MI: Transit-oriented housing open near BATA station

After years of planning and lots of work to put together the money to build it, Traverse City Housing Commission and other project partners cut the ribbon for The Flats at Carriage Commons.

But while the ceremonial ribbon was severed Thursday, residents started moving into the project’s first 48 units two weeks prior, TCHC Executive Director Karl Fulmer said. Nor is it the end of the story, with many more units approved for the site, as well as a childcare center and, potentially, a commercial building.

“We have a second phase starting in the spring of 2026, which will be another 48 units, and then the third, fourth and fifth phases, which bring a grand total of 210 dwelling units,” he said.

The apartments, which include a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom units, are for people earning between 30 and 70 percent of area median income, Fulmer said.

Applications are still being accepted, and the first phase is already about 80 percent full.

Just west of the clubhouse stands a transfer station for Bay Area Transportation Authority buses, with the authority’s new headquarters a short distance to the south. The idea of locating one next to the other is so residents can easily take a bus to the various destinations BATA serves, and home again.

Before the ribbon-cutting, Fulmer and others with TCHC met with project partners, plus local and state elected officials. Tony Lentych, who served in Fulmer’s current role before joining the Michigan State Housing Development Authority as its chief housing investment officer, was in the audience, as was MSHDA Financial Specialist Katy VanHouten. She called the project a step forward in thinking about connecting homes, transportation and opportunity.

“What sets this development apart is its innovation with the transportation authority’s partnership,” she said. “Residents can step out of their door and have access to public transport, without having to go particularly far. It’s right outside.”

Jake Zunamon, senior vice president of development for Smith & Henzy, handed out thank-yous, including to Garfield Township Trustee — and former supervisor — Chuck Korn, others within the company that developed the project, and to Wolverine Building Group, the project’s general contractor.

Zunamon also thanked Fifth Third Bank for underwriting the project with $10 million in equity and a $12-million construction loan, MSDHA for granting $2 million and providing $12 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for kicking in $6 million.

Grand Traverse County needs far more than 48 units to make a dent in its housing needs, according to an analysis by Housing North.

The nonprofit found a gap of 2,358 units between current rental inventory and demand for people earning less than 50% of area median income, and a gap of 733 for those earning 51-80% of area median income. Both figures were as of 2022 and projected through 2027.

Along with TCHC’s future phases, Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region plans to build 15 single-family homes adjacent to the apartments, Fulmer said. Those are set to start in spring 2028.