A Shuttered School Reopens as Housing in Michigan

The Portland School Apartments is helping Portland, Mich., recover from a devastating tornado by providing needed affordable housing.

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Courtesy Woda Cooper Cos.

Portland School Apartments in Portland, Mich., by Woda Cooper Co… Read More Portland School Apartments in Portland, Mich., by Woda Cooper Cos. (formerly The Woda Group).

Courtesy Woda Cooper Cos. and Consolidated Electrical Contractors

The development provides housing to seniors and families earning… Read More The development provides housing to seniors and families earning no more than 60% of the area median income.

Courtesy Woda Cooper Cos. and Consolidated Electrical Contractors

The $7.4 million development was financed primarily with low-inc… Read More The $7.4 million development was financed primarily with low-income housing and historic tax credit equity from PNC Real Estate.

The 99-year-old building served as a junior high and high school until 1991. The structure was headed toward demolition when Woda Cooper Cos. (formerly The Woda Group) stepped in to purchase the site in 2013. As the company was forming its plans to return the treasured school to a good use, a tornado ripped through the city, magnifying the need for new housing.

“The fact that we were able to commit to the development gave the community hope, an optimism that safe, affordable, energy-efficient housing was coming,” says P. Craig Patterson, senior vice president at Woda Cooper Cos.

The development team requested and received expedited zoning approvals, a variance for parking, and payment in lieu of taxes agreement from the city. The property is located on a hillside in a residential neighborhood but is still a short walk to downtown. Being able to maintain the historic structure is huge for the community.

Portland School Apartments, which recently celebrated its opening, provides 29 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments for families and seniors earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income. Three units are handicap accessible.

It was a challenging renovation because the school was a historic structure and a prior developer had embarked on creating a hodge-podge of poorly conceived apartments that were never completed, adding another layer of complexity to the renovation, says Patterson.

The team was able to preserve many of the building’s original features, including terrazzo floors. Wood from the gym floors were reused, and historically accurate windows were installed. Developers were also able to add an elevator and a community room at the development, which is expected to earn Enterprise Green Communities certification.

The $7.4 million developed was financed primarily with low-income housing and historic tax credit equity from PNC Real Estate.