Michigan Community Capital, with other mission-driven partners, supported the redevelopment and expansion of the Allen Neighborhood Center (ANC) in 2020. The full project, including the new development of Allen Place apartments, redeveloped an existing, two-story building into a three-story mixed-use development consisting of affordable housing units, community-based health care services, a culinary training school, and an accelerator kitchen for food-based entrepreneurs.

Prior to embarking on the redevelopment and expansion project, a small portion of an existing two-story building was occupied by ANC, a community-based non-profit providing a breadth of community services within the region. The remaining portion of the building, including the second story, was vacant and in a state of disrepair. With support from Michigan Community Capital’s New Markets Tax Credit allocation and a participation bridge loan, the Allen Place project now provides the community:

• 21 mixed-income rental housing units in an age-friendly environment designed to facilitate social interaction and social programming (allenplace.org)
• Ingham Community Health Clinic – a Federally qualified health center – providing primary care services to low- and moderate-income individuals
• Eastside Lansing Food Co-op specializing in locally grown/raised food products, increasing access to healthy food options for area residents
• Incubator Program that provides aspiring culinary entrepreneurs access to a commercial kitchen and business development support
• An Accelerator Kitchen that is catalyzing expanded business opportunities and growth for small-scale food entrepreneurs. The initial makers in the Accelerator Kitchen include Teff-rific (Ethiopian cuisine,) Tantay (Peruvian cuisine,) Hobie’s, and Slows BarBQ.

The project’s development team has partnered with the Lansing Board of Water and Light to create a micro-grid incorporating multiple methods of solar collection (e.g., solar collecting roof panels and carports and solar doc picnic tables in our ‘solar courtyard’). Other project amenities for residents include active programming from ANC, a community room, computer center, outdoor picnic areas and green spaces, an on-site year-round farmers market, nutrition education, and cooking classes.