A long-stalled housing project in Detroit’s North End neighborhood just cleared a major financial hurdle. The Michigan Strategic Fund board approved an Act 381 brownfield work plan on Tuesday for North End Landing, a planned $43.4 million residential development that would bring 177 rental apartments and eight for-sale homes to the area.
The approval authorizes roughly $3 million in state brownfield tax-capture incentives for the project, according to MLive, which also reports the development includes about $2.3 million in local brownfield tax capture. The developer, meanwhile, is expected to put in approximately $20.2 million of its own equity toward the project. Avanath North End Holding LLC leads the effort.
Those brownfield dollars aren’t a blank check. The same report notes that brownfield incentives work by reimbursing eligible redevelopment costs using future tax revenue generated once the approved plan is in place — money that can help cover expenses like demolition, infrastructure improvements and site preparation. Tax capture tied to the project is expected to begin in 2027 and continue for about 17 years, per the outlet’s reporting.
Affordable Units Aimed at Seniors and Lower-Income Renters
At least 20% of the rental apartments will be reserved for households earning no more than 80% of area median income, the report states. Some of those affordable units are expected to be set aside specifically for seniors.
North End Landing isn’t a new idea suddenly appearing out of nowhere. The project has been in the works since 2015, and the Detroit Land Bank Authority approved the sale of 26 lots for it back in April 2021, according to the Detroit Development Tracker from Outlier Media. That same tracker describes the undertaking as an 11-building, multisite housing development led by Vanguard Community Development, Avanath Capital Management and RMC Development.
A Winding Path Through Zoning and Site Approvals
Getting to this point wasn’t simple. Detroit’s Board of Zoning Appeals approved the project’s zoning variances back in August 2023 only after more than four hours of debate and deliberation, Outlier Media reported in its meeting digest on the vote. Among the approved variances was one allowing fewer parking spaces than would typically be required for a project of this size.
The Detroit Development Tracker describes the project as including eight for-sale townhomes alongside the 177 apartments, though an earlier zoning account referenced six homes for sale, a discrepancy that remains unresolved. Avanath Capital Management and RMC Development are among the project’s developers.
Brownfield Approval Advances North End Landing
The Michigan Strategic Fund board’s approval advances North End Landing’s brownfield work plan. Detroit has also taken local brownfield and other tax-related actions related to the project.
Michigan’s brownfield program exists precisely for cases like this. Act 381 authorizes brownfield plans and work-plan approvals meant to help revitalize, redevelop and reuse contaminated, blighted, functionally obsolete or historic sites, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation notes that such programs allow eligible redevelopment costs to be reimbursed using future tax capture once a plan is approved, according to its own tax incentives materials.
North End Landing fits into a citywide push on housing policy. Detroit published its 2025-2030 Affordable Housing Strategy, as outlined in a document from the City of Detroit, reflecting an ongoing focus on expanding housing options across neighborhoods like the North End.
Similar Brownfield Deals Playing Out Statewide
Detroit isn’t the only Michigan city leaning on brownfield incentives to get housing projects off the ground. In Battle Creek, commissioners voted 7-2 last month to approve an Act 381 brownfield plan for The Fields at Battle Creek, a 240-unit apartment complex planned for South Helmer Road across from Lakeview High School, according to WWMT. That project’s total private investment is estimated at $48.9 million, with roughly $22.6 million eligible for brownfield reimbursement, and 48 of its units — 20% — will be income-restricted for 20 years.
Unlike North End Landing, the Battle Creek project already has a construction clock running: work is expected to start this fall and take about two years, with 132 units delivered in the first year and 108 in the second, WWMT reported. City public works officials there estimated the development would add roughly 1,000 to 1,400 vehicle trips a day to Helmer Road, underscoring the kind of local impact questions that often accompany large brownfield-backed housing projects.
