By WILL KANGAS
September 25, 2011
MASON -- A program that leverages state money to rehabilitate living spaces, or lofts, in older buildings downtown continues to impress city officials and business owners.
Many of Mason's historic downtown buildings have rooms above businesses, and were going unused because of the prohibitive cost of restoring them.
But with grant money that can help pay for up to 70 percent of repairs, those spaces can quickly become living spaces, and the result is good for everyone involved, according to Mason City Manger Martin Colburn.
The latest example is two apartment buildings above the Mason Courthouse Pub and Grill. One is being rented already.
"What a great deal," business owner Joe Ghinelli said. "That space was sitting empty for 30 years and now the renter who lives there loves it."
Ghinelli, who is also finishing an expansion of his pub downstairs at the same time, said the program is amazing in that what was unused space is now being used and updated.
The program is facilitated through the Ingham County Housing Commission, via the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
The program is designed to improve investor-owned properties and spur economic development in Michigan's downtowns.
The program is so popular in Mason that the city was used as a model for MSHDA's video to explain the program throughout the state, and can be found on the City of Mason's website.
The program calls for property owners to fund at least 25 percent of the project cost, but the benefits are increased activity in the downtown area, which in turn leads to increased revenue for downtown property owners and a productive use of space.
In order to get the loan, Ghinelli and other applicants had to make sure the project was "ready to go" with financing in place.
Not all buildings qualify, as the building has to be considered to be in a "Main Street" community like Mason and preserve the historic character of the building.
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