Cooley School, vacant since 2010, with scaffolding as masonry, window and roof work moves forward for conversion to apartments.
Cadillac, Michigan, August 31, 2025
The Cadillac City Council will consider a staff recommendation to hire Pinnacle Construction Group as construction manager for Blight Elimination Program (BEP)–funded work on the long‑vacant Cooley School. The $676,127 BEP grant will cover masonry, window and roof scopes that protect the building’s structure as it is converted into 23 apartments, at least 12 of which will be reserved for households at or below 120% AMI. City staff recommend Pinnacle as the single manager for BEP scopes with no mark‑up; Garrett Family Community Partners will pay contractor invoices up front and be reimbursed after completion.
What’s happening now: The Cadillac City Council will consider a staff recommendation to hire Pinnacle Construction Group, Inc., of Grand Rapids, to serve as construction manager for parts of the Cooley School redevelopment that are paid for with federal Blight Elimination Program money. The council meets Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Cadillac Municipal Complex, 200 North Lake St.
Key funding and scope: The city secured a BEP grant of $676,127 through the State Land Bank Authority to pay for masonry repair, window removal/repair/replacement, and roof removal/replacement at the Cooley building. Those three work areas are the parts of the project that must be overseen directly to meet grant rules and reduce the city’s risk.
Project size and affordability: The overall plan calls for converting the long‑vacant Cooley School into 23 apartments, with at least 12 units reserved for income‑qualified households at 120 percent of area median income or less. The larger redevelopment has been described in planning documents as addressing local housing needs and the so‑called missing middle market.
City staff say federal grant rules require oversight and that hiring a construction manager for the BEP scopes is the way to meet those rules while minimizing risk. Pinnacle currently serves as overall construction manager for the Cooley project, and staff believe extending Pinnacle’s role specifically to the BEP work is the most efficient way to manage contracts and paperwork across the project.
Pinnacle’s proposed BEP contract would be performed with no mark‑up, meaning the grant dollars would be used on work and materials rather than management fees added on top. City documents show the city would incur no costs not fully covered by the BEP grant.
Under the arrangement outlined in council papers, contractor invoices will be paid up front by Garrett Family Community Partners, the not‑for‑profit purchaser/developer connected to DKD Development that has a purchase agreement with Cadillac Area Public Schools for the property. Pinnacle will collect and approve all invoices sent to Garrett and provide copies to the city. When BEP‑related construction activities are complete, the city will transfer the BEP grant funds to Garrett to reimburse those upfront payments.
City staff have recommended that the council waive competitive bidding and award the construction manager contract to Pinnacle for the BEP scopes. The council agenda includes that recommendation for consideration on Tuesday. The same council meeting may also move to set a public hearing on Sept. 15 about allowing short‑term rentals in the B‑3 district by special use permit.
The Cooley School building was constructed in 1923 and closed as a school in 2010. It has been vacant since. In 2022, a developer entity purchased the main school and annex. The project has been through rezoning and planning actions to allow multifamily housing, including creating an obsolete property rehabilitation district and a brownfield redevelopment plan designed to make state grant funding and tax‑increment tools available for environmental cleanup and redevelopment.
Public meetings in recent years included debate over the plan, with concerns raised about costs and neighborhood impacts while city leaders and developers framed the work as a way to save a historic building and add housing. Early plans mentioned an overall estimated project cost in the neighborhood of $4.7 million and noted the need for environmental assessment and asbestos abatement before work could proceed.
The council will consider the Pinnacle contract Tuesday at 6 p.m. If the contract is approved and grant conditions are met, the BEP‑funded scopes may move forward with Pinnacle overseeing the masonry, window and roof work. A public hearing on short‑term rental rules in the B‑3 district is scheduled for potential setting on Sept. 15.
Plenty of sunshine, high near 77 F, winds light and variable. Clear skies overnight with a low near 48 F. Forecast snapshot shows clear and warm conditions into the coming days.
For more information, email: clamphere@cadillacnews.com
The $676,127 BEP grant will cover masonry repairs, window removal/repair/replacement, and roof removal/replacement on the Cooley School building.
City staff recommend hiring Pinnacle Construction Group, Inc. as construction manager for the BEP scopes. Pinnacle is already the overall construction manager for the full redevelopment.
Contractor invoices will be paid up front by Garrett Family Community Partners. Pinnacle will compile and approve those invoices and provide copies to the city. After the BEP work is complete, the city will transfer the grant funds to reimburse Garrett.
The redevelopment plan calls for 23 apartments in total, with at least 12 units set aside for households at 120 percent of area median income or less.
The council will consider the contract at its regular meeting on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Cadillac Municipal Complex, 200 North Lake St.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project | Conversion of Cooley School into 23 apartments |
| BEP grant | $676,127 from the State Land Bank Authority for masonry, windows, roof |
| Affordable units | At least 12 units for households at ≤120% AMI |
| Construction manager | Pinnacle Construction Group, Inc. proposed to manage BEP scopes with no mark‑up |
| Invoice process | Garrett Family Community Partners pays invoices up front; city reimburses after BEP work is complete |
| City costs | City will incur no costs not 100% covered by the BEP grant under the proposed plan |
| Meeting | Council consideration Tuesday at 6 p.m., Cadillac Municipal Complex, 200 North Lake St. |
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