“Elberta Commons” is currently a working name. We're intentionally treating both the name and the design as a work in progress and something to be shaped alongside the community rather than handed down before input is gathered. As the project develops and we hear more from residents, the final identity, name, and design details will evolve to reflect what we learn together.

Artemis Companies is the developer for Elberta Commons. Artemis is a Michigan-based real estate development and hospitality management firm with other active projects in the region, including workforce housing and boutique hospitality properties. The Partners of the project (Village of Elberta, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy and the State Land Bank Authority) approved Artemis as the project's developer following a public meeting in November 2025.

The project site begins at the corner of Furnace and Crapo Streets, and stretches roughly 9 acres along Betsie Bay.

A charrette is a collaborative, hands-on design and planning process where community members, designers, and project partners work together in real time to influence a vision for development. Rather than presenting a finished plan for reaction, a charrette builds the plan with community input, sketching, testing, and refining ideas on the spot based on community feedback.

The community charrette is scheduled for September 22–24, 2026, at the historic Life Saving Station, 1120 Furnace St., Elberta, MI 49628.

The charrette is open to the entire community (kids included), and crafted to welcome a range of voices through different types of sessions. Public open houses are designed for community members to RSVP or drop in, ask questions, and share input. There will also be smaller study sessions for specific topics, as well as dedicated meetings with project partners. Full scheduling details for each session type will be posted online as they're finalized.

RSVPing is optional for digital events, but is the best way to receive all the information about location and zoom links. Details on registration for specific sessions, including any sign-up requirements for focus groups, will be posted at ElbertaCommons.com as the schedule is finalized. All digital engagement activities welcome walk-ins, please RSVP to the Coffee and Commons so we can best plan with our host locations.

Nothing is required, just your perspective! Whether you have specific ideas, general questions, or just want to listen and learn, every type of participation is valuable. If you have thoughts on how the space should be used, what's missing from the village today, or concerns you want addressed, the pre-charrette engagements and charrette are the places to bring them up. Please note that the design charrette is kid friendly, we would love to hear from the community youth!

Input gathered during the pre-charrette engagement and the charrette’s three days will help inform the design concepts that follow. We'll share a summary of what we heard and how it's shaping the plan, along with updated timelines for the next phases of design and community review.

There are multiple pre-charrette opportunities to share your input, all posted at ElbertaCommons.com. There are both digital and in-person opportunities, such as online webinars, in-person coffee meet-ups, a community survey, and digital focus groups.

Not yet. While the Village approved Artemis Companies as the developer for the site in November 2025, the development itself has not been approved. The project is currently in the planning and community engagement phase. A final project proposal will be developed through the design process and community input efforts. Any proposed development will need to undergo the Village's formal Planned Unit Development (PUD) process. 

Elberta Commons is in the predevelopment and community planning phase. Design partners have been selected, a partners workshop was held in May 2026 to align on shared goals, and the upcoming September charrette is the next major milestone for gathering community input to help shape a concrete design direction.

Public access and connection to the waterfront is secured through the 26 acres of conservation and park space which includes a planned trail connection of the beach to beach trail. Specific details on public access points and shared spaces are still in development and will be refined through the design process.

Questions about traffic, parking, infrastructure, and day-to-day impact are the kind of feedback the charrette process is designed to surface and address. We encourage residents with these concerns to bring them directly to the public sessions in September.

The design team includes landscape architecture expertise with direct, long-standing familiarity with the Betsie Valley Trail corridor and surrounding ecology. Their involvement is intended to ensure the natural character of the site and its connection to the trail and adjacent open spaces are thoughtfully considered throughout design.

Visit ElbertaCommons.com for project updates, details on upcoming community engagement opportunities, including the September charrette, and the project timeline

You can reach the project team anytime at info@elbertacommons.com. We welcome questions, ideas, and concerns at any stage of the process. There is a Community Survey and Ideas Form on the website, as well as a physical version of the idea form at the Village Office. A physical form of the community survey is coming soon!

Yes. The charrette is a major milestone, but not the only one. As the design progresses, we'll continue to share updates and look for additional ways to gather community input through future planning and approval stages.