The Allen Place Project envisions the conversion of the current complex into Allen Place, a comprehensive community space that will provide 21 units of age-friendly, mixed-income housing along with commercial space, integrative services and programming.
Below you can join us in the journey of creating Allen Place.
January 2021
In January we focused on exterior site work and started building out what will become the Accelerator Kitchen, utilized by graduates of our Incubator Kitchen Program.
February 2021
A transformative month for our development; as February draws to a close, our Accelerator Kitchen was brought to an open! It is now ready for four eager Incubator Kitchen graduates (Mr. Leslie’s Cheesecake; Smoothie Queen; Tantay; and another tbd.). We are looking forward to hosting a truly grand opening, but for now, you can enjoy a virtual 360° before-and-after tour created by Ryan Roosa with RIV-360. Check it out here!
March 2021
The new Wash-Pack kitchen is in progress, pictured below, which will be the new home of our Veggie Box program, a multi-farm CSA. The Accelerator Kitchen has been thriving since mid-March with Smoothie Queen, Tantay, and Mr. Leslie’s Cheesecakes.
April 2021
We continued work on what will become the Prep and Pack Kitchen, Nourished by AF Group. This will house our fast-growing Veggie Box Program.
May 2021
Get a 360 view of the Allen Place development here!
Created by Ryan Roosa.
This month involved a focus on our new 3-story building with its footprint of 10,000 square feet. It will feature 21 apartments on the top two floors. On the ground floor will be an Ingham County Health Center and EFLCO Consignment Grocery.
Ingham County Health Department Ingham Community Health Centers Executive Director, Kris Drake, stopped by yesterday for a tour of the future clinic at Allen Neighborhood Center's Allen Place.
June 2021
Thank you, Ryan Roosa, for these stunning drone photographs of the Allen Place development coming to fruition!
July 2021
July was a busy month! We continued work on the new build, tuckpointed the brickwork on the current building, and, with great excitement, opened the new Prep and Pack Kitchen, Nourished by AF Group.
Congratulations to ELFCO for their successful fundraiser, which received $100,000.00 towards their re-opening!
Windows installed on the Allen Place apartments.
Tuckpointing the brickwork on the front of Allen Neighborhood Center.
Veggie Box is at home in the new Prep and Pack Kitchen, Nourished by AF Group.
Noted clay artist Doug DeLind's beautiful new piece, found in the "Prep and Pack Kitchen, Nourished by AF Group."
August 2021
In the heat of August, we continued work on the front facade of the old building and worked inside the apartments of the new build. Every day brought plumbers, electricians, brickies, mep folks and more!
Lovely brick finish to the southeast corner of the complex!
Plumbing, electric, and mini-splits in the AP Apartments
Installing new brick on the 3-story and tuckpointing old brick on the old building
September 2021
By the start of September, we had CMU block placed, primed and ready to receive a gorgeous Farm-to-Neighborhood- themed Mural, a creation of artist Brian Whitfield (pictured on the lift in front of his canvas).
We also started placing siding on the second and third floor exterior of the new build--having completed the brickwork on the first floor in August.
And so it begins—the Mural, that is. Stroll by the east wall of the Allen Place complex regularly over the next six weeks to see the Farm-to-Neighborhood themed mural by Brian Whitfield emerge!
Mural —familiar sights emerge!
Mural progress: Houses!
Siding going up on E. Kalamazoo (south face of the complex!)
People!
Swapping out old windows and measuring for new, arriving in October.
Siding started on west elevation.
Siding completed on south elevation.
October 2021
View of famous Eastside tree cover and sky from one of our 3rd floor apartment windows. The large windows, along with 9 ft. ceilings give our apartments a spacious feel!
You can see how the Allen Neighborhood Apartments are getting closer to becoming functional spaces.
November 2021
Allen Place invites you to look at the newly, furnished living room. The living room shown on the left is about 234 square feet. You can maximize your space on luxury, vinyl flooring. Then, on a cold day you can relax in the living room heated by the Geo Thermal air unit.