External Affairs | Courtesy
The nearly vacant block on Manning Street just south of campus could soon be full of new homes owned by Hillsdale College supporters.
One college supporter — alumnus William Brodbeck ‘66 — has already begun construction on one of the empty lots that he bought from the college. The school plans to sell the rest of the lots on that block to interested buyers for personal residences.
Named “College Park at Hillsdale College,” these homes will be owned by alumni, trustees, friends of the college, parents, and business and national leaders.
The college originally had nine lots for sale, and seven are still available. It requires those wanting to purchase a lot to present a plan of their home to an architectural review board for approval.
Brodbeck, chairman of the Hillsdale College Board of Trustees, has purchased the lot closest to College Baptist Church and started construction on his home.
“The most phenomenal thing, I think those who are interested will find this as well, is what Hillsdale has to offer, which is extraordinary,” Brodbeck said. “The concerts, the classes, the speakers for the CCAs — all these things amount to a pretty remarkable spot, which I don’t think is replicated around at other colleges.”
Hillsdale’s Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé said the plans must fit within specific guidelines to create a fluid transition from the houses into campus. One of the goals of College Park is to create an aesthetically-pleasing neighborhood near campus that allows the surrounding area to blend into the campus.
“We’d like to sell those lots [on Manning Street] with certain conditions, essentially deed requirements, that would build the kind of neighborhood that would be ideal,” Péwé said. “Homes that have a similar style to that of the college — classical. It could be Victorian or neo-classical or a similar style, not modern. They have to be within a certain size that would ensure a particular quality and made out of particular materials. So it wouldn’t have metal siding or something like that.”
According to Péwé, the college hopes this development will create an economic bridge between the town and the college.
The city of Hillsdale’s Zoning Administrator Alan Beeker agreed, calling the situation a “win-win.”
College standards require construction begin within 12 months of purchase and finish by 16 months afterward.
Residents of College Park will receive a tax abatement during and after the construction of their homes.
According to Beeker, this abatement allows the owner to pay only half the property tax, as estimated by the value of the project, for a given length of time.
For houses worth up to $500,000, owners will receive an abatement for at least 10 years. For every $100,000 of additional value, they will receive one more year with the tax reduction up to 15 years, Beeker said.
Despite the tax abatements, Beeker said College Park will benefit the city by generating more taxable properties.
“We hope people will see that Hillsdale is a nice place to live and retire,” he said. Because of comparative values of properties, it will benefit the neighborhood there as a whole.”
Brodbeck noted that, because the homes are required to be near the street, with the garages in the back, the residents and students will have opportunities to get to know each other.
“We expect to be invited to at least a few parties,” he said, jokingly.
Alongside these homes on Manning Street, the college has a higher-density plan for West Street, according to Péwé. Each building will contain six units, owned by private individuals, for friends of the college.
The booklet produced for possible buyers of these lots said there are still seven of the nine spots available, with two reserved.