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01/12/2007
Leland wants site to be residential
The Michigan State University Extension building in Leland is also for sale. LELAND — Neighbors of Leelanau's longtime county government hub will find out shortly whether potential developers share their ideas for the site's future. The 2.5 acres in the village of Leland will become vacant when county offices move in 2008 to the new governmental center under construction in Suttons Bay Township. Voters in 2004 approved moving the county seat out of Leland. Since then, residents and local officials have worked to define what they'd like to see on the property. County Administrator David Gill said the message was clear. "They pretty much came back with they'd like to keep it residential,” he said. The county is seeking purchase proposals for the site, which has an appraised value of around $2.5 million. Bids are due Jan. 31. Proceeds from the sale will be used to help pay for a new $10 million courthouse near the law enforcement center along M-204. The move will centralize county offices currently scattered among several buildings on the Leland campus. The current site includes the courthouse, the former county jail, the historic jail, a modular office building that houses the planning and equalization departments, and an office building along the Leland River. Because the village is unincorporated, the property is governed by Leland Township zoning regulations. Most of the site is zoned residential. Land on the Leland River west of Chandler Street is designated for commercial use. Perry Pentiuk, owner of Venture Properties in Leland, predicted the land will generate plenty of interest from developers. He said a village center that integrates affordable housing would be a welcome addition to Leland's predominantly resort real estate market. "I hope someone can figure out a way to do it so people can live here and not just vacation here. Something where the lights don't go out on Sunday and stay off all week,” Pentiuk said. "I think that's the sense of the people who live here year-round now.” A letter from the Leland Township Board included in the marketing package calls for residential development with a focus on affordable housing. It also suggests retaining the riverfront property as open space and demolishing all existing buildings except the historic jail, which could be relocated. Gill said the county hasn't yet received any proposals, but about six potential buyers have requested bid packets from his office.
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