JACKSON, Mich. — The Jackson City Council unanimously advanced four street reconstruction projects Tuesday, approved a ban on virtual currency kiosks and moved several housing and development proposals forward during a meeting dominated by infrastructure, recovery services and concerns about a shuttered child care center.
The council declared projects on Elm Street, Page Avenue, Morrell Street and Washington Avenue necessary and ordered preparation of special-assessment rolls. The votes do not authorize construction by themselves.
“This is just part of the process as we go through the process to get to street construction,” a city engineer told the council. Staff will prepare plans, seek bids and return with proposed assessments and final costs.
City staff said the Elm, Page and East Washington work is part of the federally supported East Side Commerce Corridor, a route connecting the highway and Michigan Center area with downtown. Morrell Street is planned in phases, with Brown Street to Bowen Street targeted for 2027 and Bowen Street to West Avenue for 2028.
“I think that Morrell does need to be fixed. It is in very poor condition,” resident Ian Daniels said, questioning why the entire road could not be rebuilt at once and raising concerns about truck traffic.
The city engineer said available grant money requires the phased approach. “We’re going to hit it all, but unfortunately, the way the funding works, we can’t hit it all at once,” he said, adding that restricting trucks could jeopardize the road’s eligibility for federal funding.
Officials also said special assessments are capped at the lesser of $15,000 or 25% of a property’s state equalized value, with prior assessments counted toward that ceiling. The federally funded Washington Avenue project is expected to go through a Michigan Department of Transportation letting in December or January, with an assessment roll returning to the council in February or March and construction beginning early next year.
In other action, the council unanimously gave final approval to an ordinance prohibiting the installation and operation of virtual currency kiosks in the city. It also approved two public works vehicle purchases: a Freightliner dump and plow truck package for $228,494 and a 2026 Ford F-550 hook-lift truck package for $140,584. Staff said much of the city’s work-truck fleet is about 20 years old.
The council unanimously accepted the return of a home at 402 E. Trail St. to a city housing program after its current owner decided homeownership was not the right fit. Staff said the property will be cleaned and repaired, then offered again under the same application process. Council members urged broader outreach after staff said the previous applicant pool was small.
Council members also unanimously approved the first reading of a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes ordinance and related development agreement for an 81-unit rehabilitation at King Community Homes. Later, they approved the sale of city-owned land at 221 W. Louis Glick Highway for a proposed 15-unit townhome project. Plans call for 12 units aimed at households earning 120% of area median income and three units at 60% of area median income.
The townhome proposal prompted questions about downtown parking and the unfinished Hayes Hotel redevelopment. The developer said a 34-space garage concept would cost nearly $50,000 per space and argued housing was a better use of the site, while supporting a larger parking structure assembled from multiple parcels. City officials said a downtown parking report is forthcoming. They also reported that selective demolition and environmental work at the Hayes Hotel was restarting, with an initial phase expected to include three short-term-rental apartments, commercial space, a restaurant and esports venue, and coworking space.
Earlier, organizations receiving substance-use-disorder grant money updated the council on their work. Home of New Vision said its Jackson recovery housing served 15 people during the quarter, with the women’s house at 75% occupancy and the men’s house full. The organization is also preparing an outpatient clinic for mental health and substance-use treatment.
“We’re just looking to keep them in a stable environment so they can regrow and build the connections they need to make their next steps,” Jackson services director Brooke Cross said.
The Welcome Home Organization said combined grant and donor support helped it reach more than 190 young people through bowling, golf, science, technology, engineering, arts and math activities, internships, mentoring and workforce development. “The youth want more for themselves,” a Welcome Home representative said. “They are ready to grow. They are ready to achieve.”
Welcome Home representatives and several public speakers also asked the city for clarity and assistance after an electrical issue closed the building housing GYMS of Jackson Childcare and Education Center on Sept. 11. Speakers said the closure affected more than 70 families and about 20 employees. A representative speaking for the center said it supports addressing legitimate safety concerns but needs clearer documentation of the problems and steps required to reopen. “We are not asking to avoid accountability,” she said. “We are asking for communication, transparency, due process and the opportunity to correct legitimate concerns.”
