Developer to break ground next week on a $40 million housing project in Portage

PORTAGE -- A developer plans to break ground next week on a $40 million transitional housing development, which Portage officials say will alleviate the city’s extreme shortage of affordable workforce housing and grow its industrial tax base.

“In my opinion, this is a manufacturing and industrial base protection plan,” said Steve Sobiek, the city’s director of business development and planning. “People are working here, making really good money to support themselves and their families, but they can’t find decent affordable housing in Portage.”

“Protecting our manufacturing and industrial sectors (and building this development) is also going to stop taxes from going up and it could lower taxes, because this is a $40 million development — think about the taxes that will be paid from that alone,” said Sobiek...

   ...more