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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, FAQs, and more. This website provides access to all publicly available project information and is current as of September 9, 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 approximately 17 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 complement the neighborhood, NMU, and the 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 of demolishing the site (originally estimated to be $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

Projected Timeline

The demolition work has begun on the site and is expected to last through early 2025.

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 and successfully engage a development partner to advance mutually beneficial outcomes for the city, community and Northern Michigan University. Related long-term objectives include:

  • 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 and the City of Marquette's 2023-2024 Community Master Plan renewal; 

  • 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.

Invitation to Bid Documents (now closed)

FAQ

  • Demolition work began in June 2023 and was broken into three phases. The final phase of work (Phase 2) involves the demolition of the Blood Donor Center, Bridge Building and RCN Building, which is projected to be completed by March 2025. As of July 10, 2024, Phase I of the demolition project is estimated to be 92% complete. Phase II (parking deck) is 64% complete. The final project closeout, which includes grading, topsoil, seeding and mulch, will wrap up in the second quarter of 2025.

    NMU Foundation and Veridea Group are working to finalize a transaction facilitating a sale of the land based on the certified appraised value of the undeveloped site. The Foundation will reserve the right to be an equity investor in the project.

    Veridea Group will continue its work in developing the master plan for the site in consultation with the community, NMU Foundation and the city of Marquette.

    The new development is expected to yield an estimated $4.5 million in new tax revenue, 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.

  • Veridea Group will continue its work in developing the master plan for the site in consultation with the city of Marquette.

  • Tax increment financing (TIF) is typically used to incentivize investment in areas of a community that are blighted or otherwise difficult to develop. It works by capturing the extra tax money generated by development above the base rate (i.e. the pre-development tax rate) in a specific area and using those funds to pay for further improvements in that same area. It’s like a neighborhood investing in itself to become better and more prosperous over time.

    The city of Marquette’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority uses TIF to encourage redevelopment by reimbursing extraordinary environmental and certain non-environmental costs over time by capturing increased incremental property taxes generated by additional private investment.

    While the NMU Foundation worked with the city to develop an Act 381 Brownfield Plan for the demolition project, its work in procuring alternative funding resources for the demolition project means that it is likely to have little or no eligible activities for reimbursement. This means that the development project will produce tax revenue to the city much faster than originally anticipated.

  • A minimum of 90% of demolition-derived materials are expected to be destined for reuse or recycling. Adamo Group, the demolition contractor for the project, has been actively sorting material for recycling and reuse. These materials include functional equipment and components, steel, concrete, and coolants and refrigerants. The remainder of demolition waste is being transported to the Marquette County Landfill for disposal. The NMU Foundation has also worked with numerous non-profit organizations to repurpose personal property and some equipment from the former hospital prior to demolition. 

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

  • The original pre-bid demolition estimate was $18.5 million to $20.5 million. Adamo Group, the demolition contractor for the project, based its bid on the ability to salvage or recycle approximately 90% of the material. The cost savings realized by recycling and avoiding landfill fees significantly lowered the demolition estimate. Based on the current project status and approved change orders, the projected cost is approximately $12 million.

  • Public access is available to sidewalks along 7th Street, Magnetic Street, and Hebard Court. However, we urge the public to respect the signage posted on the 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 through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • 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 a.m. and 6 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 p.m. and 7 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 p.m. and 7 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 of.  

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

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: Phase 1 demolition work has begun on the site.

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.

Demolition Contract for Phase 3 Signed

March 7, 2024: The NMU Foundation enters into a demolition contract for Phase 3 (parking structure) to the lowest bidder Adamo Group.

Phase 3 Demolition Begins

April 2024: Demolition on Phase 3 (parking structure) has begun.