Could Revamped Mobile Home Park Provide Affordable Housing Hope?

George Cochran says while others are talking about affordable housing, he “decided it was time to actually do something about it.” Cochran and partner Turner Booth have purchased the former Cherryland Mobile Home Park on Garfield Ave., and proceeded to evict several problem tenants, bulldoze or remove a half dozen shabby units, rename the development Garfield Oaks— and are now selling newly built mobile homes starting around $50,000. 

Cochran and Booth purchased Cherryland this spring with an eye toward rehabbing the 53-concrete pad facility just south of South Airport Road. Cochran and investors had already purchased Traverse City's former Holiday Inn [now West Bay Beach] in late 2018 and, soon after taking over ownership, discovered that seasonal staffing and housing are closely linked, particularly for foreign workers who need housing during their summer stays. The vision was to turn the deteriorating Cherryland Mobile Home park into a clean, affordable place to house West Bay Beach hotel staff a few short miles away.

But amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, after the Trump administration closed most seasonal foreign worker programs, Cochran sees additional opportunity at Garfield Oaks.

“This is really for those earning $15-$20 per hour who can own a new home and, even with the monthly pad rental fee, still pay maybe $1,000 total per month, about as much or less than they’re paying to rent a place now,” says Cochran. He also believes other area employers might choose to buy mobile homes in the park and then rent them to their own employees at a discounted rate as a benefit. 

“As a business owner myself, I know first hand how frustrating it can be for workers to have to drive so far away to find something they can afford,” he tells The Ticker. 

Thus far, Garfield Oaks is in what appears to be the middle of a transition: Cochran reports he has removed 8-10 units that were in disrepair, evicted a handful of “bad actors,” redone landscaping and utilities, and installed three new mobile homes on the property; many empty spaces remain, one unit is in the process of being demolished, and others are occupied and in fair condition. 

Garfield Township has recently honed in on the need for more affordable housing, enacting a new Barlow Garfield Neighborhood Plan that prioritizes redevelopment of underutilized properties around the Cherryland Center shopping mall. A recent study notes the area needs more housing, particularly affordable housing and “smaller, attached housing units, especially for young singles or retired people.” Only 26.2 percent of land in the Barlow-Garfield corridor is being used for residential housing right now; 34.1 percent is commercial, 29.7 percent is industrial, 1.6 percent is office, and 8.2 percent is vacant. 

Of the revamped Garfield Oaks, Garfield Township Supervisor Chuck Korn, says, "Whatever happens there has got to be better than what was there. It looks a lot better already. And if there’s some local ownership of some of the units by local businesses, that would help too."

If Cochran has his way, Garfield Oaks is just the beginning. He and Booth created a parent company, Manitou Communities, to own and operate mobile home parks. Manitou's made a second acquisition in September” The former Crystal Lake Mobile Home Park in Benzonia has been rebranded Oaks at Crystal Lake, and includes 47 concrete pads. A Manitou Communities statement notes the company "is in the early stages of their mission to provide much-needed housing inventory throughout Michigan. Plans for communities in Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Antrim, and Kalkaska are all underway.” 

Cochran adds, “We’re beginning with our focus right here in the northern Michigan region and will then expand throughout the state.”

The combination of Garfield Oaks and Oaks at Crystal Lake means Manitou owns 100 total home sites; the company says its goal is to manage 500 sites by the end of 2021. Manitou has partnered with manufactured home builder Champion Home Builders, a division of Troy-based Syline Champion, the nation’s largest independent factory-built housing company, to build and deliver the homes. 

Manitou’s web site lists several home size options and prices. A one-bedroom, 832 square-foot unit at Garfield Oaks is listed for $69,500 with a monthly pad rental fee of $430. A three-bedroom/two bath, 1,120 square-foot unit is listed for $79,500 plus monthly pad rental. All units are fully finished with gas range, refrigerator, garbage disposal, and plumbing/wiring for washer/dryer.