County real estate remains a focus for Grand Traverse County commissioners as the board Wednesday approved a lease for a new home for MSU Extension and refined design decisions for Project Alpha, the planned expansion of the county's LaFranier Road campus. Commissioners also heard an update from county Parks and Facilities Director John Chase about Camp Greilick, which he said could open for hiking and disc golf in two weeks.
Commissioners unanimously approved a three-year lease for MSU Extension — a Grand Traverse County partner agency — to move into the former TCAPS administration building on Webster Street across from the Governmental Center. The Traverse City Fire Department plans to expand into the city-owned building on West Front Street where MSU-E is currently located. To do this, the organization must move out by the end of 2026. MSU Extension Regional Director Jennifer Berkey told district commissioners that staff conducted a “very intensive process” to explore numerous possible locations for a new home, from private offices to the basement of the Government Center.
According to Berkey, most of these options were not feasible due to cost and space constraints. But the transformation of the TCAPS building into a mixed-use project with residential and office space presented MSU-E with the opportunity to share middle-floor commercial space with Ford Insurance Agency. Under lease terms approved Wednesday by commissioners with Ford — which operates under Undaunted Courage LLC for the project — the county's rent is $4,500 per month, with options to renew and a 3 percent annual increase. Plus taxes and association fees, the agreement is expected to total $248,625 over three years.
Berkey said Wednesday the agreement offers “the most cost-effective option that gives us the space we need as an office team,” adding that Ford will be “good roommates” for MSU-E. Although MSU-E has the flexibility to remain on West Front Street until next December, Berkey indicated the organization could move sooner in 2026, assuming completion of Webster Street remains on track.
Commission Vice Chairman TJ Andrews said MSU's move highlights the need for the county to complete its assessment of county buildings and figure out where various departments should go long-term, and said it would be ideal for MSU-E to eventually be housed under the county's own umbrella. The county and city are entering into a joint venture to evaluate the future of their shared buildings, such as the government center, while the county plans to build a new prison and criminal justice complex. This process examines county departments as a whole and makes recommendations on where they should go.
One target for at least some departments could be the county's LaFranier Road campus. A campus expansion called “Project Alpha” is scheduled to break ground in spring 2026, adding a proposed new combined emergency operations and 911/Central Dispatch Center (pictured, shown), as well as a central storage facility for multiple district departments. After receiving an updated budget estimate of $26.2 million to $27.6 million in late October, commissioners will begin making final design decisions that will allow construction documents to be completed and the project to be put out to bid.
Several of these decisions relate to green energy infrastructure and other issues that would increase project costs. Commissioners voted Wednesday in a split decision to eliminate green roofs on both new buildings because several commissioners saw no return on investment for including them. Commissioners are also interested in installing solar panels on roofs; Green roofs would take up space that could be used by these facilities. Commissioners asked project manager Cunningham-Limp to provide more information in a month on solar rebates and incentives, expected energy output from the facilities and electricity generation rates to make a final decision on solar energy deployment. Installing solar panels in both buildings could cost $1 million to $1.3 million, although Cunningham-Limp said that cost could be recouped through energy savings over time.
Commissioners also asked Cunningham-Limp the next month about ways to potentially capture and recycle rainwater or gray water on the property to use for irrigation. Such a system could be an alternative to installing a new well for irrigation, the cost of which is estimated at $25,000 to $30,000. Cunningham-Limp estimates these costs could likely be repaid in a decade due to annual irrigation savings. However, the well could not irrigate the entire LaFranier campus, only the Project Alpha expansion area.
On Wednesday, commissioners also heard an update on the DTE gas lines running through the property, which presented a design challenge because one of the lines is not allowed to have static loads – such as a proposed parking lot. A DTE representative said the company is exploring options to protect or improve that line and is committed to being a “key” financing partner to the county to complete the upgrades.
Finally, commissioners heard an update Wednesday on another county property: Camp Greilick, the newest county park. County Parks and Facilities Director John Chase discussed with commissioners the park's 2025-26 operations and management plan, including a proposal discussed Tuesday by East Bay Township officials to locate the North Sky Raptor Sanctuary in the park. Chase said the county plan focuses on three key areas for Camp Greilick: programming, park facilities and facility use. The county has developed different standards for “community-oriented” rentals in the park, or those that are open to the public or would benefit the community, compared to private rentals of space, Chase said. Private rentals have a maximum limit of 50 people, shorter booking windows and higher prices. Chase said there are also restrictions on increased music and alcohol consumption in the park.
Describing the “significant effort” that went into preparing Camp Greilick for the public – including hundreds of volunteer hours of cleanup and clearing away – Chase said the goal is to open the park to hiking and disc golf in about two weeks.