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The Caro downtown housing project has moved into contractor bidding, with proposals due Nov. 10 for upper-floor apartment rehabilitation in three historic buildings on North State Street in Tuscola County.
The city’s official BidNet listing for solicitation 2026-13 gives a closing time of 10 a.m. Eastern time. The work covers 157, 201 and 239 N. State St., according to the city’s contractor RFP cover sheet.
The rental rehabilitation effort is part of a broader housing program that includes seven unoccupied rental units and approximately 14 owner-occupied homes, city grant administration documents show. Seeking construction bids advances the rental work toward contractor selection; it does not establish that construction has begun.
What the Caro downtown housing project includes
The city is seeking separate lump-sum bids for each building. Its published RFP cover sheet calls for removing existing second-floor interior finishes and systems, then building residential apartments under approved project plans.
The scope includes framing, insulation, drywall, flooring, trim, cabinets, painting, fixtures and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Existing first-floor commercial spaces are excluded from the contract.
The dates in the public records describe different steps: The cover sheet gives an Oct. 19, 2026, RFP issuance date, BidNet lists publication on Oct. 20, and the city’s news index dates its contractor RFP announcement Oct. 23.
Rental work is part of a $1.5 million grant
Caro’s third-party administrator RFP, posted in July, independently confirms a $1.5 million Community Development Block Grant through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. It identifies seven unoccupied rental units and 14 owner-occupied rehabilitation units.
In June, WNEM reported the city’s announced allocation as $826,000 for seven downtown rental units offered by Ransford-Wasik LLC and $674,000 for homeowner rehabilitation. Those amounts describe the announced program split, rather than an awarded construction contract.
The October contractor cover sheet does not state a revised funding allocation. A current grant agreement confirming whether the June split remains unchanged was not available in the public materials reviewed.
What contractors and residents should check next
The city’s general bid instructions allow either electronic submission through BidNet or a sealed paper bid delivered to the City Clerk’s Office at 317 S. State St. Bidders must use one method and meet the stated deadline.
BidNet’s public record confirms the Nov. 10 closing date, but the full bid documents are restricted to registered members. Any later addenda or changes within that packet could not be independently checked. Contractors should review the current solicitation and any written addenda before submitting.
The reviewed public materials do not establish a contractor award, construction completion date, apartment rents or a tenant application schedule.
Featured image: AI-generated photographic illustration of a representative apartment renovation; it does not depict the Caro project properties.
