Ypsilanti's Freighthouse plans to raise more money

Wednesday, October 7, 2009 | Source: Concentrate

Just when the road to recovery for Ypsilanti's Freighthouse seemed golden, the local grassroots group driving the rehab of the historic building has found some more bumps in the road.

The Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse had consistently pegged the cost of renovating the structure at a little more than half a million dollars. Then it got that amount from a combination of grants and federal stimulus money. Now that the metal is hitting the rail it seems like they're going to need about as much more to make the building what they want it to be.

"Even after the stimulus grant there is still half a million dollars that needs to be raised," says Ed Penet, trustee of the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse.

Once the friends group received the stimulus money, the state stepped in and looked at the business plan for renovating the freighthouse. Several holes appeared, such as s seismic survey ($6,000) to determine if there are any problems under the ground that could inhibit the project. The development also needs six-figures worth of an operational funding cushion for when it its ready for operation.

"It's true for any construction project that you set aside money for contingencies," Penet says.

The friends group is unphased and concentrating on raising the rest of the money. The idea is to have all of the paperwork done, in and approved by the state in time for the New Year. Construction is set to begin later this winter and wrap up in time for it to serve as the Ypsilanti station for the first train of the Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter train a year from now.

The freighthouse, located in Depot Town, will also serve as a tourism information and community gathering space. The 130-year-old Freighthouse closed in 2004 due to a couple of significant-but-not-insurmountable issues, such as a bowing west wall and deck filled with unsafe trip hazards. The friends group recently had the surrounding grounds regraded so water will be directed away from the building's base.

The 5,000-square-foot, red-brick structure was used as a freighthouse until right after World War II, when it was converted into a warehouse. In 1979 the city bought it and turned it into a community center. It made the state Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Source: Ed Penet, trustee of the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse
Writer: Jon Zemke