New apartments to open downtown following renovation project above Carpet on Wheels

Three years ago Ed and Cheri Hull used the upper level of their business, Carpet on Wheels, as a storage area. In the 23 years the couple has owned the building, they never thought of transforming the second floor into a living space.“I was actually afraid to go up there,” said Cheri.“It was pretty much in disarray,” Ed said.After working with Paula Holtz, Economic Development Director for Tecumseh, on a facade grant from the State of Michigan, the Hulls were made aware of a Rental Rehabilitation Grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.“When they started to talk about the grant, we thought, why wouldn’t we do it?” Cheri said.The grant had specifications to follow, both for the application process as well as the project itself. It took the Hulls about 18 months to get everything in place for renovations to begin.They received $70,000 from the state to renovate the two apartments, $35,000 for each living space. In return, Ed and Cheri were required to work within certain parameters during the renovation, offer one of the units at a price affordable for low to middle income families, and give the state the authority to oversee the selection process for tenants.Architect Jake Wright was familiar with the grant’s requirements and made sure the design for the apartments fell within proper parameters. “Jake helped develop the plans and layout,” Cheri said. “Without him being so thorough and knowing specifications, Ed and I would have been at a loss.”“The apartments are beautiful. They retained a lot of the old character but are bright and shiny and new,” said Holtz.The State of Michigan considers the grant paid back after five years. At that time the Hulls may charge whatever they want for the apartments and select their own tenants.“There is this really nice partnership where the State of Michigan comes to the table with the money,” Holtz said. “All the parties are able to bring their expertise to the table.”On behalf of the city, Holtz helped the Hulls navigate the process. “If there was any loophole, she found it,” said Cheri. “We give a lot of kudos to Paula.”The benefit for the Hulls and others receiving the grant is obvious, but the City of Tecumseh benefits from the added living spaces downtown as well.“We are very excited to see these beautiful new apartment spaces in downtown,” Holtz said. “It creates activity twenty-four/seven downtown. The city is happy to be the liaison.”The Hulls were happy for the opportunity to improve the downtown through the renovation. “The main reason we took on this project was because we love Tecumseh,” said Cheri.The grant awarded to the Hulls is up on October 15. Holtz expects more funding to become available in the future. Area businesses interested in creating a living space above their building are invited to talk with Paula about the grant and the process to get the grant. “Technically, we could do an open call for projects to get the grants,” said Holtz. “If we had property owners interested in providing housing for people in need we could get the process started.”According to Holtz, before an application can be made there is work to be done. She believes it’s best to get the pre-application process completed so building owners can just jump in and apply for the grant.“People interested have to be able to demonstrate they could do the project before we apply for the grant,” Holtz said. “I would certainly love to see us do it again.”Ed and Cheri believe the results of the renovation were worth the wait. Ed recommends patience and perseverance to anyone interested in taking advantage of state grants like the Rental Rehabilitation Grant.For more information on the Rental Rehabilitation Grant and other opportunities available for local businesses, contact Holtz at 424.6003 or via email at pholtz@tecumseh.mi.us.