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, has received national acclaim.
➡️ Boardman Lake Projects — Transforming 14 acres along Boardman Lake, a TIF project, remediated industrial and petroleum contamination, fostering residential development and enhancing connectivity and access, contributing millions to the Boardman Lake Loop.
➡️ 8th & Boardman-400 E Eighth St — A TIF project enabled Envision 8th Street to double buildable space, add affordable housing, and fund Michigan's first separated bike lanes.
➡️ Graetz–647 E. Eighth St. — A TIF project was used to clean up asbestos and lead hazards and help convert a blighted property into a family doctor's office, kickstarting reinvestment in 8th Street.
➡️ 4-Corners/Blarney Castle — A TIF initiative is cleaning up a polluted site at Division and West Front St., preventing a contaminant plume from reaching Kids Creek
➡️ Harbour View Center — Built on a site previously exposed to intense industrial use and contamination, this project utilized Brownfield to remove soil contaminants, eliminate public health risks, and revitalize the area for community use.
Revitalizing 8th Street: Witness the transformation from a hazardous four-lane road to a pedestrian-friendly, three-lane street, primed for new development—powered by a strategic Brownfield project to foster safer, more vibrant community spaces.
From restoration to recreation: A youngster enjoys fishing off the scenic Boardman Lake Loop bridge. This is now possible due to a successful Brownfield project that cleaned up contaminated soils and completed the long-envisioned trail around the lake.
➡️ East Bay Plaza—This project overhauled a site with environmental challenges, including a PCE plume and subsurface issues, through TIF-supported cleanup and infrastructure improvements.
➡️ TBA Credit Union-630 E. Front St — A former gas station and restaurant site, cleaned and redeveloped into TBA Credit Union's headquarters through a TIF plan.
➡️ Traverse House-701 W. Front St. — A TIF plan addresses petroleum contamination to develop a site to preserve and create jobs, boosting the City and County's tax base.
➡️ Traverse City Cast — Transforming the site of the former Traverse City Gray Iron Works, a TIF plan facilitated the cleanup of hazardous waste, leading to the development of Clark Manufacturing, a thriving machine shop employing up to 50 workers.
Transforming the past, shaping the future: The Hagerty Insurance Building rises from the former TC Iron Works site, and Park 101 rejuvenates the old Firestone property. Both sites, once environmental challenges, are now pivotal developments driving Traverse City's progress.
Brownfield Projects Downtown
Click through for full descriptions of each project for detailed benefits of Traverse City TIF.
➡️ Bridgestone/Firestone- 101 North Park — Redevelopment transformed this once-contaminated site into a mixed-used landmark downtown.
➡️ Bank of Northern Michigan/Kinneys—This redevelopment project overcame significant environmental challenges by removing multiple underground storage tanks and contaminated soil to transform a historic site into a commercial hub. In 2008, the City of Traverse City Planning Commission awarded it an Outstanding Development Award.
➡️ Park Place-300 E. State St. — The redevelopment of Park Place expanded event capacity and included critical public infrastructure updates like water main replacement and asbestos abatement.
➡️ Old Town Center- 147 E. Eighth St. — A comprehensive redevelopment transformed this site into a 3-story mixed-use hub featuring ground-floor commercial spaces and upper-level residential.
➡️ Radio Centre/ Park Street Redevelopment — Once a contaminated site with an abandoned gas station and car dealership, this entire area transformed through a collaborative clean-up led by the DDA. The result is multiple mixed-use buildings and a public parking deck.
➡️ River’s Edge (Midtown) — Redevelopment of this once heavily polluted site transformed it into a mixed-use neighborhood. Through the Brownfield plan, environmental clean-up allowed Hagerty Insurance to expand, bringing job growth and enhancing the area with a public river walk.
➡️ River West 305 W. Front St — Transformed a long-standing vacant lot into a dynamic mixed-use development. This site now houses retail, residential, office, and commercial spaces, revitalizing the western corridor of Traverse City.
➡️ Uptown — Enhanced riverside living and extending the Riverwalk.
➡️ Traverse City Place/Calcut/ Hotel Indigo — This expansive project, spanning 23 parcels along Front Street and Grandview Parkway, cleaned up historical industrial pollution and created what is now known as the Warehouse District.
Downtown Districts
Click through for full descriptions of each plan.
➡️ Old Town TIF—This TIF plan enhances the Old Town district, focusing on public spaces, residential livability, and walkability improvements.
➡️ TIF97 / Moving Downtown Forward Plan — MDF seeks to extend TIF97 for 30 years, funding new and historic public infrastructure projects with help from a regional contribution of $1.7m annually.