St. Joseph City Commission approves downtown parking lot sale, paving next steps for proposed development

St. Joseph, Michigan, August 25, 2025 — The St. Joseph City Commission today approved a purchase agreement for the sale of a downtown parking lot to The Rienks Group, a developer that hopes to build a mixed-use development project featuring residential and retail spaces on the property.

The purchase agreement for the parking lot at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Lake Boulevard follows the Commission’s June 23 approval of a memorandum of understanding. The MOU outlined key points that both parties were expected to meet in order for the sale to happen.

The purchase agreement for the parking lot – for the appraised value of $700,000 – includes several conditions to ensure responsible development of the property. These include requirements that the buyer obtain ownership of the vacant privately-owned land adjacent to the parking lot and obtain all necessary permits. Additionally, 57 replacement parking spaces must be made available to the public and the apartments cannot be priced above 120% of the area’s median income.

“Through the proposed Marquette development project, The Rienks Group has demonstrated its commitment to providing much-needed housing in our downtown while maintaining parking inventory,” said Kelly Ewalt, the City’s director of development. “This purchase agreement is the next of many steps to bring the Marquette to our downtown.”

“We look forward to this project moving through the City’s review process and hearing from residents during this process. Both the City and The Rienks Group are committed to hearing community feedback and maintaining and protecting the character of our city.”

The Rienks Group next will be responsible for meeting the conditions of the agreement before the sale is finalized. This includes standard requirements like insurance and financing, but also requires the submission of the site plan, alignment on a development agreement and a special-use permit for a building height above 55 feet.

The Planning Commission will review the application, hold a public hearing and make its recommendation. The Planning Commission’s recommendation will then go to the City Commission for consideration.

“There are still many steps that need to take place before any new development begins downtown,” City Attorney Laurie Schmidt said. “Public input will play a significant role in the process.”

The Rienks Group hosted a community open house on Aug. 22 to provide information about the project and answer questions. More details and ongoing project updates can be found at themarquetteonlakeblvd.com.

Multiple city plans informed by robust resident feedback, including the Downtown Vision Master Plan and Economic Development Plan, have called for additional mixed-use development in key downtown areas, including several parking lots. Additionally, a 2024 housing market analysis conducted by Cornerstone Alliance identified a need for an additional 900 housing units in the City of St. Joseph area over the next five years, with additional market-rate and middle-income housing being the largest need.