Plans for New Downtown Saginaw Apartment Building Take a Step Forward

The Huntington Bank building is just south the of Temple Theatre and Morley Plaza, at the corner of N. Washington and E. Genesee. (WSGW file photo)

Saginaw is a step closer to seeing a new downtown apartment complex. The Saginaw City Council passed a resolution Monday covering the Huntington Bank building at 101 N. Washington under the Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act, or OPRA. The establishment of an OPRA district means new owners of the building would not pay any increased taxes on the property resulting from their investment. The passage of this resolution paves the way for the planned apartment complex in the building by nonprofit Michigan Community Capital.

Plans for the $45 million project include 120 market rate apartments with commercial space on the building’s first couple of floors. Developers have set a target date of May 2025 to have the building ready for tenants.

Saginaw Future vice president Tom Miller highlighted for council some of the difficulties that could face investors, such as structural or environmental issues due to the long-term vacancy of the upper floors and reconfiguration costs that might not be apparent. He called it a “complicated project,” and the council action a “first step.”