320 acres may be available to Mount Pleasant, property includes former Mount Pleasant Center

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The city of Mount Pleasant could find it easier to buy 320 acres of land after a bill was approved Thursday by the state House.

The state property encompasses 26 buildings and includes the former Mount Pleasant Center and Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial School.

“If the bill passes the city could purchase the land and then develop it for public use,” said Rep. Bill Caul, R-Mount Pleasant. “I haven’t spoken to the city directly about what they would do with the land if the bill passes and they decide to purchase it.”

The bill was introduced to the House by Caul and Sen. Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt. Caul said it will go to the Senate sometime this week.

City Manager Kathie Grinzinger said there’s been “no determination whatsoever” over the potential purchase.

“We would be getting way ahead of ourselves regarding what we would do with the property if we did indeed purchase it,” she said.

Until the economy has improved, Caul said he doesn’t think any decision will be made about developing the land.

Grinzinger said the bill was introduced to remove as many impediments as possible for the purchase. The law requires a process like this anytime a piece of land has been owned by the state.

As part of the legislation, the land must be open to another governing body and Mount Pleasant has been listed as that particular body, Grinzinger said.

It will also be important for the property to be put on the tax roll, she said.

Caul said it took longer to go into legislation because both the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and city had questions about the bill.

“If the city buys the land they would offer a deed that would include two parcels of land to the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, the school and cemetery,” said Frank Cloutier, director of public relations for the tribe.

Cloutier said it would be premature to say what the tribe would do with the land because of the sensitive nature of the school. The Tribal Council will vote to gauge how members would feel about owning the land.

The Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial School was built during a time when Native American children were taken from their homes and communities to be placed in classes there. The school was open from 1893 to 1933. While in school the children were forbidden to speak their native languages, take part in their cultural traditions and were often abused.

“Some members don’t want anything to do with it, while others think we should have it as a reminder of our past,” Cloutier said. “We will do what’s good for the many.”

If the bill is approved by the Senate, the tribe will have 180 days to discuss and vote about what to do with the land.