SAGINAW, MI — A group of historic buildings on a central downtown intersection in Saginaw were slated for demolition just months ago.

Now, Saginaw native

David Strouse, an executive for CBS Television, says he has a plan to save and develop several of the buildings, located on the southeast corner of Washington and Genesee avenues.

Strouse and architect John Meyer came before the city's Downtown Development Authority at its Tuesday, Sept. 24, meeting with the proposal for a multimillion dollar development that involves buying the publicly-owned buildings.

"It's going to be very exciting," Meyer said.

The authority, in an 11-1 vote, entered into a development and purchasing agreement with Strouse, Meyer and their designer, Marcelo Goncalves. Though the agreement itself and purchase price has yet to be developed, Meyer said preliminary plans to develop four buildings on the corner are drafted.

The majority of the plan consists of 28 "market-rate" apartments on the second through fourth floors, he said.

"They'll be nice, cool, loft-type apartments," Meyer said.

He said the first floors will likely play host to about four commercial units.

Meyer said early plans for building a

boutique

hotel or restaurant space inside the buildings were nixed based on the financing terms that are being explored.

The buildings being considered for development are:

Strouse said he was inspired to explore the idea of a development in downtown Saginaw after reading about the plans to demolish the buildings.

"I was driving down the street and drove past the intersection," he said. "I called my good friend, John Meyer, and said, 'John, we have a building to save.'"

Strouse said he is hopeful about the future of Saginaw.

"It's a diamond in the rough," he said. "We're polishing one facet at a time."



Two of the buildings on the original demolition list — the former Shack's Lounge II at 108 S. Washington and the former site of Lanny Land at 110 S. Washington — are included in Strouse's project, but are still set for demolition later this year.

DDA Director Beth Ernat said the empty lots will be used by the developer as parking space.

Meyer said negotiations are still ongoing with the owner of the Baz Groceries

building

at 204 E. Genesee, though the plan is for it to be part of the complete development.

DDA Member Abraham Allen was the lone vote against moving forward with the agreement with Strouse. Allen was not available for comment after the meeting Tuesday.

Strouse said that, if all goes well, he hopes to be breaking ground on the project by the summer of 2014.

This is not Strouse's first foray into development projects in his hometown.

Most recently, he unveiled the completed Hamilton Street Apartment building, in which loft-style apartments are now offered in Saginaw's Old Town district.

In 2012, a different

at the intersection of Washington and Genesee.

That project is ongoing. The developer said Eddy Place should be ready for tenants to move in late this year, while Bancroft House likely will not be completed until sometime in 2014.

Mark Tower covers local government for MLive/The Saginaw News. Contact him at 989-284-4807, by email at mtower@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.