10/23/12 - Howell City officials are pretty excited about the re-development of three adjacent historic buildings downtown. Council members met Monday night, where it was relayed that building rehabilitation and some exterior façade work is expected to begin almost immediately on the âHeart of Howellâ project. The total project investment is pegged between $3 (m) million and $4 (m) million. Developer Joe Parker and his family are leading the effort to resurrect the previously abandoned Swann, Thistledown, and Spagâs buildings. Some grant funding has already been secured for the project but the Downtown Development Authority is currently pursuing some for infrastructure work. It could receive up to $750,000 to upgrade parking lots, put in trash dumpsters and repair some sidewalks adjacent to the property where the equivalent of around 40 full time jobs are being created. Since Howell is not a low to moderate income community, they must have job creation to access those particular grant funds but DDA Director Diane Larkin tells WHMI theyâve received encouragement from the state and feels they have a pretty good shot. All businesses that come into the building would have up to two years to meet the job creation quotas required under the grant, which wouldnât be approved until spring at the earliest. Larkin says itâs an ambitious timeline but theyâre hoping to have the majority of work done by next summer so construction could begin on the restaurant component and ideally be operational for the 2013 holiday season. Just recently, it was made public that Parker has been in talks with The Root, an acclaimed bar and restaurant out of White Lake specializing in Michigan-based foods, to occupy the first floor of the facility. Although the papers have not yet been signed, the parties entered an informal agreement last week. (JM)
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