The Alpena City Council is asking for public input on what to do with the property where Decorative Panels International used to operate.
We urge every Alpena resident to share their thoughts on the future of that important property, either by emailing members of the council (their email addresses can be found on the city’s website, alpena. mi.us) or by attending the December 6 p.m. town meeting. 2 meeting at City Hall, 208 N. 1st Ave. in the center of Alpena.
Council has considered amending the zoning to allow for mixed-use development (including some light industrial and perhaps residential) along Thunder Bay’s shores.
However, an attorney for DPI has threatened to take the city to court if it moves forward, saying the company believes the change would make it more difficult to sell the property. The company plans to auction the property next month with a starting bid of $1 million.
DPI closed in February and laid off more than 150 employees.
Since then, the hulking factory has sat empty on what some in the city consider prime real estate that could open the waterfront to more development, including potentially much-needed housing.
But is the initiative to open up that development worth the threat of a lawsuit?
What would have a greater economic impact on the city: a new factory or a mixed-use development? What would create more sustainable jobs? Which one is likely to attract more tourists (and their wallets) to the region?
DPI was an important employer in the city for many years and part of its identity.
What happens on the ground could change the direction of the city for many years to come.
So the municipality needs to hear from as many people as possible to get an idea of what residents want to see happen on those plots of land.
We urge every reader to share his or her thoughts.
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