The city of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, faces a challenge: It doesn’t have nearly enough housing options for its residents.
The city, located in the northeastern part of the state, lacks both enough multifamily units and single-family homes for the number of people who want to buy or rent here. A new workforce housing project from Oppidan Investment Company is set to provide some relief to this tight housing market.
Oppidan in August broke ground on Mill + Miss, a 121,000-square-foot, 132-unit market-rate rental development in Grand Rapids. A public-private partnership between Oppidan and local government bodies made the financing work and the development possible.
Mill + Miss will offer modern apartments with amenities often found in more expensive rentals. The project will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Onsite amenities include heated and detached garage parking, a fitness center, game room, coffee bar, outdoor patio and grill area and walking paths.
The development also features a package delivery room — a must for today’s renters — two elevators and private balconies.
“This project is a testament to how strong partnerships between the private and public sector can deliver tangible solutions for growing communities,” said Dave Scott, Oppidan President, during the groundbreaking. “We’re proud to bring thoughtfully designed, high-quality rental housing to Grand Rapids and contribute to the area’s long-term vitality.”
Officials with Oppidan said that Mill + Miss is needed in a city in which housing options are so limited.
“Grand Rapids has experienced tremendous growth, both population growth and employment growth,” said Erik Martin, developer with Oppidan. “The vacancy rate for multifamily here is near zero, which means that they are out of available housing. We designed the project’s unit mix to accommodate a wide variety of residents. By offering smaller one-bedroom units all the way up to three-bedroom spaces, we can serve the entire community.”
Population growth should continue in Grand Rapids. In late May, Amazon announced plans to build a 41,000-square-foot delivery station in the city, bringing new jobs to the area. L&M Fleet earlier this year opened a 200,000-square-foot distribution center in Grand Rapids, also bringing new jobs to the area.
Building the kind of affordable housing that Mill + Miss will offer is no easy task for developers. Too often, the economics of such projects don’t work out. But Oppidan worked closely with the City of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Economic Development Authority, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency to tap into financial incentives.
“This was truly a perfect blend of public and private partnership with many entities,” said Shannon Rusk, senior vice president of development with Oppidan. “Our partners recognized the need for this housing. With the funding we received, we are able to match the rent that can be absorbed in this market. These public-private partnerships are a way to overcome the challenges of bringing workforce housing to any community.”
Martin said that Oppidan is grateful for the assistance of its public partners.
“Having a city and economic development authority that approaches a deal with creativity is important,” Martin said. “The goal of everyone involved was to bring this project to fruition.”
The city of Grand Rapids was already familiar with Oppidan’s work. Oppidan developed the Pillars of Grand Rapids, an assisted-living facility located near the site of Mill + Miss. Still it took three years from the first conversations that Oppidan officials had about this project to get to this year’s groundbreaking.
Rusk said that three years ago, the challenges in the capital markets combined with higher construction and labor costs put the project on hold. That’s why the recent groundbreaking was such a special event for both Oppidan and its public partners.
“This is going to be a great project for the city,” Rusk said. “There is a great sense of relief now that construction has started. The project will take shape quickly now.”
Rusk said that Oppidan plans for the first move-ins to Mill + Miss to take place in the first quarter of 2027.
The amenities offered by Mill + Miss will set this multifamily development apart from others.
“The amenities package with this project raises the bar for the area,” Martin said. “It’s adding brand-new Class-A amenities to a market that hasn’t had that introduced in a long time, especially when you look at features such as the expanded fitness center, the game and covered parking. When you compare it to some of the other older inventory in the market, this development will stand out.”
