Commongrounds Real Estate Cooperative will celebrate its groundbreaking on December 1 at 7 p.m. The organization will live-stream the event on Facebook, marking the start of construction on the four-story, mixed-use real estate cooperative on Eighth Street in Traverse City.

Commongrounds will stream a video with anchor tenants Higher Grounds, Iron Fish Distillery, Commonplace, Crosshatch Center for the Arts, Chef Tony Vu and Wildflower Schools. The video will also include members of the Commongrounds team and representatives of some of the organizations and people that have helped get the project started. The event will also include live streaming of onsite groundbreaking with a few key funders and supporters and a live virtual performance by May Erlewine.

The groundbreaking is the culmination of several years of work from the Commongrounds team and the support of a group of funders: Coastal States Bank and the United States Department of Agriculture, IFF, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Grand Traverse Brownfield Development Authority and more than 500 community owners who together invested over $1.4 million to make the project possible.

“This project has reached this point only thanks to the dedicated support of so many people—we so regret that the times prevent us from having a big party where we can all celebrate in person. We hope that we can do that for the building opening! Until then, we are having a limited outdoor “Groundbeaking” event—that is, limited in numbers but not enthusiasm!” says Kate Redman, Commongrounds Project Director.

Commongrounds will provide continuous updates of construction on its website, including a live video of the project site during construction and regular updates on how construction will affect the bike and pedestrian lanes in front of the project. Construction is projected to be completed in March 2022.

Commongrounds invites all community members interested in joining Commongrounds to learn more at commongrounds.coop/join.

Photo(s) by Commongrounds