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Your convenient portal for information related to the former Marquette hospital site on College Avenue, including news, community information, progress updates, FAQ, and more. This website provides access to all publicly available project information and is current as of March 20, 2024.

View the Project Milestones

View the Demolition Project Bid Tabulation and Procurement Process

Watch the Live Stream of the Former Hospital Site

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE FORMER HOSPITAL SITE ON COLLEGE AVENUE?

RENEW COLLEGE AVENUE — A public-private partnership has formed between several key institutions, led by the NMU Foundation, with the shared goal of aligning resources and visions to catalyze a mixed-use development on College Avenue.

Located on College Avenue between 4th and 7th streets in Marquette, the former Marquette General Hospital Site is an important property situated in the heart of several neighborhoods and adjacent to the Northern Michigan University campus.

The current site consists of several vacant buildings and spans 23 acres. The site’s previous medical facilities were vacated with the development of the new UP Health System -- Marquette hospital campus on Baraga Street.

Diagram of the site location between 3rd Street and 7th Street

The vacant site on College Avenue is an attractive location for much-needed housing and other amenities that could compliment the neighborhood, NMU, and nearby 3rd Street business corridor. Economic feasibility analysis shows the viability of an estimated $166 million mixed-use development, featuring a wide range of housing, retail and commercial space, and greenspace and pedestrian corridors to better connect the development and surrounding neighborhoods to NMU’s campus.

The Critical barrier to any redevelopment at the site is the continuously increasing high cost to demolish the site (estimated most recently at $20.5 million), and the need to properly remove hazardous materials and conduct environmental remediation to prepare it for redevelopment.  

Diagram outlining specific blocks in the site

Draft Timeline

Project timeline, with Phase 1 running from June 2023 through March 2024, Phase 2 from April 2024 through October 2024, and Phase 3 in December 2024 and January 2025

The demolition work has begun on the site and is expected to last through 2024. Community members can learn more about the project during Public Information Sessions taking place Thursday, September 7 at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. in the Northern Center at Northern Michigan University. Learn more here.

WHY THE NMU FOUNDATION?

The NMU Foundation’s primary focus in leading this public-private partnership is to align resources required for demolition and site preparation, successfully engage a development partner, and become an investor in the project to advance mutually beneficial outcomes for the city, community, and Northern Michigan University. Related long-term objectives, include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Reinvigorate neighborhoods surrounding the NMU campus to provide a variety of much-needed housing for faculty, staff, and community members;

  • Compliment and accelerate aspects of NMU’s Campus Master Plan

  • Add significant support to the City of Marquette’s tax base, which will support community services and lessen the burden on residents;

  • Further enhance Marquette’s ability to attract and retain individuals and their families, which will further support community economic development; and

  • Add investment growth in the NMU Foundation’s endowment, which will further support student and faculty scholarship, program development, alumni and community engagement, and institutional prestige.

The NMU Foundation fosters relationships to generate resources and partnerships that benefit Northern Michigan University.

FAQ

  • After the master developer contract is formalized, the Foundation and Veridea Group will establish a private business entity that will own the redevelopment project. A private development entity will ultimately enable significant investment in the site redevelopment, which will ultimately yield an estimated $4.5 million in new tax revenue to taxing authorities, including approximately $1.7 to $1.9 million to the City of Marquette alone. This structure is also required as part of the Brownfield Redevelopment Plan, which will enable additional new public infrastructure investments. Total public infrastructure investments anticipated to be included with this project, including the reconstruction of College Avenue, are estimated to be $5 million. The Foundation will be an equity investor in the business entity while Veridea will be the majority partner and will lead all redevelopment efforts. Veridea Group will continue its work in developing the master plan, in consultation with the community, NMU, and City leadership.

  • Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a well-known and effective economic development tool that exists to incentivize and reimburse new investments. To catalyze investment in areas of the city that are functionally obsolete, blighted, have documented levels of contamination above MDEQ Criteria, or are historic, the City of Marquette’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority encourages redevelopment by reimbursing extraordinary environmental and certain non-environmental costs over time through the capture of increased incremental property taxes generated by additional private investment.

    A TIF functions by estimating and then capturing taxes relative to the future value of a property, or what the property will be worth in the future after the development occurs. The TIF “capture” is the percentage of the increase above the “base rate” (the taxable value prior to the investment) and the “tax increment” (the additional taxes). This capture is used to finance eligible activities.

  • A minimum of 80% of demolition derived materials are expected to be destined for reuse or recycling. These materials include functional equipment and components, steel, concrete, and coolants and refrigerants. The remainder of demolition waste will be transported to the Marquette County Landfill for disposal.

  • Asbestos containing materials, fuel, E-waste, universal waste, and coolants and refrigerants.

  • Estimated at $5-6MM.

  • A community redevelopment project consisting of single and multi-family residential, commercial, and public uses.

  • Public access is available to sidewalks along 7th Street, Magnetic Street, and Hebard Court. However, we urge the public to be respectful of signage posted on perimeter fencing indicating the hazards of an active demolition site.

  • Noise generated during the project will be similar to an active construction project consisting of excavator and trucking activities. Anticipated working hours are Monday – Friday from 7:00am to 5:00pm.

  • Noise: Operations during daytime working hours – typical of all City of Marquette construction projects in compliance with the City of Marquette Noise Ordinance - (9) Construction or repairing of buildings. The erection (including excavation), demolition, alteration or repair of any building other than between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, except in case of urgent necessity in the interest of public health and safety, and then only with a permit from the building inspector, which permit may be granted for a period not to exceed three days or less while the emergency continues and which permit may be renewed for periods of three days or less while the emergency continues. If the building inspector should determine that the public health and safety will not be impaired by the erection, demolition, alteration or repair of any building or the excavation of streets and highways within the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and if he shall further determine that loss or inconvenience would result to any party in interest, he may grant permission for such work to be done within the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., upon application being made the time the permit for the work is awarded or during the progress of this work.

    Dust: Dust Monitoring, demolition and loading methodology, use of water spray to limit creation and/or movement of dust off the property.

    Asbestos: Abatement containment, visual inspection of work areas, and air monitoring within the abatement work areas.

    Hazardous materials: All buildings and building components were assessed and the chemicals or building components (chemicals, batteries, light bulbs, TVs, electronic equipment, electrical components, oils, and paints) were collected, inventoried, and recycled or disposed.

    Security: The site perimeter has been isolated with fencing and controlled using patrols and security cameras.

  • The parking garage will remain on site until future determination has been made regarding whether it is adequate to meet future site needs.

Info & Updates

Download publicly available information here.

Project Milestones

The NMU Foundation champions the effort

September 2021: The NMU Foundation, a private, registered non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, and Duke LifePoint Marquette General Hospital, LLC formed a partnership with a goal of increasing the viability of redevelopment of the College Avenue former hospital site.

The partnership provided that the NMU Foundation would purchase the site from Duke LifePoint, pending an evaluation of environmental due diligence and economic feasibility for site demolition and redevelopment. The agreement framework required the NMU Foundation to secure a qualified master developer partner to redevelop the site and funding for demolition and site preparation.

Brownfield Redevelopment Plan is approved

October 2021:The Marquette Brownfield Redevelopment Authority authorizes an investment of $52,900 for environmental due diligence activities from the Marquette Brownfield Revolving Fund.

Environmental Due Diligence occurs

February 2022:Phase I and Limited Phase II environmental assessments and Hazardous Materials Survey, supported by a $52,900 investment from the Marquette Brownfield Redevelopment Authority’s Local Brownfield Revolving Fund.

Analysis shows the Economic Feasibility of Redevelopment

February 2022:Analysis shows the viability of an estimated $166 million mixed-use development, featuring a wide range of housing, including owner-occupied townhomes, multi-family housing, apartment units, a senior living complex, some retail/commercial, as well as greenspace and pedestrian corridors to better connect the development and surrounding neighborhoods to NMU’s campus.

Site is determined blighted and functionally obsolete

March 2022:The current state of the site has been determined blighted and functionally obsolete, making it an eligible property for the reimbursement of certain eligible activities such as building demolition and environmental remediation. The Brownfield funding, generated through Tax Increment Financing (TIF), comes from the capture of incremental property tax revenues due to additional private investment and is an economic development tool to catalyze redevelopment efforts within the City of Marquette.

The Foundation entered a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Marquette and Marquette Brownfield Redevelopment Authority to facilitate expectations and public outcomes, which led to numerous public meetings regarding the proposed project and unanimous approvals of a Brownfield Redevelopment Plan.

Request for Qualifications for a Master Developer is Issued

March 11, 2022: The NMU Foundation Board of Trustees issues a national Request for Qualification ("RFQ") for a master developer partner. The RFQ process is overseen by a special committee of the board, which outlined critical factors required for a master developer partner, including the financial capacity to take on a redevelopment envisioned by the economic analysis, experience working on projects of this size in scope, and a commitment to completing the total project.

The Marquette community is engaged

May 2022:The Foundation hosted public information sessions and roundtable meetings with community leaders to inform residents about the potential redevelopment and to gather high-level feedback on goals to consider for the project. The Foundation summarized findings in a report, which was released to the public.

A qualified master developer partner is identified

May 13, 2022:The NMU Foundation Board of Trustees unanimously authorizes Veridea Group, a real estate development company that specializes in projects in the Upper Peninsula and Montana, as the qualified master developer for the site. The Foundation and Veridea have yet to enter into a development partnership agreement, which will occur after the Foundation closes on the transaction provided for in the Agreement and acquires the Site.

Funding for demolition and site preparation is secured

May 2022 - July 2022:Out of the estimated $18-$20 million required for site demolition and hazardous materials removal, the Foundation and its partners have secured – or are in the process of securing – the following:

  • $8 million – State of Michigan Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget appropriation in the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Budget as part of a one-time $75 million for blight elimination at strategic economic development projects statewide.
  • $4 million – From LifePoint under the agreement
  • $8 million – Letter of Intent from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to the City of Marquette for a Community Development Block Grant blight elimination grant. The City is currently in the process of finalizing the grant application. The Foundation, City, and MEDC are meeting regularly regarding this critical commitment and opportunity.

Closing on the sale

September 2022: The NMU Foundation and DLP Marquette General Hospital, LLC closed on the Contract for Sale of Real Estate. The NMU Foundation is now the owner of the project site.

Invitation to Bid

December 12, 2022:The NMU Foundation publicly issued an Invitation to Bid for the contract for site demolition at the former hospital site. The bid process closed on January 27 with a total of seven bids received.

NMU Foundation Receives Blight Elimination Grant

January 11, 2023: The NMU Foundation and State Land Bank Authority enter into a grant agreement to finalize funding secured for the demolition project through an appropriation in the Fiscal Year 2022-23 State Budget.

City of Marquette finalizes CDBG Grant for Blight Elimination

April 25, 2023: The City of Marquette and Michigan Strategic Fund enter into a grant agreement to finalize up to $8 million in funding secured for Phase 1 of the demolition project. The Michigan Strategic Fund board authorized the grant on February 28.

NMU Foundation announces Adamo Group as demolition general contractor

June 9, 2023: The NMU Foundation enters into a demolition services agreement with Adamo Group, a family-owned demolition company based in Detroit. The contract was executed after finalizing approvals with funding partners, including the City of Marquette, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and the State Land Bank Authority.

Demolition begins

August 2023: The demolition work has begun on the site and is expected to last through 2024.

The NMU Foundation issues requests for proposals.

November 17, 2023:The NMU Foundation issued an invitation to bid for Phase 3 of the demolition project, as well as a request for proposals for a consultant for Phases 2 and 3.