Work Progressing Rapidly Behind the Scenes
LANSING, Mich. – Mayor Andy Schor along with Delvata Moses, Interim Director, Human Relations & Community Services and Kimberly A. Coleman, former HRCS Director are pleased to provide the following update to the Lansing community on the progress of the Nova Lansing Housing Initiative.
“Progress is happening rapidly behind the scenes, and work is being done to get this initiative in place as quickly as possible. From the beginning we knew that we were doing something totally different in the state of Michigan and it would take a lot of work,” stated Mayor Andy Schor. “We want to get this done right, to provide a safe, comfortable temporary housing community where those in need can get assistance and transition into permanent, stable housing.”
“While things might seem quiet on the surface, there are an incredible number of moving parts and dedicated people working hard every day to bring this campus to life. Much of the crucial groundwork happens out of public sight, but every step is bringing us closer to a resource center that truly serves our community,” Delvata Moses said.
“I am so proud of the teams we have put together to make this project a reality. The people we will serve here are the priority, and getting this done correctly from the beginning is so important. The facilities and the programming here will be critical for their future, and we all want to see the Nova Housing initiative succeed, so these residents can succeed. We want to thank the entire community for your patience, your trust, and your partnership as we carefully build Nova Lansing from the ground up,” Kimberly A. Coleman concluded.
This update, and behind the scenes look at the progress happening at the site are intended to keep the Lansing community informed of all the things happening with this initiative.
CONSTRUCTION AND SITE PREPARATION
With our approved budget in place, we have officially selected and contracted with expert consultants. They are currently hard at work on the engineering site plans and the architectural design for both the overall campus and the resource center.
In addition, as you will read below, City staff have been hosting critical meetings with neighborhood organizations and other agencies to listen to questions and address community concerns. They are also meeting with local nonprofits to gather insights and explore powerful partnerships so we can deliver top-tier services to future program participants.
Earlier this year, the city’s Human Relations & Community Services Advisory Board and the Mayor’s Neighborhood Advisory Board unanimously voted to recommend to him the Ingham County Human Services Building at 5303 S Cedar St. as the site for placement of the pods housing development. Mayor Schor concurred and instructed City administration and staff to begin the process in earnest to place the initiative here.
City staff and contractors began meeting with County officials from the administration, Health Department, CEI Community Mental Health, and several other agencies about the future of the site, the residents being served here, and programing. Construction and site planning officials have also been working to plan the site, including placement of the pod homes and service facilities, and necessary utilities for the site. Legal counsels for both the City and County have also been talking to work out the legal requirements.
As this work continues to be finalized, the necessary paperwork to submit for a Special Land Use permit is being drafted. That will go before the City’s Planning Board for their input, then to City Council for final consideration. In addition, the City must apply for a permit from the state of Michigan to make this possible and that paperwork process is underway.
Site plans and construction documents are being finalized, which will allow for the land use agreement between the City and County to be finalized and construction to start immediately following City Council consideration of the Special Land Use permit, assuming it passes.
Proposed expenses to prepare the site, construction, permitting, and procurement of additional facilities for bathrooms, showers, laundry, and meeting space have been appropriated by City Council with an estimated cost of $1,925,900. The Ingham County Board of Commissioners, through the Ingham County Housing Trust, provided $600,000 of that amount to cover the acquisition of the pod units.
SITE MANAGER AND PROGRAM PROVIDER
We have selected our operating agency and are currently finalizing their contract. Once that contract is executed, we plan to make an official announcement and host a public meeting. This will be a wonderful opportunity to introduce them, engage with the community, and kick off a deeply collaborative partnership between our five (5) main work streams, our partner agencies, and the new Nova operating agency. To turn our architectural blueprints into reality, we have also officially released the Request for Proposals (RFP) for construction management.
Immediately after the final site was selected work began to write a Request for Proposal that outlines the operations and management of a transitional housing planned site. That RFP went out earlier this year and the City is pleased that there was one response, from a well-qualified group, with years of experience working in this space.
Annual operating expenses to provide the housing, restrooms, laundry, community room, meeting and training space, security, and programming is estimated at $952,335. City Council recently approved this budget plan unanimously.
Final plans are pending and expected within the next two weeks. Once those arrive, they will provide the final pieces of information we need to complete our contract with the county and finalize all of our state and local applications.
Additional updates, including an announcement of the service provider and a public meeting to release details of the location site plan, will be available soon.