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Mott Foundation grants $3.5 million to Communities First to purchase and renovate two condemned buildings in downtown Flint

Flint Area

Restoring Community Vitality

The 641 Saginaw St. building (on the left) and the Paterson Building (on the right).
Communities First purchased and will renovate two condemned buildings on the same block. They are shown here on the left and right sides of a group of buildings. Photo: Cristina Wright

Flint, Michigan — The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation granted a total of $3.5 million to Communities First Inc. to help purchase and renovate two historic, condemned structures: the Paterson Building, located at 653 S. Saginaw St., and another building located at 641 S. Saginaw St.

The Paterson Building, once owned by William A. Paterson, first housed carriage and then automobile manufacturing. It was condemned in the spring of 2022 after part of its parapet, or roof’s edge, crumbled onto the sidewalk below. With a $3 million grant commitment from the Mott Foundation, Communities First purchased the building and will renovate it for office and commercial use, including relocating its own offices into the space.

Paterson Building as viewed from its Southwest corner.
The Paterson Building sits on the corner of South Saginaw and East 3rd streets. Photo: Cristina Wright

The project will begin with restoration of the building to make it safe. Improvements will include repairs and updates to the exterior brick, heating, fire suppression systems, windows, elevators, and ventilation and air conditioning. The interior space also will be renovated and finished to accommodate tenants.

“Communities First has a strong track record of acquiring and renovating old, abandoned buildings and bringing them back to life for new purposes,” said Ridgway White, president and CEO of the Mott Foundation. “It’s fitting that the organization will soon be able to call the historic Paterson Building home and open the doors for more businesses and organizations to move downtown.”

A view of the building at 641 Saginaw Street looking North from the sidewalk.
The condemned building at 641 S. Saginaw St. sits between Cork on Saginaw and Paul’s Pipe Shop. After renovated, the building will be safe and ready for new tenants. Photo: Cristina Wright

The structure at 641 S. Saginaw St. was built in 1890 and was once the Classic Tailor building. Situated immediately north of Paul’s Pipe Shop, the building sat vacant for several years. It was condemned earlier this year before it partially collapsed, falling into Brush Alley. Communities First purchased the building and will begin renovations in early 2024 with the help of a $500,000 grant from the Mott Foundation.

The renovation will prevent the loss of the building, which the city of Flint had planned to demolish. The first priority will be to restabilize the structure to make it safe and ready for new businesses. Improvements will include creating turnkey commercial space that can be used by local entrepreneurs and other commercial ventures.

The back of the building at 641 Saginaw St. building shows the corner of the building completely collapsed with brick rubble at the base of the building.
The building at 641 Saginaw St. was slated for demolition after it partially collapsed into Brush Alley earlier this year. Photo: Cristina Wright

“We are passionate about historic renovation because we know how important landmark buildings are to our community,” said Glenn Wilson, president and CEO of Communities First. “It’s really exciting to be able to save buildings from demolition and help them have a purpose again. We are especially excited to be a part of the Paterson Building’s legacy by moving our office here and look forward to the growth of our organization while being a part of Flint’s downtown revitalization.”

Communities First is working to formalize renovation plans with an expected completion date by the end of 2024.

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