GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — The long-awaited renovation of the Grand Haven jewelry building has hit another roadblock after city council members discovered the developer has been delinquent on property taxes while simultaneously requesting a 12-year tax exemption.
At Monday night's city council meeting, council members claimed the developer was late on his property taxes in 2023 and 2024, and say he still owes the city $22,410.88 for 2025. Council members rejected the developer's request for an Obsolete Property Act Exemption Certificate due to the tax payment issues.
WATCH: Grand Haven Jewelry building renovation 'probably not' moving forward
The long-awaited renovation of the Grand Haven jewelry building has hit another roadblock after city council members discovered the developer was delinquent on property taxes while simultaneously requesting a 12-year tax exemption.
At Monday night's council meeting, members said the developer was late on his property taxes in 2023 and 2024 and still owes the city $22,410.88 for 2025. Council members rejected the developer's request for an Obsolete Property Act Exemption Certificate because of the tax payment issues.
Mayor Bob Monetza said he was surprised to learn the news.
"Should we have known sooner? Well, you know, it's never come up before. We've never had someone so bold as to ask for a tax abatement when they haven't been paying their taxes anyway," Mayor Monetza said.
In August, the developer, Kyle Doyon of Coast Life Companies, announced plans to renovate the building. The plan included adding seven residential units to the upper floor, with three set aside for affordable housing. Under the plan, the project would be funded through a combination of state grants, bank loans and cash from the developer.
The Obsolete Property Act Exemption Certificate Doyon sought would have exempted him from paying property taxes for 12 years, a tax break worth $232,312 over that period.
The renovation project already has faced criticism from both council members and residents, who have raised concerns about the amount of state incentives needed and the plan to include affordable housing units.
Commissioner Karen Lowe, who has voiced skepticism about the project in the past, called out the developer for being late on his taxes and blamed him for the lack of progress on the property.
"Part of the reason this is an obsolete property is because of the developer," Lowe said.
Doyon has owned the property since 2019 and said roadblocks from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation have slowed the project.
Councilman Kevin McLaughlin uncovered the tax discrepancy and expressed disappointment with his findings.
"I did vote at the last meeting to move it to the next step, then I found out about the back taxes and that kind of put me over the edge," McLaughlin admitted.
Despite the setback, McLaughlin indicated the project isn't necessarily dead. He said he remains willing to work with the developer, though next steps depend on Doyon's willingness to address the issues.
"I think there are ways it can be solved; it's just a matter of whether or not the developer is willing to do it," McLaughlin said.
Doyon declined an interview request, but he confirmed via text messages that his taxes are currently up to date and provided a screenshot from the county website as proof. When asked if the project could still move forward without the certificate, he responded, "Probably not."
