The Pinconning Journal

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Since Advanced Vehicle Assemblies/Tubular Metal Systems closed their facility in Pinconning, know locally by it’s long-t...
11/22/2024

Since Advanced Vehicle Assemblies/Tubular Metal Systems closed their facility in Pinconning, know locally by it’s long-time name, Northern Tube, 15 months ago, the factory at the corner of Fifth and Jennings Streets in the City of Pinconning has sat empty.

Pinconning City Manager Rebecca Lakin announced to the City Council at Monday’s meeting that five months of confidential work have born fruit with the purchase of the site by a developer who plans to demolish the current buildings and develop the nearly 14 acres as a multi-unit apartment complex. The complex is planned to comprise 18 buildings with 324 apartments: 198 one-bedroom, 108 two-bedroom, and 18 three-bedroom units. These are moderately priced apartments with rents being $900, $1100 and $1350 for the 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms respectfully. He also is planning on adding a day care center and possible store fronts. There will be 400 parking spaces with a total investment of over $50 million dollars.

Ms. Lakin told the Journal, “This project will benefit the City’s tax base for years to come! We currently are working with Bay County for Brownfield Redevelopment funding, and the City will eventually give a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program. The plan is in progress as we speak and depending on speed of the programs, we are hoping to begin shovel to the ground sometime in 2025. This is huge for our community; it will offer jobs, new families to move in, new students to come to our schools and other endless possibilities!”

A brownfield, as defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), “is a property the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” Brownfields are often abandoned or underutilized sites due to the presence of contamination or suspected contamination. They directly impact the affect municipality by decreasing the tax base, lowering property values on adjacent properties, increasing crime and blight, and eliminating jobs. Federal, State, and local grant funds are available to redevelop brownfield sites, with specific funding earmarked for converting them to housing. Those funds are being sought to help finance the local project.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a value capture revenue tool that uses taxes on future gains in real estate values to pay for new infrastructure improvements. With a project such as this, water, wastewater, and street improvements will likely be necessary. Pinconning & Linwood Area Chamber of Commerce President

Josh Klee said, “The Chamber has long seen the need to increase the amount of affordable housing in the community, to expand the City’s tax base, as well as increasing the number of potential customers for our members. The conversion of an unused former industrial site to residential use fits the general use of that area, and the economic impact will begin as soon as demolition of the existing factory begins. We’re excited for this project, and appreciate the work the City has done to make this happen.”

Pinconning Area Schools Superintendent Andy Kowalczyk said, “This project would be a great boost to our community. Affordable housing and daycare can make a difference in getting high quality staff at Pinconning Schools.”

Pinconning Fires - Updated  Fifteen months ago, in late October of 2022, Pinconning saw two unoccupied buildings burn in...
02/06/2024

Pinconning Fires - Updated

Fifteen months ago, in late October of 2022, Pinconning saw two unoccupied buildings burn in suspected arson fires. Early Monday morning, two more structures were destroyed by fire.

The first, at the former Currie TV building at 201 West 3rd Street at the southwest corner of the intersection of Manitou Street, was reported around 2:00 am. The structure was fully engulfed when Pinconning-Fraser Fire Department (PFFD) crews arrived. With mutual aid from other Northern Bay County departments, they were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the adjacent building at 203 W. 3rd, which sustained superficial damage.

The building was of block construction, with wooden beams supporting a wood and tar flat roof, and was apparently used for storage by the owners. All of the contents were obviously destroyed, with the roof and part of the east wall collapsed when dawn broke on Monday.

PFFD Assistant Chief Ben Ramsay said that during the course of fighting the blaze, a water main on 3rd Street partially failed, reducing available water pressure. They had tankers on scene and were able to extinguish the fire with the water available from the hydrant and what was on the responding trucks. He noted that the mains in that area are only four inches in diameter, and that drawing 1500 gallons per minute through that size line is difficult in any circumstance. The departments cleared the scene around 4:00 am.

The second fire, reported around 6:00 am occurred at the former Locker Plant at 203 East 2nd Street. The building had been undergoing renovations for several years and was unoccupied.

City employees responding to the broken water main from the first fire helped ensure that residents were out of the two houses immediately east of the fire. Again, it was fully engulfed when crews arrived, and initial efforts were focused on preventing the spread of the fire to an adjacent structure, this one an occupied home. Those efforts were successful, with the home sustaining only minor damage to the siding and shingles and one cracked window. Power that had been cut to the house during the blaze was restored in the afternoon.

The blaze was difficult to extinguish, due to the construction of the rear portion of building, consisting of numerous concrete block rooms with metal roofing, as well as the fact that construction materials were stored in the area. Satkowiak & Sons of Linwood brought a small excavator to the site to pull off the metal roofing and expose the hot-spots inside. Fire crews cleared the scene around 2:30 in the afternoon, but returned around 6:30 pm after several of those hot-spots rekindled. They soaked the remains again at that time.

In addition to the damage to the home east of the fire site, the Lee-Ramsay Funeral Home to the west of the fire location had obvious visible damage to vinyl siding

Assistant Chief Ramsay spoke to the Journal on Tuesday morning. He first thanked the other departments that responded, Garfield, Gibson, Kawkawlin, and Mt. Forest Townships, and noted that with the shrinking number of volunteers for all departments, that mutual aid is vital to everyone. He also noted that Northern Bay Ambulance, the Bay County Sheriff’s Department, Pinconning Police Department, and Consumers Energy were all on the scenes, and thanked H & H Bakery for providing refreshments.

He noted that neither structure had active electric or gas service, supporting the theory that the fires were deliberately set. In Monday’s fires, as with the ones from 2022, there were residences close by with people sleeping. The potential for injury or death of a firefighter or innocent bystander grows every time this happens.

The Bay County Sheriff’s Arson Investigator is working to determine the exact cause of the blazes. Ramsay stressed that the community needs to come together to help solve these crimes. He urged those with security camera systems to check their footage from Monday night specifically, but to also to review it regularly to look for people doing things at night that they shouldn’t be. Anyone who has any information about the fires should contact the Bay County Sheriff’s Department or Pinconning Police as soon as possible.

Pinconning On Fire - AgainFifteen months ago, in late October of 2022, Pinconning saw two unoccupied buildings burn in s...
02/05/2024

Pinconning On Fire - Again

Fifteen months ago, in late October of 2022, Pinconning saw two unoccupied buildings burn in suspected arson fires. Early Monday morning, two more structures were destroyed by fire.

The first, at the former Currie TV building at 201 West 3rd Street at the southwest corner of the intersection of Manitou Street, was reported around 2:00 am. In the course of fighting the blaze, a water main on 3rd Street apparently failed, reducing available water pressure, and forcing the departments to switch to tankers and hauling water. Responding departments reportedly cleared the scene around 5:00 am.

The second fire, reported around 6:00 am occurred at the former Locker Plant at 203 East 2nd Street. The building had been undergoing renovations for several years and was unoccupied. City employees helped ensure that residents were out of the two houses immediately east of the fire. The Lee-Ramsay Funeral Home to the west of the fire location had obvious visible damage to vinyl siding, and the house located close-by on the east also had visible damage, but at the time of this report, fire personnel were still visible from the Journal office on the scene and no estimate of the extent of the damage could be made.

Pinconning-Fraser Fire Department Acting Chief Ben Ramsay was still on scene and unavailable for comment at the time of this post, but it will be updated as soon as possible.

Top photo, Currie TV from the west, courtesy of Rhonda and Patrick Johnson
Second Photo, Locker Plant from the south, Courtesy Kieth Ellison.

Address

110 E 3rd Street
Pinconning, MI
48650

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+19898793811

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