March 21,2005

By Karen Gentry
MiBiz Network

MUSKEGON — The lights at Edison Landing are starting to flicker on as developers prepare to energize the lakefront parcel.

Office, residential condominiums and retail developments are in the due diligence and feasibility stage, according to Steve Wilson from Commerce Realty, which has been handling the sale of lots for the state-designated SmartZone property since June 2004.

"We've got seven lots that are currently under contract or currently being negotiated," Wilson told MiBiz. He said Commerce Realty is working with three developers who are expected to make official announcements by June.

Wilson said the plans include a second office complex on Lot I, retail and residential condominiums on Lot N and more condominiums on Lots A and B. A group of investors from Spring Lake and Grand Rapids plan to build a 24,000-25,000-square-foot office complex for up to seven businesses. Investors "found a lot of merit to putting a quality office building on the water," Wilson said.

The condominiums planned for Lots A and B may have potential access to deep-water docks. Wilson said two high-end residential builders from the Muskegon area are developing those lots.

The 34-acre Edison Landing, viewed as a catalyst to downtown revitalization, is already home to Grand Valley State University's Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center. Edison Landing lots, ranging from .8 acres to over six acres, can be classified as a brownfield for Single Business Tax credits, receive two-year property tax abatements and tax exempt bonds because of the city's status as an Enterprise Community.

Parmenter O'Toole, the law firm backing Edison Landing will soon break ground on the site for a 16,000-square-foot office complex that will house the firm's attorneys and support personnel. Construction bids were due March 10, according to Chris Kelly, a partner with Parmenter O'Toole and project manager for Edison Landing.

Mark Oppenhuizen, from Grand Haven-based Oppenhuizen Architects, designed the new building, which includes a contemporary exterior with bands of glass and a tall glass curtain wall to take advantage of views of Muskegon Lake. The design of the rectangular shaped building features a center portion that is a little taller than the ends of the building. Muskegon-based Clifford Buck Construction is serving as construction manager of the project.

Wilson is optimistic about being able to move the remaining eight lots.

"As developments start to happen we should get a lot of interest in remaining lots. Edison Landing is literally one of a few waterfront developments along the lakeshore where you could have residential, office and mixed use and access to a lake as nice as Muskegon Lake," he said.

Commerce Realty is using a "good old-fashioned ground attack" and going out and finding people who believe in the downtown, Wilson said.

"Muskegon is really hands-down probably one of the undiscovered resources along the Lake Michigan coastline. The city has gone from a gray iron industry to one of the more progressive cities along the lakeshore."

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This article appeared in the March 21, 2005 issue of MiBiz, read by upper management executives in West and Southwest Michigan. Print subscriptions are free to qualified individuals who do business in West and Southwest Michigan. For further information about MiBiz Network, visit www.mibiz.com.