Ypsilanti City Council Tuesday night voted 4-3 to approve a purchase agreement for the Water Street Flats affordable housing proposal.
Mayor Paul Schreiber, Mayor Pro Tem Lois Richardson and council members Brian Robb and Pete Murdock voted in favor of the agreement. Council members Susan Moeller, Daniel Vogt and Ricky Jefferson voted "no".
The vote came after 20 people spoke on the subject. None of them said they supported Water Street Flats, while 13 were opposed and the rest were ambivalent.
The city will sell a parcel of land the size of which has been revised down from 3.14 acres to 1.7 acres for $157,000. Developer Herman & Kittle Properties, Inc. will build an apartment building with between 80 and 90 units on the southern edge of the Water Street Redevelopment area.
Herman & Kittle, Inc. will apply next month for state housing credits to help finance construction. If the application for credits is denied, the project will not go forward. A decision on the application is expected in July.