Affordable apartments coming to Belknap Lookout

Affordable apartments coming to Belknap Lookout
<strong> Courtesy Integrated Architecture </strong>

A $12 million, 50-unit apartment complex is being added to the Belknap Lookout neighborhood.

Third Coast Development, PK Companies, Grand Valley State University and other partners on the project will break ground on Belknap Place Apartments on Thursday, Nov. 4, at 310 Trowbridge St. NE in Grand Rapids.

The project, which came to fruition after many discussions between project officials and neighborhood groups, is considered to be an important piece of revitalization to the area and seeks to address the return of quality housing options to the neighborhood, serving a diverse group of households.

The property previously contained single-family homes, which recently were removed to make way for the new development that will create more affordable housing options for the neighborhood.

Pioneer Construction is the general contractor for the project, with Integrated Architecture as the architect.

The new development is part of the Grand Rapids City Commission’s Great Housing Strategies: Addressing Current and Future Housing Needs initiative. The addition of Belknap Place will address two of the initiative’s goals: create and preserve affordable housing using existing affordable housing programs and tools, and support low-income and vulnerable populations by ensuring quality affordable housing for these residents.

In the past five years, the city of Grand Rapids partnered with the Michigan Department of Transportation and other funders who invested $23 million to address municipal infrastructure such as streets, sidewalks, sewer separations and water mains. An additional $98 million public investment is planned for other municipal upgrades in the coming years. The area also will benefit from $1.7 billion in funding, with $651 million from public-private partnership investments for improvements and new development of residential, commercial and educational facilities.

The new development marks Third Coast Development and PK Companies’ second downtown affordable housing complex, following the construction of Diamond Place along Medical Mile in 2018.