Organization

Bids taken on demolition of Acme complex near art district in Jackson

By Tarryl Q. Jackson
Friday, October 30, 2009

Jackson residents and visitors will soon be able to view an up-and-coming art district instead of the dilapidated buildings that overlook Mechanic and Ganson streets.

Local officials are getting closer to demolishing the Acme Industries complex, which borders Art 634 and Armory Arts Village.

The Enterprise Group of Jackson, which owns the buildings at 600 to 626 N. Mechanic St., is taking bids from contractors to have the buildings torn down over the winter to make way for the construction of the Grand River Arts Walk in the spring.

“We’re moving along on all kinds of fronts,” said Amy Torres, director of economic development for The Enterprise Group. “The stars are aligning, finally.”

The Enterprise Group had a mandatory walk-through of the property for eligible bidders earlier this week. About 50 individuals who represented 30 to 45 companies throughout the state showed up, Torres said.

Bids are due Nov. 11, and The Enterprise Group hopes to award a contract in December, Torres said.

Officials got word in July that demolition could proceed.

The buildings were part of a prison factory system that played a key role in Jackson’s industrial development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and continued to operate into the 1980s.

The Acme complex was to be home of the Armory Arts Village, and efforts were made to list it on the National Register of Historic Places. But after extensive soil contamination was found, the artist community moved to the nearby former Michigan National Guard Armory and state prison.

The State Historic Preservation Office has acknowledged the need to demolish the buildings and signed a memorandum of understanding with The Enterprise Group and the city, Torres said.

“I think the demolition will be great for the area,” said Mindy Bradish-Orta, president of the Greater Jackson Chamber of Commerce. “A lot of people think that part of the area is unsafe and not aesthetically pleasing.”

Because of the contamination, the site will most likely become a parking lot. An environmental review has been conducted.

“It’s not going to be a parking lot and open space right away,” Torres said. “It’s the first phase in the eventual development.”

The Enterprise Group and the city received federal funding earlier this year to tear down the building.

In February, The Enterprise Group secured $332,500 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act. In April, the city was notified it would receive $1.7 million in federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds and agreed to set aside $375,000 for the demolition.

The Jackson County Brownfield Development Authority also agreed to contribute up to $50,000.