Artist rendering of developing Gladstone’s North Shore development

GLADSTONE — Developers are still being sought for the North Shore Development Project along the Lake Michigan shoreline on Little Bay de Noc. The Gladstone Downtown Development Authority (DDA), Gladstone City Commission and Gladstone Planning Commission are very supportive of the project.

The 34-acre site provides opportunities for new-build housing options within walking distance to downtown Gladstone. The development is intended to benefit city’s community and economy while maintaining a large amount of naturalized shoreline. Toward this goal, the city worked with MSU’s School of Planning, Design, and Construction along with MSU Extension to engage in Michigan State University’s Sustainable Built Environment Initiative (SBEI). The SBEI’s final report incorporated community feedback and included final design visuals. The report also made recommendations to maintain a theme of sustainability. Details of the project are available on the city’s website.

The plan’s features and housing options are expected to draw a younger demographic to Gladstone. The project’s supporters believe the development will be particularly attractive for those who now work from home.

“Now people see that they can work remotely and will want to be in North Shore,” said Ron Miaso, coordinator for both Gladstone’s DDA and Economic Development Council.

Despite the project’s potential to draw new residents and business to Gladstone, it has yet to draw a large investor.

“COVID-19 has put a damper on some major developers committing to the project,” said Miaso.

In the absence of one large investor to take on the whole project, the DDA is considering financing the project in smaller financial chunks through numerous local resources.

“There is a lot of frustration in the need to move forward with it, and everyone is trying to figure out how to make it happen,” said Miaso.

He also emphasized that the DDA can’t get this project completed on its own.

“This is a total city project — all facets of city operations are needed to make this happen,” he said.

The DDA has put resources in its 2021-2022 budget to market the property, hoping to spark investor interest.

“Although the timing of the RFQ (request for quote) unfortunately coincided with the COVID-19 business slowdown, the city and the DDA look forward to exploring options to get this important project moving forward. We would welcome input from local developers and financiers on any ideas to make this development a great success,” Miaso said.