GRAND RAPIDS — Construction is expected to start next spring at the historic Sligh Furniture Co. factory near downtown on what would be one of the city’s biggest housing developments in recent years.
The mixed-use redevelopment planned by Detroit-based Sturgeon Bay Partners calls for 753 apartment units across three buildings, commercial space, a cafe and a five-story parking garage. The development at 446 Grandville Ave. SW in the city’s Roosevelt Park neighborhood comprises nearly the entire block where the furniture company operated from 1880 to the early 1930s, according to the Grand Rapids Historical Commission.
The 753 units are poised to make a dent in the city’s ongoing housing needs, particularly for affordable options. Recent studies show the city needs an additional 9,000 units at all price points over the next five years to meet demand.
“We’re carving out…