New Baltimore, Michigan Makes Changes To Sell City Owned Property.

New Baltimore residents approved changing the city charter Section 11.3 in hopes to further expedite the resurgence of downtown New Baltimore. The original charter, last updated in 1973, forced city officials to use only local newspaper postings to advertise property. The city was also required to pay for costly appraisals prior to placing a city owned parcel for sale.

With the approved changes, New Baltimore will now have the ability to advertise their properties online and through listing the property for sale by a licensed real estate broker. The city will also no longer be required to purchase multiple appraisals prior to listing a property for sale, which will save the city money.

New Baltimore’s prime piece of real estate expected to hit the open market using the new city charter is most likely the six parcels between Main and Front streets. Multiple developers have submitted proposals to build retail, residential units, office space and a waterfront restaurant. This full block of downtown real estate is in a prime location and getting it right could set New Baltimore apart from all of Metro Detroit for generations. More ideas from interested developers should benefit the city by adding value and bringing fresh concepts on how to develop the land, to the table. After all, enhancing New Baltimore’s waterfront and downtown business district while keeping the small town feel and charm is no small task!

What does this all mean for the City of New Baltimore? The city continues to pursue ideas that could remake the downtown landscape. New businesses open up every year and more people come downtown to shop, visit our waterfront park and just walk the downtown streets. Further developing the city’s downtown properties could lead to increased foot traffic and a more viable downtown atmosphere for our small businesses.