New Plymouth Apartment Proposal Aims To Address ‘Missing Middle’ Housing
Developers are hoping to transform a corner of Plymouth that some say is “antiquated” and “functionally obsolete.”
That site is the Plymouth Plaza commercial center located at the southwest corner of County Road 6 and County Road 101.
The center currently contains a family medical clinic, a dentist office and the Original Pancake House restaurant.
A portion of an existing building, some of which has been vacant for years, would be demolished. In its place, developers are proposing a four-story, 200-unit apartment building. A retail building between 11,400 and 14,000 square feet in size and a 1,400-square-foot drive-through building is also part of an initial sketch plan.
“We’re very excited about this site,” said Matt Mithun with Mithun Cos., one of the developers behind the project. “We think we could have a project that complements the neighborhood.”
The developers, which also includes Marco McLane Development, believe it would help address Plymouth’s “missing middle” housing stock.
“This would be an ideal opportunity to look at some missing middle opportunities across the projects,” said Joe Marco with Marco McLane Development. “So that teachers, firefighters, nurses, recent graduates, folks that are selling their homes who want to maintain a presence in the community, but aren’t ready to go into that next stage of density living, have an opportunity to rent something here.”
The apartments are proposed to be a mix of sizes, including larger units to serve families. Developers are proposing 303 underground parking spaces and 41 surface parking stalls for the building.
Rendering of Plymouth Plaza redevelopment project.
At its meeting Tuesday, Plymouth City Council members agreed that more workforce housing is needed.
“To me this is a perfect location for it right along a bus route,” said Plymouth City Council Member Kim Nelson.
The project would relocate the existing medical clinic and dentist office to a newly constructed building on the northeast corner of the site.
Original Pancake House and a Dollar Tree store would remain with exterior improvements proposed. Great Clips and Oakwood Pet Clinic would also stay.
Mithun described the site as a “little bit antiquated.”
“We believe this project will match modern-day taste and demand,” said Mithun.
The project would require a traffic study and multiple city approvals in the future. Tuesday’s meeting allowed council members to give feedback on the project.
Related: New 200-Unit Apartment Complex Considered in Plymouth
