Plans for a mixed-use development next to the Meijer store in Acme Township may finally be moving forward. The 157-acre “Village at Grand Traverse” has been beset with problems since it was built by Acme Township.
In 2014, a plume of silt runoff from the site ran into Grand Traverse Bay.
That incident prompted an investigation by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, which discovered the township built the sewer system without a permit.
The township paid a $2,500 fine earlier this year, and Supervisor Jay Zollinger says improvements to the sewer system have recently been completed. He expects development of the land to begin soon.
“Of course, Meijer was the first commercial [development],” says Zollinger. “We haven’t seen any residential yet. Maybe that will be the next component but there will be a mix of that.”
The land is now owned by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. The tribe is waiting for approval from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to move forward with development plans. Tribal officials say they are still waiting for that approval.