Developers say the Grandview Marquette Apartments, at the corner of Altamont and Fisher streets in Marquette, is on track for completion by mid-November. The 1915 building, which for years was operated as the Holy Family Orphanage, is being redeveloped into affordable housing units. (Journal photo by Corey Kelly)

MARQUETTE — The new Grandview Marquette Apartments, offering affordable rental housing for working families near downtown, is set to open for occupancy by mid-November and applications for leases are currently being accepted.

The former Holy Family Orphanage, located at 600 Altamont St. in Marquette, will offer 56 units of rental housing, located near the services and employment opportunities in Marquette’s growing downtown, according to a press release.

The Grandview expects to open its doors on Nov. 15, officials said.

The residential complex will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Rents for a one-bedroom apartment range from $301 to $642 per month, depending on household income. Two-bedroom units rent from $356 to $766 per month, and three-bedroom rents range from $406 to $879 per month. Rents include heat, central air conditioning, water/sewer, water heating and trash collection. Only household electric service is not included in the rent. Tenants will have the option of purchasing cable TV, phone and internet services and rental of additional storage areas.

Household income limits for residents vary by family size. A single tenant may have an income of up to $25,500, or a two-person household may earn up to $29,100. Families of four or five may have incomes of $36,360 and $39,300, respectively.

“We are pleased to be able to offer this affordable housing option in downtown Marquette,” Amy Lerlie, executive director of Community Action Alger Marquette, said in a news release. “The fact that we are able to include the cost of utilities in the rents means that we can ensure that a home at the Grandview will be affordable for decades to come. We know that there are a lot of persons working in the downtown area with incomes in the range of $12 to $17 per hour that will be able to take advantage of an opportunity for affordable family housing in downtown Marquette.”

The Grandview Marquette is being developed through a unique partnership between CAAM and Home Renewal Systems of Farmington Hills. After restoration work extending over 15 months, construction is nearing completion.

“We’re pleased to take part in this effort, and we can’t wait for the community to see the finished product,” Lerlie said.

CAAM is leading the marketing and leasing efforts for the property, and will lead the day-to-day operations once opened. Applications are currently being accepted.

Renovation of the property began in August 2016, and has consisted of environmental abatement, a rebuild of the interior and exterior, and preservation and re-creation of much of the historic architectural design, including the original chapel inside, which developers said will be used as a public space.

The former orphanage building was constructed in 1915 and has sat vacant since 1981.

Home Renewal Systems closed on the purchase of the building in June 2016 from Las Vegas-based Meranto Living Trust, which held the mortgage since 2011 when the property was foreclosed on from previous owners.

Developers received state approval for low-income housing tax credits in July 2015 totaling $1.4 million annually for the next 10 years to help finance the roughly $16 million project. Developers also secured historic rehabilitation tax credits by having the structure placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For information on leasing an apartment at the Grandview, call Community Action Alger Marquette at 906-228-6522.