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The old freighthouse in Depot Town in Ypsilanti.

(File photo | The Ann Arbor News)

As supporters of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse continue with plans to make improvements to the facility, a new fundraising campaign has been launched that could make a huge impact on the future of the site.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse (FYOF) announced a crowd-funding campaign this week that could bring $100,000 in funding to the freight house.

The MEDC has pledged to match a donation of $50,000 if fundraisers can raise $50,000 themselves by March 1.

"Crowd funding is a great way to bring stakeholders together to create vibrant public spaces that help bring new businesses, residents and visitors to the community," said MEDC Community Development Director Katharine Czarnecki in a press release. "We are pleased to partner with the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse to help create that kind of public space in Ypsilanti."

Although the goal for the project is to raise $50,000 so that it can be matched by the MEDC, any money pledged between now and March 1 will be collected and put toward restoration and improvement efforts.

Unlike other fundraising platforms like Go Fund Me and Kickstarter, if the goal is not reached in this case, supporters can count on getting some money for the restoration efforts.

"Projects like these can greatly help turn a good community into a great community," said Michigan Municipal League CEO and Executive Director Dan Gilmartin. "The League strongly advocates the importance of creating communities and places where people want to live, work and play. The effort at the Freighthouse contributes to that place-making goal in an up-and-coming area of Ypsilanti."

The campaign received help from Ypsilanti-based Visual Compass Web Design, which helped build and market the campaign and will promote it across various social media and web-based platforms going forward.

"The FOYF began this initiative and, with the help and support of Visual Compass Web Design, have finally been able to make this crowdsourcing campaign a reality," said Courtney Tavernit, FOYF board member and director of business development at Visual Compass Web Design. "We look forward to the opportunity of showcasing other local merchants and businesses to residents with the opening of the Freighthouse."

The fundraising campaign is already scheduled to receive a $10,000 donation from the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority which approved $35,000 in total contributions to the freight house efforts last month. The $10,000 donation will make up 20 percent of the $50,000 goal.

The YDDA had been considering a $35,000 contribution to the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse campaign to raise $300,000 to be used for repairs and upgrades to the facility. A decision on the contribution has been discussed since June, but last month it was finally approved.

During the discussion, Mayor Amanda Edmonds proposed an amendment that $10,000 of the contribution be put toward the campaign the MEDC was involved with, while the other $25,000 can go toward the original plan.

That amended proposal was approved unanimously by the YDDA.

Of the $300,000 in money needed for repairs, $220,000 was pledged by the city of Ypsilanti while $40,000 was raised through pledges the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse, the Eastern Leaders Group and Eastern Michigan University.

An estimated $300,000 is needed to address fire suppression, bathrooms and heating, ventilation and air conditioning issues that need to be fixed before the building can be occupied. Supporters of the freight house want to turn the historic building into a community events facility and hope it will be another draw for Depot Town.

Matt Durr covers Ypsilanti for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at mattdurr@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.