A Michigan developer is proposing a mixed-use development of 54 houses and retail space on 25 acres at Haglund Road and Indiana 149 in Burns Harbor.

The Sloane Avenue Group and Redstone Group, a joint venture, have offered $25,000 to the town of Burns Harbor for the land.

As part of the agreement, the developers would assume all costs of building the roads, sewers and utilities, along with soil analysis and wetland mitigation.

There would also be 8,000 square feet of retail space built on the north end of the property.

The developer from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the only one to respond to a Request for Offer advertisement from the town of Burns Harbor.The Burns Harbor Redevelopment Commission opened the bid at its June 18 meeting. The commission could announce at its July 9 meeting whether they will accept or reject the offer.

Councilwoman Roseann Bozak, who is chair of the commission, denied a public records request from The Post-Tribune at the June 18 meeting to release details of the proposal. She cited that the offer needed to be reviewed first by legal counsel.

Burns Harbor Town Attorney Clay Patton publicly released the details of the offer from Sloane Avenue Group and Redstone Group last week.

The developers stated that they are trying to maintain the affordability of homes on the site, which explains the $1,000 per acre offer for the 25 acres.

The town in 2018 originally purchased 28 acres at Haglund Road and Indiana 149 for $250,000 from the Duneland School Corporation.

“We are asking the Redevelopment Commission to incentivize development via a reduced purchase price,” the offer states.

“It is essential for the end-numbers to work, and given high interest rates and elevated construction costs, a low land basis will allow us to stay focused on providing high quality homes at an approachable price.”

The offer doesn’t reveal what the potential costs would be for the roads, sewers, utilities and other amenities.

In 2023, Burns Harbor had to decline a $960,000 state grant from the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, which would have paid for underground utilities.

The reason for rejecting the grant was that Holladay Properties in 2023 withdrew from a $32 million partnership with the town to develop the property. That project would have been anchored by a new Burns Harbor Town Hall and community center alongside apartments, townhouses and retail space.

Tina Rongers, the town’s consultant, has said that this time around, “The project will be developer-driven as opposed to a public-private partnership.” She said she didn’t have an estimate on what the proposed infrastructure costs would be if they were all covered by Sloane Avenue Group and Redstone Group.

Sloane Avenue Group and Redstone Group state in the proposal that the joint venture has experience developing mixed-use projects in the region.

Tryon Meadow is a proposed 218-unit community on 39 acres within a short driving distance to downtown Michigan City that includes single-family homes, townhomes and low-rise rental buildings.

The developer also has a proposal for 160 single-family homes on 35 acres of land in LaPorte. The Hunter Woods subdivision would be located near the $1 billion Microsoft data center that is going to be built there.

In Burns Harbor, the plan calls for a community of 54 single-family homes to be built south of the Marquette Greenway, which runs diagonally from the southwest to the northeast through the property.

“Our site plan concept is designed to create a tight-knit smaller community within the greater Burns Harbor community,” the plan states.

Lennar Homes would be contracted to build the houses on lots, which would be 45 feet wide and 120 feet long. The housing development would be accessed from two entrances off Haglund Road.

“These lot sizes strike a balance between density and affordability, as well as promote walkability in the neighborhood as wider lot sizes, in our opinion, isolate residents from one another,” the plan states.

The 8,000 square feet of retail space would be north of the Marquette Greenway and have 80 parking spaces.

It is envisioned that the businesses would serve local residents and tourists. When the Marquette Greenway is finished, it will stretch from Chicago to New Buffalo, Michigan, and is expected to become a tourist attraction, along with the state and national parks.

North of the trail, there would still be 10 acres of open green space. The town also still owns an adjoining 4 acres, which could be the site of a future town building.

Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.