EGLE grant will help create 200 housing units and 200 new jobs in Grand Rapids

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is awarding a $1 million grant to the Factory Yards brownfield redevelopment project at a 13.4-acre contaminated industrial site in Grand Rapids. 

The property at 655, 835, and 943 Godfrey Avenue SW and at 644 Chestnut Street SW is currently vacant. When the project’s first mixed-use phase is complete it will include at least 200 new housing units, 100 new full-time and 100 new part-time jobs, and 31,600 square feet of commercial space. Once all phases are complete, the project will add as many as 450 residential units and 100,000 square feet of commercial space.

655 Godfrey was first developed in the 1890s by a furniture manufacturer. By the late 1930s, it was being used for spring and wire manufacturing. It was switched to storage space in the 1990s. The other three parcels had railroad tracks from the 1890s until 2022. An environmental assessment done that year found chlorinated solvents, metals, and petroleum compounds in soil and groundwater. The EGLE Brownfield Redevelopment Grant will pay for additional site assessments, transportation and disposal of contaminated soil, and the installation of a vapor venting system. In addition, grant funds may be used to remove two underground storage tanks and for a barrier to prevent contact with any remaining contamination. The city of Grand Rapids approved an $8.2 million tax exemption for the project.

The Factory Yards project will be a $146 million redevelopment. The EGLE grant is focused on the first mixed-use phase, which involves the rehabilitation of three industrial buildings into mixed-use buildings with housing and commercial space. At least 10 percent of all rental housing units will be held for tenants making less than 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Additionally, at least 10 percent of each type of rental unit will be for tenants making less than 80% of the AMI. The first mixed-use phase also includes a half-acre outdoor plaza. It’s expected to be finished in the summer of 2028. The next phase is expected to include more residential and commercial space along with other amenities.

More than half of EGLE’s annual budget supports local projects, protects public health and the environment, and helps create economic growth and jobs for Michigan workers. Redevelopment increases the value of brownfield sites and other nearby properties. In 2025, the EGLE Brownfield program provided more than $23 million in brownfield incentives to 76 projects in 52 Michigan communities. These projects are projected to create more than 440 housing units, 600 jobs, and result in more than $675 million in capital investment.