Showers this evening becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 58F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..
Showers this evening becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 58F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Updated: September 30, 2026 @ 3:56 pm
On Wednesday, the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority board agreed to apply for a grant to fund the construction of a solar farm at the 3.11-acre Western Concrete property off Fifth Street.
On Wednesday, the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority board agreed to apply for a grant to fund the construction of a solar farm at the 3.11-acre Western Concrete property off Fifth Street.
CADILLAC — The Brownfield Redevelopment Authority board on Wednesday gave the go-ahead to apply for up to $10 million to fund the construction of a solar farm at the former Western Concrete property at 509 Fifth St., along with other projects of a similar nature.
The solar farm proposal was brought to the board by Avon Protection, which has been exploring renewable energy options to meet the company’s zero-carbon goal by 2040.
Board member Brian Warner has been talks with representatives of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy about the possibility of obtaining funding for the project through the Pilot EPA Brownfield to Solar Grant program.
Battery energy storage systems also would be eligible for funding through this program, and are part of the overall plan for the site.
The project is anticipated to provide direct energy “behind the meter” for Avon that would result in significant peak energy savings. The preliminary cost estimate for the project is $2 million.
If approved for the grant, the Brownfield Authority would serve as fiduciary of the money and a pass-through to individual projects such as the Avon Protection solar farm.
Cadillac City Manager Marcus Peccia said the project also would provide cost savings to low-income water and sewer customers in the city.
Avon Protection would pay the city to lease the land where the solar farm is located and that money would be used to subsidize the bill for customers making less than 80% of the area’s median income.
Part of the property already is zoned to allow for the construction of energy storage devices. The zoning of the other section might have to be changed to allow for it. Even if it isn’t changed, however, the project could still move forward if the site plan places the storage system in the part that is zoned to allow for it.
If the grant is awarded, the project still would need to be signed off on by the Cadillac City Council, in order to approve the lease of the land to Avon Protection.
Lakelynn Apartments cleanup grant
The Brownfield board on Wednesday also agreed to apply for a $1 million grant to pay for the cleanup of the Lakelynn Apartments property, where debris was discovered during the construction of the first building there.
Brownfield consultant Mac McClelland told the board that the majority of debris is construction-related and “not very good to build on.” He said “widespread but low-impact contamination” also was discovered in the area during construction.
Warner said he feared this discovery might jeopardize the project but was optimistic about the possibility of the estimated $1.9 million cleanup being partially covered by an EGLE Brownfield grant.
Kyle Friar, owner of KMF Construction — developer of the project — said they were still in the process of figuring out how to cover the remaining $900,000 cleanup cost.
Friar said the debris and contamination was discovered in a part of the property that isn’t slated to be developed until the end phases of the project, so they can proceed with the initial stages while they’re figuring out how to fund the cleanup.
Lakelynn Apartments, when finished, will include 252 apartment units and possibly more if an additional building is constructed at the site, which is something the developer has said they would like to do.
Cadillac Junction homes
Also on Wednesday, the Brownfield board gave McClleland permission to continue talks with a developer that has proposed building 75 single-family homes at the Cadillac Junction property on the east side of the city.
Allen Edwin Homes has proposed the development, which would include 57 for-sale homes, 16 income-restricted rental units, and two market rate rental units.
To make the project financially viable, the developer is asking for a Brownfield plan to be established to offset some of the costs of the construction, which will be passed on to home buyers and renters in the form of lower sale prices and rental rates.
A Brownfield plan captures taxes on a property over a certain period of time after development raises its taxable value. That captured money then is used to cover qualifying development costs.
The majority of homes built would include four bedrooms and the remaining ones would include three bedrooms.
The income-restricted rentals are expected to include four, three-bedroom homes for $1,770 a month and 12, four-bedroom homes for $1,922 a month.
Developers say the income-restricted rentals are expected to be affordable to households earning below 120% of the area’s median income, with rent set for a four-bedroom home at 100% of the median income.
If the Brownfield plan is approved, it would cover costs associated with home construction, in addition to the widening of M-55 to accommodate deceleration and acceleration lanes for the project.
clamphere@cadillacnews.com | 775-NEWS (6397)
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