Evergreen housing near Heritage Hill

Parcel would house apartments or lofts, two new buildings

By Kate Carlson

A Lansing-based developer wants to repurpose a vacant ofce and “sea of asphalt” into a mixed-use residential and commercial project connecting downtown Grand Rapids and Heritage Hill.

Kris Elliott, owner of Evergreen Companies Inc., is weighing his in ll development options for the nearly 1-acre parcel at 241 State St. SE, which features a vacant medical o ce and adjacent surface parking lots. e vacant three-story, mid-century modern o ce building recently housed a Trinity Health administrative o ce.

“ e building is in a sea of asphalt, it looks like it needs to be warmed up over there,” Elliott said. “ is is really the rst time it’s become available, and there’s not that much residential in that neighborhood. We’re hoping to get some positive feedback from the historic commission so we can decide if we can proceed.”

Conceptual site plans call for converting part of the triangular property surrounded by State Street, Washington Street and Lafayette Avenue into a “residential rental enclave,” Elliott said. e former medical o ce could be repurposed as market-rate apartments or lofts, while two mixed-use buildings could be constructed on the surface parking lots on both sides of the existing building, per Elliott’s plan.