ALPENA — A multi-year matching grant request for the Alpena Community College Center for Health Sciences and Student Success project was approved by the Besser Foundation. The project is for the renovations to Van Lare Hall.

The grant is to not exceed $600,000 and will be distributed over a three- to five-year period, college President Don MacMaster said during Wednesday’s board of trustees meeting.

The foundation trustees also approved the release of $340,000 managed by ACC and the Besser Foundation from the sale of property to Alpena Village by the college 10 years ago. The total investment by the foundation is $940,000 for the center. The center is expected to cost $6.7 million and the college is required by the state to provide a 50 percent match.

To help cover the costs of the match the board also discussed a recent land sale.

“ACC closed on property sale Jan. 10, 2018. Last week, last Wednesday, Alpena Community College closed on the sale on eight acres of property on the corner of Johnson and Wilson streets,” MacMaster said.

The property was sold for $500,000 to Macaulay Alpena Properties, LLC. The property is now owned by Melissa Hinkson.

Hinkson owns assisted living, memory care and independent living facilities in the Upper Peninsula.

“She plans to build a similar business on the Johnson Street site with construction to begin in spring,” he said.

In a statement, MacMaster listed clinical opportunities for ACC students, employment opportunities for health care workers and revenue from the sale to contribute to the 50 percent match for the health services building as some of the reasons why the college sold the land.

Jordan Spence can be reached via email at jspence@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.