MOUNT CLEMENS, MI-As part of the redevelopment and revitalization of Downtown Mount Clemens, the city's Downtown Development Authority is preparing to send out requests for proposal for a medium-density residential development. The to-be-developed acreage is located near the $5-million River Lofts apartment development, which is currently under construction along the Clinton River on Gratiot Avenue near Church Street. The acreage and size of the project could not be obtained by press time.

The new project, which is scheduled for groundbreaking by late 2006, is an extension of the residential development currently in play in the area. "We have two more phases anticipated for the River Loft District," says Arthur Mullen, executive director of the Mount Clemens Downtown Development Authority. "We also have a developer looking to bring a mid-rise residential product into the district sometime during summer 2006, but the city commission has to approve some tax incentives for that."

Building up the residential component of the area, is another stage in revitalizing the downtown area, Mullen tells GlobeSt.com. "Our Downtown is a restaurant and entertainment capital of the area," he comments. "We've made significant investments in that during the past decade. Now we're in the next phase--bringing the residents in and bringing them back into the Downtown area."

The first step in the area of the residential rehabilitation was River Lofts Phase I, which had begun life as a VFW Hall. Once developed into 13 lofts in 2003, it sold out within five months. The second phase, which broke ground during fall 2005, has 24 units and has attracted a great deal of demand. "Once that's done and sold out, we'll move on to the final phase," Mullen says.